Zéro de Conduite (1933 Jean Vigo & scr, ed)

This is a gas. Begins with two youths on a train playing jokes on each other whilst a man (who turns out to be the new teacher) sleeps opposite them - this must be referenced in Cuaron's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, surely?

The new teacher's all right, but the others are terrible. One's a sneak thief and none of them can control the pupils, not even the Principal, who's a dwarf. (When a boy is excused for telling a teacher to bugger off - a teacher who seems to have unhealthy feelings for him, I should add - he refuses to apologise and tells the Principal to bugger off as well!)

There's a memorable pillow fight, and then the students revolt from the rooftops - the definite influence for If... This all takes place very zippily over 41 minutes. It's a funny and anarchic tale of 'little devils'.

Photographed by Boris Kaufman, music by Maurice Jaubert. Vigo has a beautiful touch.

With Jean Dasté (L'Atalante), Robert le Flon, Du Verron.

I know... I take it this was intentional?