The Childhood of a Leader

The Childhood of a Leader is a dark, enigmatic piece of work that hovers between visionary greatness and petty domestic triviality. Corbet's inaugural stint behind the camera marks a stunning debut.

Submit to Corbet’s vision and you’ll find something original and unsettling.

The ending doesn’t quite land, but this timely right-wing allegory promises there’s much more to come from Corbet.

What could very easily be received as an irritating, pretentious feature debut is actually a display of controlled madness full of astute touches.

If only for a few minutes, The Childhood Of A Leader becomes its own film, a tour of the printing presses, paternoster elevators, and mazes of power that ends with a convulsive blur of bodies crowding in a public square. A viewer can’t help but think, “What took so long?”

Alternating immense bombast with long stretches of longueur in its psychologically questionable evocation of the formative years of a future despot, the film is formally confident, stylistically inventive and intensely irritating.

Brady Corbet reaches for a dreary self-importance akin to Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon.

A drama film based on a 2015 novel. It tells the story of a child who is brought up under pressure and coercion by disinterested parents. I've been a child, possibly rebellious, and as the pressure on him increases, he becomes more rebellious. Eventually this kid grows up and becomes a dictator. The child actor who plays the role really does justice to the role. The music used in the movie is beautiful. There is one final scene, which is incredible. It is exquisite with both the shooting style and the music. Although the movie is static, it is watched with interest. There is no sex or nudity in the movie. However, it is a question that the child focuses on his chest, which is visible under the teacher's shirt while taking lessons, and the scene takes a little longer.

The story of how an entitled boy turns into a facist. Despite having a number of flat spots the story is compelling enough.

The concept promises much more than this movie delivers. Lot's of beautiful looking scenes where not much of consequence happens. A child that is indulged to be sure, ignored when suited and once beaten (that we see), but it doesn't adds up to a childhood or parents that could be accused of sowing of the seeds of a sociopath. To further complicate, we are shown only a brief snap shot of this childhood, then a huge time jump to reveal, for the final few minutes... The Leader. That's about it. It was OK, heavy on artistic pretension and the ushering in of a new directing prodigy, which is possibly why critics are turning somersaults over it.

Comparisons to the current A Star Is Born are inevitable, but there's no comparison on any level. This somewhat experimental film wears its edgy credentials all over the place: random visual styles, quirky editing, heavy-handed, even melodramatic score (not to mention the clunky narration). It follows a young woman as she endures a traumatic event, then goes on to become a pop star. The role is first played by Raffey Cassidy, then after about 45 minutes, by Natalie Portman, Confusingly, all of the other main roles keep the same actors for both time periods. This role gives Portman a chance to strap on a New York accent, become a ranting, self-absorbed rock star with personal issues (nothing new here) and even perform a mini concert (songs by Sia). The film tries to make some statements and dazzle with showy style. Even so, there's still a weirdly compelling aspect that keeps it from being a totally self-indulgent mess.