May 22. 2013
®*’t F ortiani» (Ober ruer
Page 17
Wisdom of the Outsider
All of this is supposed to be expressions of anger and confu­
aimed at protecting the children, sion with patience and kindness.
She learns nothing of his circum­ but it seems as though the adults Small moments of attentiveness
stances otherwise and, like most are asserting their own need for eventually lead to a larger mo­
people in the film, displays little protection from the implications ment of release for the troubled
curiosity about him as he enters of the violence that has been boy who the rest of the school
the life of the school.
visited on the children by their has written off.
Lazhar carries his alien status trusted teacher.
Ultimately Lazhar tells the stu­
stolidly. He is courtly, a bit stiff,
Lazhar sees all this from the dents not to look for meaning in
and his approach to the class vantage point of the outsider, their teacher's death because
seems at first overly formal; for generally acquiescing with little there isn't one. But he finds ways
example, he instructs the stu­ more than a slight shake of his to guide them back to their task
dents to move their desks from head to indicate his disbelief. It as sixth graders, which is to
an egalitarian semi-circle into does not seem to occur to any­ em erge from a metaphorical
more traditional rows, and gives one that Lazhar might actually chrysalis — the school, their safe
them a dictation assignment from h av e had e x p e rie n c e s th at place - to fly free.
Balzac that is way over their uniquely equip him to understand
His efforts get him into trouble
heads.
how to help the children.
— and here again, his experience
But in time, the children relax
When he gently notes in a resounds with that of many out­
into the structure he imposes; parent-teacher conference that siders. His wisdom not only goes
with it comes a kind of freedom one o f the students is perhaps unrecognized; it leads to his dis­
that is missing from this typical overly fond of enforcing rules missal. The asylum proceedings
North American school, which with her classmates, her parents are a microcosm of his experi­
perceives itself as free-thinking icily inform him, "You are not ence inside the school: they cul­
but actually embodies its own from here so certain nuances minate in the pronouncement that
rigidity.
escape you."
what he has been saying is true
N ow here is this m ore evi­
Perhaps. But he is not the in the eyes of the law, not be­
dent than in the school's re­ only one who is missing nuances. cause of his testimony but be­
sponse to the teach er's su i­ Bit by bit the film reveals that cause of third-party verification.
cide. A grief counselor is called Lazhar is in the midst of seeking
The arrogance of the pro­
in and bans L azhar from her asylum following the murder of ceedings, in which a smug bu­
m eetings w ith the children so his wife and children in Algeria. reaucracy deems itself qualified
as to "sep arate p sy ch o lo g y He never speaks of it outside the to pass judgm ent on the experi­
from p ed ag o g y ." He is in ­ asylum proceedings, where he is ence of an outsider while ac­
structed not to discuss the sui­ treated not with care but with cording no regard for his own
cide w ith the class and is also suspicion, and subjected to harsh testimony, was almost more than
inform ed o f the school's "zero questioning as though he is at­ I could bear to watch.
tolerance" policy that forbids tempting to scam the Canadian
But to the children, the pure of
teachers from physical con­ government.
heart, this man is a gift. This
tact o f any kind w ith students.
His classroom, though, is a lovely film offers that gift to the
The school also enforces an safe zone, for him self and the pure of heart among us.
"anti-violence" policy that for­ students. One of his assignments
Darleen Ortega is a judge on
bids such playground games as invites them to prepare presen­ the Oregon Court o f Appeals
"king of the hili'; as an apparent tations about the problem of vio­ and the first woman of color to
consequence, the other teach­ lence, which opens up space for serve in that capacity. Her movie
ers seem to marginalize a stu­ a particularly astute student to review column “Opinionated
dent who acts out but is clearly express her grief over the vio­ Judge” appears regularly in
struggling after being the one to lence that disrupted their class­ the Portland Observer. You can
discover the teacher hanging in room.
fin d her movie blog at
the classroom.
He responds to the children's opinionatedjudge. blogspot. com.
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