The Childhood of a Leader

"Witness the birth of a terrifying ego."

2016 1h 56m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 191

Drama

Synopsis

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The chilling story of a young American boy living in France in 1918 whose father is working for the US government on the creation of the Treaty of Versailles. What he witnesses helps to mold his beliefs – and we witness the birth of a terrifying ego.

“Witness the birth of a terrifying ego.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Bérénice Bejo
The Mother
Liam Cunningham
The Father
Stacy Martin
Adelaide / The Teacher
Yolande Moreau
The Maid
Jacques Boudet
The Priest
Robert Pattinson
Charles Marker / The Leader
Tom Sweet
Prescott, the Boy
Sophie Lane Curtis
Laura

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Brady Corbet
Writers: Mona Fastvold, Brady Corbet, Jean-Paul Sartre
Languages: English, French, German
Countries: Belgium, Canada, France, Hungary, United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 10 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, French, German.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 6 countries: Belgium, Canada, France, Hungary, United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Brady Corbet, shot by Lol Crawley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Scott Walker. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dávid Jancsó shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bérénice Bejo and Liam Cunningham and Stacy Martin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Brady Corbet directs. Lol Crawley behind the camera. Scott Walker scores. Dávid Jancsó cuts. Produced in Belgium, Canada, France, Hungary, United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English, French, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Released 10 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, French, German.
4International production across 6 countries: Belgium, Canada, France, Hungary, United Kingdom, United States of America.
5Directed by Brady Corbet, shot by Lol Crawley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Scott Walker. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Dávid Jancsó shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Bérénice Bejo and Liam Cunningham and Stacy Martin carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Witness the birth of a terrifying ego.".
10IMDB entry: tt2815902 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 8 themes, including "france", "fascism", "ego", "discipline".