The film is entirely within the caught-on-the-run tradition of cinema verite, which makes it all the grittier and its conclusion all the more wrenching.
La Promesse
1996 · 1h 34m · Not Rated
Drama
Directed by
Jean-Pierre Dardenne
,
Luc Dardenne
Overview
Igor, aged 15, and his father Roger deal in housing and peddling illicit labor in the outlying districts of Liege, Belgium. Scams, lies and swindling rule their lives. When one of his father’s illegal workers gets injured on the job and asks Igor to promise to take care of his wife and baby, Igor finds himself at a crossroad. He wants to keep the promise, but the price would be to betray his father.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
The conflicts involved are intense and absorbing, proving that compelling moral dilemmas make for the most dramatic cinema.
The Dardenne brothers, as shown by their empathic casting, their very choice of theme, have confessed to a burden. They believe in hope.
Ranks with the great European art-house classics about childhood betrayed and innocence lost.
Speaks volumes about how we treat other human beings and what it means to truly grow up.
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