On the 13th of May, our French A level students had the opportunity to visit the Ciné Lumière, a famous Art Deco French cinema in the heart of South Kensington, for a screening of Le Comte de Monte Cristo, a 2024 box office success in France with over 9 million tickets sold.
This historical action-adventure film, set in post-Revolution France, is based on the 1844 epic novel by Alexandre Dumas and tells the story of Edmond Dantès, a sea captain who finds himself incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. Enduring fourteen years of imprisonment, he eventually engineers his escape and embarks on a meticulously crafted quest for vengeance, assuming multiple identities.
The film explores A Level topics such as heritage, family, social inequality, French history, crime and, of course, cinema. The screening provided students with a valuable opportunity to reflect on the similarities and differences between this film and the one they study at AS Level.
Despite its three-hour runtime, the film was thoroughly enjoyed by the students and clearly deepened their interest in French history and culture.
After what will be six years with the college, our Principal, John Wilson, will be leaving us at the end of the current academic year to take up a new role at a school in Central London. We wish John well and thank him for his exceptional service and contribution to the college and his commitment to our students.