'THE CHOCOLATE WAR'.......BANNED THERE, DONE THAT.....

The Chocolate War (1988)   We've never understood the concept of schools trying to ban books in a free society........

               ........it invariably leads to young people racing to bookstores and public libraries to take a big juicy bite out of that forbidden fruit......(bookstores especially dote on table displays of multiple banned books....)

                 Robert Cormier's 1974 soul-sucking, nihilistic novel about horrific life in a Catholic boys' school made the hit list........and naturally, it's a must-read for all teens who feel the dictatorial, all-controlling forces of the world arrayed against  them.......

                  Like the similarly banned "Lord Of  The Flies", Cormier's descent into adolescent hell reiterates that life sucks......and predatory pricks, not the meek, shall inherit the earth.

                  The little seen, almost unheard of film version adheres to Cormier's world view through 97 per cent of its running time........until it tampers with the novel's numbing conclusion.

                    The Catholic high school depicted in both book and film is an epic horror show......a school dominated by a near psychotic, tyrannical teacher and a creepy, malignant secret society of senior students, 'The Vigils'......a fearful collection of bullies preparing for their eventual careers as sadistic frat boy hazers.

                     Caught between these two overpowering forces of evil.......a gentle-hearted freshman who, in an act of unprecedented courage, defies them all by refusing to participate in the school's annual sale of chocolate boxes.

                      Let's just say that this poor kid discovers that life is not like a box of chocolates.....you do know what you're gonna get.......humiliated, beaten, destroyed.

                     Director Keith Gordon, who also wrote the script, chose to somewhat dilute and dampen Cormier's gut-punch conclusion.......softening it up with a sadder-but-wiser moral lesson.  But even with this watered down finale, the film still remains a watchable, compelling story to sit through, expertly crafted and acted.

                      And special kudos to veteran stage actor John Glover, whose portrayal of the near-Satanic teacher, Brother Leon, will leave you stunned.

                     Also if you want to see this Catholic-School-As-Hell genre taken to its ultimate, logical conclusion, check out our 11/10/19 post on Sidney Lumet's 1972 "Child's Play".....

                      As for "The Chocolate War", 3 stars (***).....and we might have gone for 4 if the film had stayed true to the book's bleak vision......(which could neatly be summed up in John Mellencamp's song, 'I fight authority....authority always wins...."

                       One last memo......to anyone who bans books......thanks for increasing the readership!