Forbidden Games (original French title: Jeux interdits) is a 1952 drama film directed by René Clément. It is based on the novel Les Jeux Inconnus (Unknown Games) by François Boyer. The film depicts the impact of World War II on French society through the eyes of two children who are trying to make sense of it all.
The film begins with the Nazi bombing of Paris in 1940. Paulette (Brigitte Fossey), a little girl, loses her parents in the attack. She runs away from the carnage and finds a farm where Michel (Georges Poujouly), an older peasant boy, lives with his family. They take her in and she begins to develop a close bond with Michel. The two children find solace and distraction from the horrors of war by playing together. They play games with Paulette's dead dog, which they bury in a makeshift cemetery, and with farm animals, including chicks and rabbits.
As they both deal with loss throughout the film, Paulette becomes increasingly obsessed with death. She starts to collect dead animals, removing them from their graves and setting them up in a museum-like display and also questioning Michel about the concept of heaven and the afterlife.
Their innocence, however, is short-lived. As the war drags on, the adults around them become increasingly harsh and uncaring. The family is visited by German soldiers, who confiscate their livestock and farm implements. Michel's parents are taken away, leaving him to care for Paulette on his own. They soon begin to understand the grim reality of war and the consequences it has on their lives.
Eventually, Paulette is taken away by a family member, leaving Michel alone to cope with the harshness of the world around him. The film ends with him wandering aimlessly, mourning the loss of his friend and trying to come to terms with the horrors of war.
Forbidden Games was hugely successful upon its release and has since become a classic of French cinema. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1952. The film is remembered for its poignant portrayal of wartime childhood and for the outstanding performances of its child actors.