Spoiled Children (Enfants gâtés) is a 1977 French drama film directed by Bertrand Tavernier and loosely based on the true story of a housing crisis in Lyon, France. The film stars Michel Piccoli as Bernard Rougerie, a successful writer/director who is struggling to come up with a new script. He decides to move into a rundown apartment building in order to find some peace and quiet away from his wife.
However, once he moves in, Bernard finds himself drawn into the tumultuous lives of his neighbors, who are in the midst of a revolt against their abusive landlord. Led by the fiery and idealistic Roland (Michel Aumont), the tenants refuse to pay their rent until their demands are met. Bernard initially resists getting involved, but he soon finds himself sympathizing with their cause and begins to actively support their efforts.
As the conflict between the tenants and landlord intensifies, Bernard begins an affair with one of the tenants, a young and beautiful unemployed woman named Anne (Christine Pascal). Their relationship is complicated by the fact that Bernard is still technically married, but he finds himself unable to resist Anne's charms.
The film explores themes of social injustice, political activism, and personal morality, as Bernard grapples with his own feelings of guilt and responsibility for the tenants' plight. The ending of the film is ambiguous, leaving it up to the viewer to decide whether Bernard has truly found redemption or if he is simply exploiting the situation for his own purposes.
Overall, Spoiled Children is a thought-provoking and emotionally complex film that tackles weighty topics with both insight and sensitivity. With strong performances from Piccoli, Aumont, and Pascal, it remains an enduring classic of French cinema.
