Michel Lonsdale
I'm surprised no one has made a mention of the wonderful acting by Michel Lonsdale in the movie. It may not have been one of his longest roles, but it was certainly spot on.
I went to a similar type of school run by a male religious order, but in 1960s Belgium instead of 1950s France. That aside I have to say that so many details, so much of the atmosphere was just how I remembered aspects of my school days there: condescending teachers convinced that all pupils were conniving sneaks, the acidic remarks by teachers in class, the professed dedication to academic excellence by teachers and priests and yet their own sexual weaknesses so clearly on view and their obvious preference for students from affluent families.
The scene where Laurent is called up to confession and one of the other pupils calls 'don't forget the Vaseline' (in French, the English translation wasn't very funny) was hilarious, especially since the remark didn't draw much ire from the supervising teacher. Just another day in school.
It was all priceless and had me knowingly smirking and chuckling when I first saw the movie in a theater upon its release and even more out loud mirth afterwards.
Even now, some years ago in a newspaper interview of an important religious official here in Belgium, he still could not get over the performance of Michel Lonsdale as the perverted priest and called it part of a more or less orchestrated movement to discredit the church and place it in a less flattering light.
Well, all good and well, it's just an opinion on the part of the religious leader, but one which I think hit awfully close to home. Especially since after all these years it apparently still preys on his mind.
There is also the symbolism (?) of Michel Lonsdale having a portrait of a naked Adam behind him in the shots where he is taking Laurent's confession and giving the hypocritical talk about 'soiling himself' ... surely that particular painting is a comment by Louis Malle on religious hypocrisy surrounding sex that reinforces the scene.