The Childhood of a Leader (film)

The Childhood of a Leader is a 2015 historical mystery drama film directed by Brady Corbet. It is Corbet's directorial debut and is loosely based on Jean-Paul Sartre's 1939 short story of the same name, although the film significantly deviates from the original source material.

The film stars Tom Hughes as Charles Maker, an American diplomat working for the United States government following World War I. Bérénice Bejo portrays his wife, and Robert Pattinson plays two roles: Charles' friend, journalist Paul Henriard, and later, a prominent American politician. The story focuses on the experiences of their young son, Prescott (played by Tom Sweet), a difficult and unsettling child whose behavior becomes increasingly erratic and unsettling during the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.

The narrative explores themes of power, guilt, and the psychological development of a future leader. It delves into the tensions within the Maker family and the political climate of post-war Europe, hinting at the potential origins of authoritarianism through the lens of Prescott's troubled childhood. The film employs a distinctive score by Scott Walker, which contributes to the film's unsettling and ambiguous atmosphere.

The Childhood of a Leader premiered at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Best Debut Film and the Venice Horizons Award for Best Director. It received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its ambitious scope, atmospheric direction, and compelling performances.