THIS SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP

This is a French gay movie based on the 1943 book Les amitiés particulières by Roger Peyrefitte. Georges de Sarre is admitted at the Saint Claude Institute a strict Roman catholic boarding school for boys. He has been an excellent scholar even in his former school. He meets Lucien de Rouvere a fellow form 2 and they become friends. They also sleep side by side in the dormitory. He learns that Lucien and another boy Andre Ferron are in a homosexual relationship. To further confirm it he finds a love letter from Ferron in Lucien's book. He confesses about the letter to the father and letter leaves it together with other mail where it is discovered by the school administration. Andre is expelled and Lucien is left crying and very sad. Georges tries to comfort Lucien who does not know what really happened for Andre to be expelled. He never gets to know of Georges' involvement.
At Christmas mass Georges spots the boy carrying the lamb. He gets immediately infatuated by him. In the train leaving for holidays he sees the boy and follows him. He helps him get an object off his eye. The boy is introduced to him as Alexandre Motier.
Georges keeps his grades up and is eventually admitted into the academy. He is still in love with Alexandre who is much younger. Lucien knows this. He shows Georges a secluded place at the greenhouse where they used to meet with Andre. Georges begins meeting with Alexandre there often where they talk and exchange love letters.
Georges and Lucien are still sleeping next to each other in the dormitory. One night father Trennes finds them talking. He asks them to come into his room facing the dormitory. Once in the room he offers them cigarettes and drinks and talks to them about their confessions. Father Trennes seems to know both Lucien and Georges are gay. He also seems to have homosexual feelings towards the boys.
Alexandre is caught with a love letter. He is taken to father superior but he denies it was meant for anybody. He insists he got the script from a book. The father does not believe it and puts him on punishment. Georges learns of this and goes to see father superior. He makes up a lie saying the letter was meant for him and that Alexandre wrote it as an appreciation for help to join the academy. Father supreme believes it and lets the issue go. Meanwhile Alexandre cuts his arm and asks Georges to lick his blood and vice versa. This is meant to be a pact to bind them for life.
Father Trennes comes to Georges' bed one night and informs him that he knows about the relationship with Alexandre. Trennes informs Georges that he might be Alexandre's confessor very soon. Father Trennes then goes and wakes up another boy who he calls to his room. Georges runs off to father superior's room and knocks then slips a paper with a message under the door. He runs off and father superior finds nobody outside but reads the paper. Father superior heads to father Trennes room where he finds him in the company of the boy. He orders the boy out and father Trennes is asked not to report back after Easter. In the morning father Trennes calls Georges and informs him about the dismissal. He knows Georges called father superior and just wanted to confirm.
It is now third semester and Georges is still meeting Alexandre at their secret location. Alexandre asks Georges what he should get him on his birthday July 15. Georges insists nothing and Alexandre accepts. Father Lauzon finds them smoking and in a suggestive position inside the secret location. He orders them out and does not want to hear any excuses. Georges is overwhelmed by guilt and goes to see father Lauzon. He confesses about their affair. Father asks him not to come back next semester. Father Lauzon also informs Alexandre about this. Alexandre would rather be also expelled than lose Georges. He informs Georges that they might have to expel Alexandre. Georges pleads for Alexandre to remain in school. Father Lauzon asks him to hand all the letters Alexandre wrote him. Father Lauzon informs Georges that they are going to meet in his office after prize giving which is also the closing day where they are both going to hand over all their letters.
On prize giving day Georges gets the first prize. The cardinal is in attendance including his parents. He goes over to father Lauzon's office after the ceremony and leaves Alexandre's letters on his desk then runs off into their car. Father Lauzon sees him leaving in the car. Alexandre comes in and father Lauzon convinces him that Georges wants their relationship to end and shows him the letters he left behind. Alexandre is very sad.
On the train back home in the company of father Lauzon Alexander is quiet and still very sad. He goes out and removes Georges' letters from his pocket and tears them up. He throws out the pieces. He then goes ahead to commit suicide by jumping off the train at a bridge.
Georges learns of the news with much sadness. Father Lauzon tries to comfort him to no avail. Father Lauzon hands him the letters from Alexandre which he had placed on the desk. Georges hands him the last letter he wrote for Alexandre but never delivered it. He asks him to make sure he reads it.