The Chorus (2004 film)

The Chorus
American release poster released by Miramax Films
Directed by	Christophe Barratier
Produced by	Arthur Cohn Jacques Perrin Gérard Jugnot
Written by	Christophe Barratier Philippe Lopes-Curval ()
Based on	A Cage of Nightingales
Starring	Gérard Jugnot François Berléand Kad Merad Jean-Baptiste Maunier
Music by	Bruno Coulais
Cinematography	Jean-Jacques Bouhon () Dominique Gentil Carlo Varini (; )
Edited by	Yves Deschamps
Production company	Vega Film Banque Populaire Images 4 CP Medien AG Canal+ Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) Dan Valley Film AG France 2 Cinéma Galatée Films Novo Arturo Films Pathé Renn Productions Procirep
Distributed by	Pathé
Release date	17 March 2004 (2004-03-17)
Running time	96 minutes
Country	France Germany Switzerland
Language	French
Budget	$5.3 million
Box office	$83.6 million

The Chorus (French: Les Choristes) is a 2004 German-Swiss-French drama film directed by Christophe Barratier. Co-written by Barratier and Philippe Lopes-Curval (), it is an adaptation of the 1945 film A Cage of Nightingales (La Cage aux rossignols), which in turn was adapted by Noël-Noël and René Wheeler from a story by Wheeler and Georges Chaperot.

The plot involves the widely successful orchestra conductor Pierre Morhange (Jacques Perrin), who returns to France when his mother dies. He reminisces about his childhood inspirations when he and his former classmate Pépinot (Didier Flamand) read the diary of their old music teacher Clément Mathieu (Gérard Jugnot). In 1949, a young Morhange is the badly behaved son of single mother Violette (Marie Bunel). He attends the boarding institution for "difficult" boys, Fond de L'Étang ("Bottom of the Pond"), presided over by strict headmaster Monsieur Rachin (François Berléand). New teacher Clement Mathieu brightens up the school and assembles a choir, leading to the discovery of Morhange's musical and physical talents and a transformation in the children.

At the 77th Academy Awards, The Chorus was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Song (the latter for "Vois sur ton chemin", listed as "Look to Your Path").

In 1999, Pierre Morhange, a conductor performing in the United States, is informed that his mother has died before a concert. After the performance in which he conducted the Künstlerleben Waltz by Johann Strauss II, he returns to his home in France for her funeral. An old friend named Pépinot arrives at his door with a diary which belonged to their teacher, Clément Mathieu. They proceed to read it together.