The Chocolate War

Jerry Renault is recruited by The Vigils and is made to refuse selling chocolates for ten days as a test of loyalty. The headmaster Brother Leon supports the stunt to test authority and public perception. The ten-day window opens a larger power struggle within Trinity.

Archie Costello, as Assigner, summons Jerry to a direct meeting before The Vigils and orders him to start selling the chocolates. When Jerry refuses again, Archie escalates the pressure by intensifying harassment and public shaming. The confrontation sets the tone for a calculated manipulation of students and authority.

The Vigils forge an alliance with Brother Leon, who needs the fundraiser to succeed to avoid scrutiny over misusing school funds. The collaboration strengthens both sides' grip on Trinity, turning personal rebellion into a campus-wide spectacle. Public optics become as important as the sale itself.

Roland Goubert, aka Goober, quietly joins Jerry in refusing to sell, signaling a risk shared by a few. Yet the rest of the student body continues to push the 50-box quota through other boys, maintaining the illusion of broad participation. Goober's stance contrasts with the crowd's complicity.

Archie orchestrates a Trinity-wide publicity campaign with the slogan 'We'll make selling chocolates popular.' The campaign shifts public opinion, reframing Jerry as lacking school spirit rather than as a principled resister. The new narrative helps the sale press forward despite Jerry's defiance.

Emile Janza taunts Jerry and corners him on his way home, triggering a brutal ambush by local kids. Archie then manipulates the situation, claiming Emile acted on his own and offering Jerry a chance at revenge. The bullying intensifies as the line between performance and coercion blurs.

That night, The Vigils and Trinity students stage a boxing match between Emile and Jerry on the school grounds. Tickets specify how each punch should be delivered, turning violence into a staged public event. The spectacle consolidates Archie’s control and the crowd’s complicity.

Before the match, the traditional marble draw inside the black box determines responsibilities. Archie draws a white marble to stay in his role for Jerry’s place, then draws the black marble for the first time himself, signaling a shift in power. The moment foreshadows a new, stricter leadership within The Vigils.

During the match, Jerry fights within the rules and endures a sequence of prescribed moves. When Archie kicks Jerry in the groin, Jerry breaks from the plan and overwhelms Archie, knocking him unconscious. The cheering crowd feels hollow as Goober looks on with disappointment, highlighting the moral cost of the spectacle.

After the fight, Jerry is celebrated briefly by the crowd but realizes his act of rebellion conformed to the system’s goals. He understands that his resistance inadvertently aided Brother Leon and The Vigils in selling the chocolates. The revelation marks a turning point in his moral stance and the film’s meditation on power and complicity.

Archie is demoted to Secretary, and Obie Jameson becomes the new Assigner. Obie lacks Archie's flair for manipulation and instead offers crude, simplistic assignments. The leadership shift preserves The Vigils' grip on Trinity, albeit through a different style.

With Obie in charge, the chocolate sale continues under Brother Leon’s watchful eye. The system endures changes in personnel, but the underlying dynamics of control remain intact. Jerry’s ambiguous stance persists as a quiet counterpoint to the prevailing power structure.