The Notebook (Le Grand Cahier)

Towards the end of World War II, a desperate mother leaves her 13-year-old twin sons at their grandmother's house, despite the fact that this grandmother is a cruel and bestial alcoholic. Previously pampered, the twins must learn how to survive alone in their new, rural surroundings. They realize that the only way to cope with the inhumane world of adults and war is to become completely unfeeling and merciless.