Character Relationship Map: Reproduction interdite

Characters

• Jacques Lacroix (played by Michel Auclair) — protagonist

  Jacques Lacroix is a swindler who sells Marc Kelber a fake Gauguin painting. After Kelber tracks him down, Lacroix recruits him into his forgery gang, which includes Claude Watroff and Watroff's mistr...

• Marc Kelber (played by Paul Frankeur) — supporting

  Marc Kelber is an art dealer who pays two million for a Gauguin that turns out to be fake. He searches for the swindler Jacques Lacroix and is recruited into Lacroix's gang. Drawing on his experience,...

• Claude Watroff (played by Giani Esposito) — supporting

  Claude Watroff is a painter in Jacques Lacroix's forgery gang and Viviane's lover. He becomes consumed by remorse over the gang's activities and starts drinking, leading Lacroix and Marc Kelber to con...

• Viviane (played by Annie Girardot) — supporting

  Viviane is Claude Watroff's mistress and is included among the members of Jacques Lacroix's forgery gang. The plot summary identifies her connection to Watroff and the gang, but gives no further accou...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Claude Watroff → Viviane (Romantic Lovers) — Viviane is Watroff's romantic partner within the gang.

  Viviane is explicitly described as Watroff's mistress, while both are associated with Lacroix's gang.

• Jacques Lacroix → Marc Kelber (Professional Recruiter And Recruited Associate) — Lacroix brings Kelber into the counterfeit-art operation.

  After Kelber searches for the swindler, Lacroix lets himself be approached and recruits Kelber into his gang.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Viviane → Jacques Lacroix (Alliance Gang Associate) — Viviane belongs to the criminal group connected to Lacroix.

  The gang organized around Lacroix includes Watroff and his mistress Viviane.

• Marc Kelber → Claude Watroff (Alliance Criminal Partner) — Their association begins within the gang and ends in lethal betrayal.

  Kelber joins the gang that includes Watroff, and later works with Lacroix in poisoning Watroff.

• Jacques Lacroix → Claude Watroff (Alliance Criminal Partner) — Watroff participates in Lacroix's counterfeit-art network.

  The gang recruited by Lacroix includes the painter Claude Watroff.

Story Analysis

A counterfeit-art conspiracy evolves from financial deception into betrayal, murder, and posthumous revenge.

Plot Progression

1. The Forged Masterpiece — Marc Kelber buys a Gauguin painting for two million, only to discover that it is fake. He then searches for Jacques Lacroix, the swindler connected to the deception.
2. The Counterfeit Circle — Kelber is recruited into Lacroix's gang, which includes Claude Watroff and Viviane. Kelber's experience helps the group obtain near-perfect Gauguin copies capable of deceiving experts.
3. Remorse Turns Dangerous — Watroff becomes consumed by remorse and starts drinking. Lacroix and Kelber begin to regard him as dangerous to the gang.
4. The Poisoned Suicide — Lacroix and Kelber poison Watroff with acid and arrange the death to resemble a suicide. The plot then reveals that Watroff had prepared a posthumous revenge.