Sorrel Flower (1967) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A mother seeks safety for her child while the people around her prepare to face an approaching threat.

Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases

A Mother Without Shelter

Catherine gives birth and refuses to give up her child despite having no home or income. A social worker finds them a place at a maternity home, where Catherine is known by a number.

Key Events

• Catherine Gives Birth — Catherine gives birth but refuses to send her child to an orphanage. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre Location: Maternity hospital
• Shelter at the Maternity Home — A social worker arranges a place for Catherine and her child. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre Location: Provincial maternity home
• Known by a Number — Catherine is known by a number rather than her name at the institution. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre, Marité, numéro 18, amie de Catherine Location: Provincial maternity home
• Francis Questions Catherine — Francis presses Catherine for information about Pierrot's hiding place. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre, Francis, le porte-flingue d'Albert Roza Location: Outside the maternity home

Leaving the Institution

Francis pressures Catherine for information about Pierrot, but she refuses to help him. Unable to endure the institution, she prepares to leave and entrusts her child to a friend if she does not return.

Key Events

• Catherine Rejects Pressure — Catherine says she knows nothing and refuses Francis's pressure. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre, Francis, le porte-flingue d'Albert Roza Location: Outside the maternity home
• A Promise to Marité — Before leaving, Catherine entrusts her child to a friend in case she does not return. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre, Marité, numéro 18, amie de Catherine Location: Provincial maternity home
• Journey to the Farmhouse — Catherine reaches the farmhouse where she and Pierrot once imagined a life together. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre Location: Remote farmhouse

Return to the Farmhouse

Catherine reaches the remote farmhouse and searches for hidden money amid memories of the life she and Pierrot once imagined. Edmond appears, and the arrival of the wounded Jo brings news of danger closing in.

Key Events

• Searching for Hidden Money — Catherine searches the house for money while recalling abandoned plans. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre Location: Remote farmhouse
• Edmond at the Farmhouse — Catherine and her companions encounter the volatile painter Edmond. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre, Edmond Gallière, artiste peintre maudit Location: Near the remote farmhouse
• Jo Arrives Wounded — A wounded stranger seeks shelter and identifies himself as Jo de Fréjus. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre, Jo de Fréjus, ex-complice de Pierrot Location: Remote farmhouse
• The Pursuit Closes In — Jo's arrival and Francis's pursuit reveal that Roza's people are closing in. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre, Jo de Fréjus, ex-complice de Pierrot, Francis, le porte-flingue d'Albert Roza, Francis, le porte-flingue d'Albert Roza Location: Around the remote farmhouse

A Refuge Under Siege

Catherine, the child, Edmond, and Jo take refuge together as the threat grows. Jo helps Catherine prepare to defend herself, but a dead man is found in the garden and the farmhouse is surrounded.

Key Events

• The Farmhouse Refuge — The farmhouse shelters Catherine, the child, Edmond, and Jo as danger grows. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre, Jo de Fréjus, ex-complice de Pierrot, Edmond Gallière, artiste peintre maudit Location: Remote farmhouse
• Preparing to Defend — Jo teaches Catherine how to respond to an attacker and explains the weapon's limits. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre, Jo de Fréjus, ex-complice de Pierrot Location: Remote farmhouse
• A Dead Man in the Garden — A dead man is found in the garden, intensifying the danger at the house. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre, Jo de Fréjus, ex-complice de Pierrot, Edmond Gallière, artiste peintre maudit Location: Garden of the remote farmhouse
• The House Is Surrounded — Lights and noise surround the house to prevent escape in the dark as attackers prepare to close in. Characters: Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre, Jo de Fréjus, ex-complice de Pierrot, Edmond Gallière, artiste peintre maudit, Francis, le porte-flingue d'Albert Roza, Francis, le porte-flingue d'Albert Roza Location: Remote farmhouse

Story Breakdown

• Birth and Shelter — Catherine becomes a mother without a home or income and accepts temporary institutional shelter.
  • Refusing Orphanage — Catherine refuses to give her newborn child to an orphanage.
  • Numbered Resident — At the maternity home, Catherine is known by a number rather than her name.
• Francis's Interrogation — Francis approaches Catherine seeking information about Pierrot and pressures her to answer.
  • Demand for Information — Francis tries to discover where Pierrot is hiding.
  • Catherine Resists — Catherine says she knows nothing and rejects his pressure.
• Leaving the Institution — Catherine decides she cannot endure the maternity home and makes a contingency plan for her child.
  • Entrusting the Child — She asks a friend to care for the child if she does not return.
  • Journey to Safety — Catherine leaves for a remote farmhouse connected to her past.
• The Abandoned Farmhouse — Catherine returns to a place associated with plans she and Pierrot once shared.
  • Searching for Money — Catherine searches the farmhouse for money hidden there.
  • Edmond Appears — Catherine and her companions encounter the volatile painter Edmond.
• Jo Brings Warning — A wounded arrival introduces Jo and makes the approaching danger harder to ignore.
  • Wounded Stranger — The stranger arrives at the farmhouse seeking shelter and identifies himself as Jo.
  • Pursuers Closing In — Jo's arrival and Francis's pursuit show that Roza's people are closing in.
• Preparing to Resist — The farmhouse becomes a refuge, and its occupants try to stay together and protect the children.
  • Learning the Weapon — Jo teaches Catherine how to react to an attacker and explains the weapon's limits.
  • Guarding the Children — The group tries to keep the children safe and remain alert as the threat grows.
• The Farmhouse Besieged — A discovery in the garden and the surrounding lights and noise leave the group facing danger rather than escape.
  • Body in the Garden — A dead man is found in the farmhouse garden.
  • No Easy Escape — Lights and noise surround the house to prevent anyone from escaping in the dark.

Directed by

Georges Lautner

Key Cast

• Mireille Darc — Catherine Aigros, compagne de Pierre
• Henri Garcin — Jo de Fréjus, ex-complice de Pierrot
• Anouk Ferjac — Marité, numéro 18, amie de Catherine
• Serge Sauvion — Le narrateur (voice)
• Paul Préboist — Edmond Gallière, artiste peintre maudit