A young student's idealistic attempt to save a Jewish woman during the 1942 Paris roundup.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
The July Roundup
Paul learns of the mass deportation of Jewish inhabitants in Paris and resolves to intervene. He ventures into the heavily policed Jewish quarter on the Right Bank, where French authorities are actively rounding up civilians.
Key Events
Historical Roundup Begins — Paul learns of the French authorities rounding up Jewish inhabitants for deportation. Characters: PaulLocation: Left Bank, Paris
Paul's Moral Resolve — Paul decides to go to the Jewish quarter to save someone as a gesture against the occupation. Characters: PaulLocation: Left Bank, Paris
Entering the Jewish Quarter — Paul navigates through police forces herding Jewish people into buses. Characters: PaulLocation: Right Bank, Paris
Meeting Jeanne — Paul approaches Jeanne, who initially does not understand the danger she faces. Characters: Paul, JeanneLocation: Jewish Quarter
Shopkeeper's Warning — Shopkeeper reveals Jeanne's family was taken and cuts off her yellow star. Characters: JeanneLocation: Local Shop
Jewish Quarter — The heavily policed zone where the roundup and initial encounters occur. Characters: Paul, JeanneLocation: Right Bank, Paris
Yellow Star Symbolism — Represents forced identification, danger, and the stripping of identity. Characters: JeanneLocation: Various
Police Presence Throughout — Constant threat of arrest and deportation looms over all characters.
Location: Paris Streets
Jeanne's Wariness — Jeanne's cautious attitude shapes their interactions and limits Paul's influence. Characters: Jeanne, PaulLocation: Various
Paul's Idealism — Paul's moral stance and anti-occupation ideals drive the narrative forward. Characters: PaulLocation: Left Bank
Navigating the Danger
Paul meets Jeanne and offers to escort her to relatives, but they are forced to hide when police arrive. They navigate street checks and evade plainclothes officers through staged distractions and quick escapes.
Key Events
Shopkeeper's Warning — Shopkeeper reveals Jeanne's family was taken and cuts off her yellow star. Characters: JeanneLocation: Local Shop
Escort to Relatives — Paul offers to escort Jeanne to her relatives' apartment for safety. Characters: Paul, JeanneLocation: Jewish Quarter
Relatives' Arrest — Police arrive; relatives hide Paul and Jeanne before being taken away. Characters: Jeanne, PaulLocation: Relatives' Apartment
Street Checks & Evasion — Plainclothes police check IDs; Paul stages a clinch to distract them. Characters: Paul, JeanneLocation: Paris Streets
Café Hiding — They duck into a café; a plainclothes man shows interest in Jeanne. Characters: Paul, JeanneLocation: Prostitute Café
Pimp's Intervention — Pimp knocks out the cop, allowing Paul and Jeanne to flee safely. Characters: JeanneLocation: Prostitute Café
Jeanne's Wariness — Jeanne's cautious attitude shapes their interactions and limits Paul's influence. Characters: Jeanne, PaulLocation: Various
Moments of Respite
After a pimp intervenes to save Jeanne from a cop, Paul and Jeanne find temporary safety in a café and later the Louvre courtyard. Paul opens up about his motives and dreams of a shared future.
Key Events
Pimp's Intervention — Pimp knocks out the cop, allowing Paul and Jeanne to flee safely. Characters: JeanneLocation: Prostitute Café
Louvre Confession — Paul explains his anti-occupation motives and hopes for a shared future. Characters: Paul, JeanneLocation: Louvre Courtyard
Bridge Decision — Jeanne halts their progress, deciding she cannot go further with him. Characters: Paul, JeanneLocation: Bridge to Left Bank
Divergent Paths — Their journey ends; Jeanne chooses a separate route while Paul continues alone. Characters: Paul, JeanneLocation: Bridge to Left Bank
Left Bank Destination — Paul's intended safe haven and romantic aspiration for Jeanne. Characters: PaulLocation: Left Bank, Paris
Failed Escape Attempt — The attempt to reach the Left Bank concludes in separation and unresolved tension. Characters: Paul, JeanneLocation: Bridge to Left Bank
The Bridge Parting
Halfway across the bridge to the Left Bank, Jeanne halts their journey, deciding she cannot continue with Paul. Their paths diverge, leaving their alliance fractured and their fates uncertain.
Story Breakdown
Historical Backdrop — The July 16, 1942 roundup of Jewish inhabitants sets a grim, oppressive tone for the narrative.
French Collaboration — French authorities actively participate in rounding up civilians for deportation.
Yellow Star Mandate — Compulsory identification marks force visibility and vulnerability upon Jewish residents.
Paul's Mission — Paul's moral outrage drives him to intervene directly against the occupation forces.
Idealistic Resolve — Paul decides to save someone as a personal gesture against systemic evil.
Left Bank Destination — Paul plans to escort Jeanne to his neighborhood as a perceived safe haven.
Jeanne's Peril — Jeanne faces immediate threats to her life and family during the mass arrests.
Family Separation — Jeanne's mother and sister are taken, leaving her isolated and vulnerable.
Street Evasion — Jeanne navigates constant police checks and identity verifications on the streets.
Street Evasion — Paul and Jeanne employ tactical distractions to avoid plainclothes police patrols.
Staged Clinch — Paul initiates a physical altercation to divert police attention from Jeanne.
Café Hiding — The pair seeks refuge in a prostitute café to escape immediate detection.
Café Interlude — A brief respite where external intervention alters their escape trajectory.
Pimp Intervention — A local pimp knocks out a suspicious cop, enabling their continued flight.
Temporary Safety — The café provides a momentary pause in the relentless pursuit by authorities.
Emotional Confession — Paul reveals his deeper motivations and romantic aspirations in a quiet setting.
Louvre Courtyard — An empty historical space becomes a backdrop for personal revelation.
Shared Future Hopes — Paul expresses dreams of a better life with Jeanne, contrasting with her pragmatism.
The Bridge Parting — The narrative climax where divergent paths force a permanent separation.
Jeanne's Rejection — Jeanne halts their journey, asserting her autonomy and ending their alliance.
Divergent Paths — Their physical and ideological separation leaves both characters on uncertain trajectories.
Thematic Resonance — The film explores the limits of individual idealism against systemic oppression.
Moral vs Pragmatic — Paul's ideological drive clashes with Jeanne's survival-focused realism.
Historical Weight — Personal stories are inextricably bound to the broader tragedy of the occupation.
In Paris, in 1942, on a Thursday, the Parisian police herded together some 13,000 Jews for deportation to German territory. In this story, Paul (Christian Rist) is a teenager who tries to prevent this from happening. At first he attempts to save two elderly Jews, but they are resigned to their fate and comply with the order to assemble. For a short while, he is able to keep Jeanne (Christine Pascal) from joining them, but, after a long and strenuous day, she finally escapes from him he is too tired to chase after her.
