A wealthy industrialist's road trip turns into an absurd survival ordeal after a crash leaves him stranded on a cliffside tree.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
The Reluctant Pickup & Crash
Industrialist Henri Roubier is forced to pick up two hitchhikers against his will. A dog on the accelerator causes him to miss a turn and crash onto a cliffside tree.
Key Events
Forced Hitchhiker Pickup — Roubier reluctantly picks up a hitchhiker and a young lady against his will. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Highway
Dog on Accelerator — The woman's dog jumps on the accelerator, causing Roubier to lose control. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Cliffside Road
Tree Perch Crash — The car crashes and gets stuck perched on a tree over the void near the sea. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Cliffside Tree
Car Interior Panic — Roubier whimpers about his fate while the woman experiences a panic attack. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Car Interior
Isolation & Paranoia
Trapped on the tree, Roubier battles panic and exhaustion. Watching a horror film triggers intense paranoia about his hitchhiker companion being a vampire.
Key Events
Car Interior Panic — Roubier whimpers about his fate while the woman experiences a panic attack. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Car Interior
TV News Broadcast — Roubier watches a news bulletin that exaggerates his disappearance. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Car Interior
Vampire Paranoia — A horror film triggers intense paranoia about the hitchhiker being a vampire. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Car Interior
Mirror Signal Failure — Attempt to signal a passing boat with a mirror fails when the engine explodes. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Cliffside
Desperate Escape Attempts
Morale plummets as rescue efforts fail. Roubier attempts a clothes rope descent and launches an SOS bottle, but both plans end in disaster.
Key Events
Mirror Signal Failure — Attempt to signal a passing boat with a mirror fails when the engine explodes. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Cliffside
Morale Decline — Passengers' morale drops significantly as hours pass without rescue. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Car Interior
Clothes Rope Plan — Roubier devises a plan to tie clothes into a rope for descent to safer ground. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Car Interior
Rope Tear Disaster — Roubier climbs down but the rope tears, forcing him to climb back up narrowly avoiding death. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Cliffside Tree
Rope Falls to Sea — The rope falls into the sea, leaving Roubier in deep despair. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Cliffside
Storm & Rain — A storm brings rain, forcing occupants to bail water to prevent the car from sinking. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Car Interior
Sabotage & Rival Betrayal
A rescue operation is sabotaged by a jealous husband. The car is hijacked by business rivals, leaving Roubier in utter despair on a remote island.
Key Events
SOS Bottle Launch — Roubier launches an SOS bottle attached to a parachute into the ocean. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Cliffside
Message Received — A couple finds the bottle and involuntarily alerts the police. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Saint-Tropez Cafe
Police Discovery — Police arrive and find the car intact, amazed by the queer sight. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Cliffside
Rescue Operation Begins — Crane-lifters arrive and Operation Pin-Parasol begins immediately. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Cliffside
Husband's Sabotage — The woman's husband cuts the rescue rope out of jealousy at the sight of his wife hugging the hitchhiker. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Cliffside
Tree Collapse Threat — The husband's cigar burns the tree roots, threatening total collapse. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Cliffside Tree
Helicopter Save — A helicopter attaches the car to a trolley just in time to prevent falling. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Cliffside
Rival Hijacking — Roubier's highway rivals hijack the car to a desert Pacific island, leaving him in despair. Characters: Henri RoubierLocation: Pacific Island
Story Breakdown
Inciting Incident — The events that force the protagonist into the central predicament.
Reluctant Hitchhikers — Roubier is forced against his will to pick up two passengers.
Dog on Accelerator — A dog jumps on the pedal, causing Roubier to miss a critical turn.
Cliffside Predicament — The immediate aftermath of the crash and the physical trap.
Tree Perch Crash — The car lands precariously on a tree over the void.
Psychological Torment — Mental breakdowns triggered by media and fear.
TV News Broadcast — A bulletin exaggerates his disappearance, amplifying his stress.
Vampire Paranoia — A horror film makes him suspect his hitchhiker is a vampire.
Escape Attempts — Desperate measures taken to survive the cliffside trap.
Mirror Signaling — An attempt to signal a boat fails when the engine explodes.
Clothes Rope Descent — Tying clothes into a rope ends in disaster when it tears.
Rescue Operations — External efforts to save the protagonist and their complications.
SOS Bottle Launch — A parachute-attached bottle successfully alerts authorities.
Operation Pin-Parasol — Crane-lifters arrive but the rescue is quickly compromised.
Sabotage & Betrayal — Human interference and corporate rivalry ruin the rescue.
Husband's Jealousy — A jealous husband cuts the rescue rope and burns tree roots.
Rival Hijacking — Highway rivals steal the car to a remote Pacific island.
Final Despair — The ultimate failure of escape and the protagonist's resignation.
Broken Bottle — A final SOS attempt fails as the bottle shatters on rocks.
Pacific Island Stranding — Roubier whimpers in despair, fully trapped by circumstance.
Henry Roubier, a French promoter, and Enrico Mazzini, an Italian, have signed an agreement guaranteeing them a stranglehold on European highways. While driving on the roads of the south, Roubier takes two young hitchhikers, but an unfortunate swerve the car rushes by Henri and its occupants on the top of a pine tree onto the side of a cliff.
