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Following the May 1968 civil unrest in France, two theater groups rehearse plays by Aeschylus while two solitary individuals wander the Parisian streets hustling the populace for cash.
Jacques Rivette
ORTF Télévision
8
773 min
Rivette instantly establishes his playful, no-rules reality as two theater troupes rehearse avant-garde versions of Aeschylus plays climaxing in an epic, hypnotic warm-up exercise that unfolds like a primal, clothed orgy. We are introduced to a deadpan, deaf-mute busker and Frédérique, a wayward young con artist.
Oct 9, 1971
The outlines of a conspiracy begin to emerge as the busker begins receiving cryptic letters with references to Balzac and Lewis Carroll’s 'The Hunting of the Snark'. Meanwhile, rehearsals take an unsettling turn.
Oct 9, 1971
The mystery of the enigmatic notes deepens as the busker learns about their connection to Balzac’s 'History of the Thirteen'. Elsewhere, tensions flare up at rehearsals.
Oct 9, 1971
The various strands of the story begin to intersect. The busker continues on his quest to uncover the source of the cryptic letters, while Frédérique is also inadvertently drawn into the conspiracy. Games—cops and robbers, chess, and cons—abound.
Oct 9, 1971
Frédérique finds that blackmail doesn’t pay as she crosses paths with the busker who is now in love with Pauline—or is it Emilie? Meanwhile, a wild goose chase through Paris ensues when one of the productions is fleeced out of money.
Oct 10, 1971
Maps, symbols, codes, card games, and double meanings: the intrigue starts to accelerate.
Oct 10, 1971
Cracks in the conspiracy begin to appear and things really start to get confusing.
Oct 10, 1971
And then the narrative implodes...
Oct 10, 1971
Lili
Thomas
Frédérique
Colin
Pauline / Emilie
Lucie
Marie
Achille
Elaine
Quentin
Nicolas / Arsenal / Papa / Théo
Bergamotte
