Roger Hanin resumes a subject which was often treated in the late fifties by Leo Joannon or Maurice Cloche :prostitution.But he wants to tackle the roots of evil.So don't expect to get an eyeful :very little nudity ,no salacious details ,an attempt at a wholly realist story,all this to the credit of the director.
Unfortunately , the direction is tentative ,the actors are miscast:who could believe Robert Hossein ,wearing a ludicrous orange wig,is a gay?and it takes a lot of imagination to admit that Georges Géret was once an educated architect.Add a horrible song (by Christian Delagrange ,a bland pop singer)over the flashbacks which would make a wonderful commercial for Hollywood chewing gum or Ricard and an unbearable drag act with mewing -another one concerning Madame Butterfly is more palatable.And a journalist about good enough for taking photographs .Bruno Cremer tries his best with his part of a captain.
In the end ,we learn that ,although prostitution was forbidden in 1946 (Loi Marthe Richard),it goes on and on and on ,as a car is running along the Bois De Boulogne.
Like this?Try these : "La Derobade ",Daniel Duval,1980 "Hardcore" Barbet Schroeder ,1979 (a father is looking for his daughter:its plot and that of "Le Protecteur " (=the pimp) are similar.
