Bay of Angels
| Bay of Angels | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| French | La baie des anges |
| Directed by | Jacques Demy |
| Written by | Jacques Demy |
| Produced by | Paul-Edmond Decharme |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Jean Rabier |
| Edited by | Anne-Marie Cotret |
| Music by | Michel Legrand |
Production company | Sud-Pacifique Films |
| Distributed by | Consortium Pathé |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Box office | $100,000 (US)[1] |
Bay of Angels (French: La baie des anges) is a 1963 French romantic drama film written and directed by Jacques Demy.[2] Starring Jeanne Moreau and Claude Mann, it is Demy's second film and deals with the subject of gambling.[3] The costumes were designed by Pierre Cardin.
Plot
Jean Fournier is a quiet young bank employee in Paris, living with his widowed father. After accompanying his colleague Caron to a casino and winning at roulette, he decides to have a holiday on the French Riviera, despite his father's warning that gamblers always lose in the end. In the casino in Nice, he meets Jackie Demaistre, a middle-aged woman who has left her husband and infant son to pursue her compulsion. The two develop an emotional connection, though she warns him that she will sacrifice anything to keep on gambling, not for the money, she claims, but for the thrill. As her remaining belongings are in a suitcase at the railway station, where she plans to sleep, he offers her his hotel room. They drink, talk, and make love.
Back in the casino, the two win a fortune with which, having bought a sports car and smart clothes, they take a suite in Monte Carlo and hit the tables there. Losing everything, they take the train back to Nice, where Jean convinces his father to send him some money. When this too is lost in the casino, Jean calls it a day and walks off, saying that he is returning to Paris. Hurt at this double rejection, of her and of their gambling partnership, Jackie angrily tells him to go. Shortly afterwards, she runs after him and the two embrace in the sunset.
Cast
- Jeanne Moreau as Jacqueline "Jackie" Demaistre
- Claude Mann as Jean Fournier
- Paul Guers as Caron
- Henri Nassiet as Monsieur Fournier
- André Certes as the bank director
- Nicole Chollet as Marthe
- Conchita Parodi as the hotel manager
References
- ^ "Top Grossing Films of 1960–1969". Third Millennium Entertainment.
- ^ "Bay of Angels". Unifrance. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- ^ The Scarecrow Video Movie Guide. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. 2004. pp. 68–69. ISBN 978-1-57061-415-6.
External links
- Bay of Angels at IMDb
- Bay of Angels at the TCM Movie Database
- Bay of Angels review by The Village Voice
- Bay of Angels: Walking on Sand – an essay by Terrence Rafferty at The Criterion Collection
