Before the Deluge

Overview

The title of this French "reality" drama, which translates to Before the Deluge, is a play on Louis XVI's famous prognostication, "Apres moi, le deluge." Set in 1950, the film concentrates on five Parisian adolescents. Certain that the next war will herald the apocalypse, the youngster make plans to run off to a desert island and set up a new society. This, however, will require money, which is why the boys decide to pull off a "necessary" robbery. Idealism collapses in the face of cold reality, as the five youths suffer from the consequences of their actions. Avant le Deluge was one of a group of films cowritten by director Andre Cayatte and Charles Spaak which endeavored to explore the touchy social issues of the day: others in the Cayatte-Spaak canon include the euthanasia-themed Justice est Faite and the capital-punishment tract Nous sommes tous des assassins.

Details

Status

Released

Release date

February 26, 1954

Original language

French

Spoken languages

French

Countries

France, Italy

Production

UGC,Documento Film

Cast

Roger Coggio,Léonce Corne,Delia Scala,Paul Bisciglia,Maria Zanoli,Paul Frankeur,Jacques Castelot,Julien Verdier,Albert Rémy,Jean-Pierre Grenierand 11 more

Director

André Cayatte

Writer

André Cayatte,Charles Spaak

Cinematography

Jean Bourgoin

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded

IMDb

tt0045525