
Four noble ladies, four widows, live in isolation in a Berry ch teau. There's the Mme de Bussange, her two sisters Sylvie and Hélène, her sister-in-law Elisabeth and her little boy, who alone will pass on the family name. Two men come along: Gilbert and René, bringing trouble and confusion. Gilbert courts Hélène, while René becomes attached to Elisabeth. Relations between the widows become strained and heated, until an attempt is made on Elisabeth's life. The culprit, Sylvie, kills herself. In despair, Mme de Bussange sets fire to the castle and dies in the inferno.
Directed by René Gaveau, Les insoumises leans on a strong ensemble — Odile Versois, Jany Holt, Jacques Berthier — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1956.
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In the seacoast town of Boulogne, antique furniture saleswoman Hélène lives with her stepson, Bernard, who's back from military duty in Algiers. An old lover of Hélène's comes to visit, Alphonse, with his niece Françoise; he too is back from Algiers, where he ran a café. Bernard speaks of his fiancée, Muriel, whom Hélène has not met. The past is obscured by guilt, misperceptions, and missed possibilities. Appearances deceive, things change. As Hélène and Alphonse try to sort out a renewal, everyone seems off-kilter just enough to hint that all cannot end well.
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