Les surmenés (1958)

[bunniefuu]

The Overworked

Jacques Doniol- Valcroze

Until 20 years old

Catherine had a quiet life

in a small town in the suburbs

when these two events

came to change her

innocent girl's life

She wins the typewriting

contest of Limousin...

And meets, the young boss

of her secretary sister in Paris

They loved each other got engaged

Catherine left her hometown

in the country

and got on the train to Paris

to be hired as a typist by her fiance

So just like that,

you go to Paris?

Is this the first time

you're going to Paris?

- I can tell

- How can you tell?

In the train, Catherine

meets her first Parisian

He was a daring seducer

He started the conversation

and introduced himself

Jimmy Brincourt, Public relations

Public what?

Stop me if I am out of line

but are you a champion of something?

Champion of weights?

Oh no... I won the typewriting

Contest of Limousin

Jimmy had some tricks

for amusing girls

I have an idea

We will write there Great laundry

scares the dirt away

That's dumb

When are we going to go dancing?

I told you I'm engaged

Look... I'll give you this and

I'll write my phone number there

This is office

This is house

In Paris, Catherine went to

live with her sister...

- Catherine!

- Hello Solange!

And Etienne, her brother- in- law

- There is the champion

- What's up?

Etienne

You will go out tonight with

Miss Mademoiselle's fianc?

Bernard!

- Oh a real typhoon!

- Did you think of me every day?

Her first evening started happily

all was full of light and surprises

Shut the light, Catherine

Tomorrow, we'll wake up at 8 am

Ok, ok

Catherine was so nervous

she couldn't fall asleep

At 4 am, she heard

Etienne coming back

Etienne was chief typesetter and

often worked the nightshift

Catherine admired him,

like he was the example

of the active, modern man

She finds him to be excellent

But, was not her sister's opinion

Etienne is saying Hello

Oh but you are silly Etienne

to wake up at this time

And... Robert is waiting

for me at the stadium

- Listen Etienne

- That's enough

It's not that Etienne liked jogging

but he called it "keeping in shape"

He always found something

better to do than taking a rest

well- built or not

he sleeps 4 hours a night

We need to live with our Time

we didn't order canned goods

we showed enthusiasm

12% of profits...

come in!

Catherine's new boss, Mr Farinet

was the perfect specimen of stress

but yes, move Dumas, move on

in a week it'll be 20%...

Hello, Solange?

Put CIF on the phone

- are you Claudine?

- No, Catherine

- Are you the Grand Prize winner of Limousin?

- Yes, Mister

All right, I need a champion here

The motto of the company is

productivity and full employment

I think you already know my partner

Bernard Bardin, he will inform you

This one, I call him mollusk

Hello, yes, what is it? C.I. What?

C.I.F., ah perfect,

my greetings to the President

I wanted to ask you if,

of course... What?

Hello? We got cut off...

that's okay

Good, it's not a big deal

you can go ahead

You see I didn't lie to you

Hello... yes, he's here

He will take it in his office

- It's daddy Chabrol

- The President? I'll go

This is how

Catherine's Parisian life began

She worked hard

and loved hard

you can work

while breathing fresh air

And then, one day

thunder struck

- No, not tonight

- So when?

We have time in our hands

Don't be so hard with me

It's better to say

you don't want to go

- Oh Catherine, please

- Okay, okay

A week passes

Catherine pined for Bernard

believing he would give up, but

he is stubborn and she started to find

that he was well settled down

- You're lazy, that's what you are

- Catherine, c'mon

No, forget it Solange

It's very interesting

Well, you are old fashioned

you don't want to live a modern life

Is that so, do I have to dance

everyday to live a modern life?

I didn't leave the country to come

live here like I was still there

True, it would be hard to live in Paris

just like in the country

- Don't let yourself be controlled

- You don't take any risks

- Can't you stop?

- No, don't worry it will pass

We'll see about that

Are you crazy

no you know he's right

All I know

is that I was wrong

Bernard's not for me

Only because we want you

to have a comfortable life

Leave me alone

Etienne and I

have a responsibility

Oh Etienne

he would agree with me

Oh, I'll never stop

- Don't you drink?

- Oh me... Alcohol...

You're going to start

You know, pleasure

it's all about pleasure

that will make you

go to hell

I'm already there

I am the devil

Will you give me a light?

Here you are...

- I don't smoke

- I'll show you

You have a nice lighter

I'll give it to you

A souvenir from the devil

Jimmy was a kind devil and with him,

Catherine discovers other

charms of Parisian life

You see

sh*t

Catherine took to the habit

of sleeping late, like Etienne...

but Etienne started to lose

his usual good mood

Euphoric, he became

dark, nervous,

everything angered him

- Ah, but I told you I'm not hungry

- Have a bit more, c'mon

Oh, just leave me alone

And this, what is it?

It's the gas bill

Oh, you see, you make fun

of me, 12000 FF!

Oh, I can't take it anymore

- So, take a rest

- It's not what I meant

- And for Madam, it's?

- An orange juice

- They only fight at home

- Who?

Etienne... He's tired... And

Solange is making a scene...

you have to understand

he works a lot

- Jimmy I'm talking to you

- Women are all the same

How are they the same?

- You too, you make a scene

- both of you make me stressed

- Me, I don't stress

- Maybe, but you stress others

Oh, but if it doesn't please you

hey, you're free

Can't you stop annoying me

forjust one second?

I annoy, thus I exist

Not for me

This evening, for the first time

Catherine starts to question

whether she took the wrong road

but she was not mature enough

to make a good conclusion

And life goes on just the same

For Etienne, more and more tired

For Jimmy, without Catherine

For Catherine, without Jimmy

At work, as with her time, Catherine

is living in constant agitation

Your sister, Solange

asked me to talk to you

Is it any of your business?

If you have problems with Mr. X or Y

it's not my business

Our business has been rocky

for some time now

- I am sure that...

- Catherine

A champion who gets out of shape

is beaten by the weaker ones

All this talk

for a few little mistakes

Don't be dramatic,

I know the solution to your problems

- You know?

- Yes

Here it is...

- What is this?

- You will find your secret in this book

Are you joking?

Catherine opened the mysterious book

and didn't understand it at all

At the same moment...

So, Etienne... Well, Etienne,

Etienne, are you ok?

Etienne, hey, Etienne

- Etienne, but what happened to you?

- Nothing, nothing

He didn't feel good,

so I brought him here in a taxi

Oh don't say stupid things

It had to happen

Now let's put him to bed

- I don't need anyone

- lean on me anyway

The day after, Etienne didn't feel

better so Solange called a doctor

I'm going to the pharmacy

wait until I get back to go to work

- Don't forget the prescription

- Thank you, doctor

I will come back tonight around 5 pm

till then have him sleep

Doctor, what is it?

I've checked your brother-in-law

and I've given him different tests

But I have the diagnosis

its stress and exhaustion

Stress? But that's doesn't

mean anything

Your brother- in- law

has a tiring job

You need to sleep more

a lot

Don't exercise anymore

and don't do other activities

you have a strong body

But you have your limits

Please convince him that

he shouldn't overwork himself

- Goodbye

- Goodbye, Doctor

Catherine was not convinced

At work, an unpleasant

surprise awaited her

Her boss scolded her

for being negligent at work

She hoped Bernard would protect her

but he hadn't said a word...

Clearly the blame was on her

At the end of the day

she left in desperation

Everything around her fell apart

Etienne was sick, she wasn't

a champion anymore,

and Bernard abandoned

her to a sad destiny

He was the only one

who could save her

- Hello, Bernard?

- It's Catherine

Look at yourself it has been

two months since I came to Paris

I made a mistake

I don't like favoritism

But I could help you this time

You are an angel

I didn't say that I would do it

I said that I could

Bernard convinced his boss

to forget about the problem that morning

He also led Catherine to be

a good employee and fiance

He gave her a reconciliation kiss

followed by a lover's kiss...

sensitivity and reason

coexisted this way

Shhh...

Catherine looks dead

Don't be stupid, come here

I'm going out to the store

- I'm staying with him?

- Yes, in case he wakes up

I'll be back in a minute

No, of course

Etienne wasn't dead

What is dead is the myth

of the invincible man,

who could do everything

without worrying about

the annoying rhythms of modern life;

Catherine accepted reality

She will now start anew

She also regained confidence

Bernard promised her he'd pick her up

the following morning

So what about this guy?

- He's sleeping

- That's what he does best

- where should we go?

- Anywhere is fine

How about my office

everything is in order there

- Do you regret your crazy life?

- No

- Are you agitated about Jimmy?

- No

He was kind and he dances well

but I won't be dancing anymore

Why? It's not forbidden

- Can you dance?

- A little... Will you teach me?

- When?

- Tonight

A few weeks later

Catherine married Bernard

but she found out

a secret she didn't know

Bernard!

Yes

- What was that book about?

- Huh?

Yes, the book you lent me

what was the secret?

- Ah, nothing

- What do you mean, nothing?

The secret was the book itself

When you read a book

that thick you can't stray

how stupid I am

not to know that

your trick wasn't

so smart either

well, my trick is in La Fontaine's fables

"the farmer and his children"

the father told his children

to search for a treasure in a field

But there was nothing in the fields

the treasure was the work itself

You surely like La Fontaine