In a small circus campaign, the act of Valentine, the dwarf, is one of the highlights of the show. But then one night, he grew suddenly and turns into a handsome young man of six feet tall. First mad with joy, he will face harsh reality of normality.
Acting
Roland Lacoste's physical transformation sells the absurd tragedy.
Direction
Badel's tight 53-minute morality play wastes zero frames.
Director
Pierre Badel
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
1961 French cinema loved punishing protagonists for wanting things. This fits snugly between Carné's poetic realism and the coming New Wave bitterness.
Roland Lacoste was a genuine circus performer before acting — his physicality in both forms comes from lived experience, not training.
FR
