

Biarritz, 1933. Charm and talent assist small-time swindler Serge Alexandre, alias Stavisky, to bribe his way into the centre of French politics. But when his great scam involving millions is exposed, he brings the government to the verge of collapse and the country to the brink of civil war.
Direction
Resnais fractures time like a con artist fractures truth
Acting
Belmondo's charm weaponized, you root for the villain
Costume
Coco Chanel designed; fraud never looked this expensive

Director
Alain Resnais
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Resnais shot the film while personally grieving his producer's death; the funeral scene mirrors real events.
The real Stavisky scandal actually toppled a government in 1934—this isn't exaggeration, it's barely fiction.