






In a French nightclub, choreographed song and dance routines are performed, rather than a streamlined narrative. They tell the story of Parisian culture and politics from the 1920s—1980s. A disparate, anachronistic series of characters, including an ordinary waiter, a Nazi collaborator, resistance fighters, and 1960s student protestors gather to celebrate and satirize 20th century France's icons, demons, and social changes.
Direction
Scola's single-set genius — decades collapse into one ballroom.
Cinematography
Fluid camera dances with performers, never static.
Practical Effects
Costume changes become historical transformations.

Director
Ettore Scola
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