Can-Can

In Montmartre, Simone Pistache runs Bal du Paradis where the can-can is performed nightly and draws crowds. The routine is treated by some as lewd, foreshadowing the moral scrutiny that will follow. The cabaret establishes the world of performers and ambitions that intersect with the law.

A police raid storms the Bal du Paradis, arresting Claudine and the other dancers on charges of public indecency. They are brought before the court, beginning a heated legal battle over morality, art, and punishment. The raid marks the start of a clash between the dancers and the authorities.

Paul Barrière wishes the charges to be dismissed, arguing for leniency. His younger colleague Philippe Forrestier insists that the laws against public indecency must be enforced. The disagreement sets the tone for the legal drama to come.

Undercover, Philippe visits the café, posing as a patron to gather evidence. He befriends Simone and is drawn to her, though Claudine warns him that he is a judge. The encounter complicates his sense of duty and desire.

Despite his attraction, Philippe leads another raid on the café and Simone is arrested. The arrest raises the stakes as the case moves toward trial. The conflict tests the boundaries between love and professional obligations.

François Durnais attempts to blackmail Philippe with a compromising photograph to drop the charges. Philippe, however, has already decided to stop the case, resisting the pressure from François and the powerful circles surrounding them. The threat heightens the personal stakes of the legal battle.

In a startling twist, Philippe shocks Simone by proposing marriage, signaling his decision to end the case is tied to a personal pledge. Simone is wary of a life bound to a man whose career could be compromised. The moment shifts the dynamic from law to love.

Paul tries to dissuade Philippe from marrying, fearing it could ruin his career. Philippe ignores the warning, choosing love over principle. The professional and personal loyalties collide once more.

To sabotage the engagement, Paul arranges a party for the couple aboard a riverboat. François gets Simone drunk and encourages her to perform a bawdy routine before upper-class guests, humiliating her in public. The stunt tests Simone's resolve and pushes her toward a drastic choice.

Simone borrows money from François to stage a grand ball, offering the deed to the café as collateral. The loan gives her leverage and ties François more closely to the café’s fate. The arrangement foreshadows the reversal of fortunes that follows.

On the ball's night, Simone orchestrates a police raid that arrests François, who is now the legal proprietor of the café. The raid flips the power dynamics and revives the case in court. The scene culminates in renewed legal maneuvering and public interest.

At the trial, Simone is called to testify but cannot bring herself to condemn François. Her reluctance weakens the prosecution and keeps the charges hanging. The moral conflict remains unresolved as affection complicates justice.

The president of the local moral league presses for action, arguing the court should declare the performance indecent. Paul urges the court to view the dance to decide its indecency. A can-can is staged for inspection, and the court's verdict seems to soften the moral panic as the dance appears non-obscene.

The can-can is deemed not obscene, and the tension culminates with Simone being escorted toward a jail wagon where she discovers François inside. He finally proposes, delivering a romantic twist as the couple’s fate is sealed by love and the law.