Charles, Dead or Alive (1969) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

1969 · 93 mins · French

Directed by

Alain Tanner

Starring

Jean-Luc Bideau, Francis Reusser, André Schmidt, Marcel Robert, François Simon, Marie-Claire Dufour

On the watchmaking firm’s 100th anniversary in Geneva, 50‑year‑old Charles Dé, the founder’s grandson, tells a reporter his grandfather was a craftsman and his son a businessman, but avoids talking about himself. He leaves his family and moves in with a young couple he meets by chance, cooking, reading, drinking and holding philosophical discussions. The couple fall in love with him. He secretly stays in touch with his daughter, while his relatives hire a private investigator, sparking a corporate takeover that threatens his bohemian happiness.