Choice of Arms (1981) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Noël's quiet life disrupted

Noël, a former gangster, now breeds horses on a large estate outside Paris with his wife Nicole. Their quiet life is disrupted when two wanted crooks arrive in a stolen car, and Serge is fatally shot. Noël buries Serge, trying to maintain the fragile peace of his new world.

Where

Estate outside Paris

Mickey returns to Noël's house and faces the detectives

Mickey goes into Paris and on his return finds two police detectives, Bonnardot and Sarlat, at Noël's house. He threatens them and then escapes, holing up with Dany, a friend in Paris. The confrontation raises the stakes surrounding Noël and his household.

When

Evening

Where

Noël's house near Paris

Mickey suspects betrayal and crashes the dinner

Believing Noël betrayed him to the police, Mickey returns one evening during a dinner party to terrorize everyone present. The guests are frightened as he asserts control and menaces the hosts. Noël realizes Mickey's rampage must be stopped and begins to plan a response.

When

Evening

Where

Noël's house

Noël plans and Nicole goes to safety

Noël calls on two old accomplices to help confront the madman and sends his wife Nicole to a hotel for safety. He also notes the sick prize mare, which adds urgency to his arrangements. The family prepares for a dangerous confrontation.

When

Night

Where

Noël's house

Nicole breaks cover and is captured

Nicole slips back home one night to tend the mare, breaking cover. Mickey waits and takes her captive, using her as leverage against Noël. The personal stakes soar as Noël realizes the danger to his wife.

When

Night

Where

Noël's estate

Police close in; Nicole dies

Police have been trailing Nicole, and a confrontation at Noël's house ensues. Sarlat challenges Mickey, and in the crossfire Nicole is killed while Mickey escapes. The violence confirms that Noël's past has returned with a vengeance.

When

Night

Where

Noël's house near Paris

Noël locates Mickey's hideout

Noël and his two old accomplices locate Mickey’s hideout and prepare to intercept him. They scheme to end Mickey's rampage once and for all. The pursuit shifts the balance of power toward Noël’s side, at least for the moment.

When

Morning

Where

Mickey's hideout, Paris

Bank robbery and a wounded Mickey

Mickey and Dany sortie out to rob the local bank, but the bank guard shoots Mickey, leaving him wounded. Noël carries the injured man to a safe house, intending to let him die rather than finish him off. The act underscores Noël's moral ambiguity in the war he’s waging.

When

Morning

Where

Local bank; safe house nearby

Final confrontation at the safe house

Police locate the safe house and a firefight erupts, during which Sarlat kills Mickey. Noël, troubled by his own complicity, fires the rest of his magazine but misses. He then takes Sarlat captive and drives away with him, determined to deal with the consequences.

When

Afternoon

Where

Safe house near Paris

Noël's final choice on the road

On a lonely road, Noël fires the rest of his magazine at Sarlat but deliberately does not hit him, leaving him alive and shocked. The act marks Noël's reluctance to become a cold killer, even as he escapes the immediate danger. He departs with Sarlat in tow, leaving the brutal pursuit unresolved.

When

Evening

Where

Remote road near Paris

Noël adopts Mickey's daughter

In a postscript, Noël adopts Mickey’s little daughter, whose mother had committed suicide. This final gesture hints at a potential redemption and a future that diverges from the cycle of violence that defined Noël’s past. The ending suggests a fragile hope beyond vengeance.