Head Against the Wall

François borrows money he cannot repay, breaks into his father's desk, steals cash and even burns one of his legal documents. His reckless act upends his life and draws attention to his behavior. Rather than involving the police, his father commits him to an isolated psychiatric hospital in the countryside, starting his forced confinement.

In the hospital ward, Dr. Varmont, the senior doctor, argues that the mentally ill should be locked away from society. François quickly learns that many inmates are not genuinely deranged, revealing the brutality and blindness of the system. The environment emphasizes control over care.

François befriends Lenoir, a criminal hiding from gangland revenge, and Heurtevent, a gentle epileptic. These friendships break the monotony of confinement and offer François human connections. They anchor his sense of belonging inside the ward.

Stéphanie, a girl François met on his last night of freedom, visits during visiting hours and sees through his pretense of madness. She tells him she knows he is not insane and urges him to get a grip on his life. Her visit provides a rare spark of hope in the grim setting.

At the end of the visiting hour, François tries to slip out with the other detainees. A warden catches him before he can step outside, and the plan collapses. The incident reinforces his entrapment and the limitations of his options.

Under the influence of pentobarbital, François tells Dr. Varmont that he blames his father for his mother's suicide when he was a boy. The drug-fueled confession exposes his raw guilt and fractures the doctor-patient relationship. It intensifies his isolation as he speaks truths that doctors may not want to hear.

From Heurtevent, François learns of Dr. Emery's ward, which promises more progressive treatment. However, Emery does not have the capacity to accept new patients, leaving François with limited real options. This knowledge deepens his sense of being trapped.

François asks for reconciliation with his father, and receives a visit, but the meeting ends in disappointment. The father’s stubborn stance makes release seem remote. The moment underscores his growing desperation.

Heurtevent accompanies François on another escape attempt; Heurtevent collapses in an epileptic seizure, and François is wounded by a local while trying to flee. The failed bid heightens their mutual fragility and the danger outside the walls.

In despair after the failed escape, Heurtevent hangs himself, a tragic turn that underscores the brutal stakes of confinement. François is left to confront the consequences of their shared choices.

François plans another escape during Heurtevent's funeral, using the hospital cemetery as the backdrop for his attempt. The ritual of mourning becomes a cover for seeking freedom. He remains determined to escape despite the risk.

Lenoir gives François an address in Paris where he can find a job and a place to sleep. The offer suggests a potential future beyond confinement. François weighs this option against the risks ahead.

François makes a successful getaway and discovers the address leads to an illegal gambling den. Unsure if this milieu is where he belongs, he nevertheless heads to Stéphanie's room to seek shelter. He goes unannounced and spends the night there.

Stéphanie lets him stay at her place and they spend the night together. The connection offers a fragile sense of normalcy outside the asylum walls. It also plants a question about where his future will lead.

Two plainclothes men come to Stéphanie's door, looking for François, and she pretends not to know him. He prepares to escape again, but slips out only to be blocked by the waiting men. He is dragged back to the asylum, ending this chapter of his attempted freedom.