Judex

Judex

Year: 1963

Runtime: 104 mins

Language: French

Director: Georges Franju

MysteryThrillerCrime

Franju’s Judex playfully reveres Louis Feuillade’s silent serial tradition, re‑imagining the original story of the masked vigilante. The film follows the mysterious adventurer Judex as he enacts a calculated revenge against the unscrupulous banker Favraux, setting off an intricate web of plots and counter‑plots.

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Timeline & Setting – Judex (1963)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Judex (1963). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Early 1910s

The events take place in pre-World War I France, a period defined by urban wealth, social drama, and stylish melodrama. The dedication hints at the year 1914, situating the tale on the cusp of a coming global conflict. The silent-era setting reflects Belle Époque sensibilities fused with emerging darker detective motifs.

Location

Paris, France, Favraux's mansion, Abandoned castle, Beach

The story unfolds primarily in Parisian high society, centered around Favraux's opulent mansion. Scenes shift from a glamorous engagement party to shadowy hideouts like an abandoned castle, and finally to a seaside beach where the final confrontations occur. The contrasting locations emphasize both the allure of wealth and the peril of its crimes.

🏰 Opulent settings 🗺️ Urban France 🏖️ Beach vista

Last Updated: December 06, 2025 at 16:31

Main Characters – Judex (1963)

Meet the key characters of Judex (1963), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Jacqueline Favraux (Édith Scob)

Jacqueline is Favraux's widowed daughter who has a young daughter named Alice. She moves through her father's corrupt social world with caution and integrity. By the funeral and the revelations, she renounces any inheritance to support Alice, showing moral resolve and independence.

💎 Wealth 🕊️ Family 🗝️ Integrity

Favraux

Favraux is a wealthy banker who built his fortune through swindles and blackmail. He relies on manipulation and private security to protect his wealth and status. After being drugged and imprisoned, he ultimately dies by suicide, unable to escape Judex's justice.

💰 Wealth 🕵️ Deceit 🗝️ Power

Judex

Judex is the masked avenger who watches over the key players from the shadows. He uses disguises, like the bird-headed magician, to observe, influence, and ultimately control the outcome. His vigilantism is both noble and secretive, guiding Jacqueline toward truth while punishing the corrupt.

🕵️ Vigilance 🎭 Mystery ⚖️ Justice

Diana Monti / Marie Verdier

Diana Monti is a cat burglar using the governess alias Marie Verdier to get close to Favraux and secure his fortune. She is ruthless and pragmatic, willing to murder for wealth. Her schemes are foiled by Judex and the others, culminating in a rooftop confrontation and her demise.

💰 Wealth 🎭 Deception 🗡️ Danger

Alfred Cocantin

Cocantin is the private detective hired to surveil Favraux and protect him from the threat at the engagement party. He works with Daisy to thwart Diana's kidnapping attempts and to aid Judex's pursuit of justice. He serves as a practical foil to the vigilante's more theatrical methods.

🕵️ Detective 🛡️ Protection 🔎 Investigation

Daisy

Daisy is a circus acrobat and friend of Cocantin who assists in apprehending Diana. She brings agility and boldness to the pursuit, scaling buildings to confront danger and help secure the escape routes for Judex and Jacqueline.

🤸‍♀️ Acrobat 🐾 Loyalty ⚔️ Action

Pierre Kerjean

Pierre Kerjean is a notary involved in the early intrigues surrounding Favraux's fortune. He represents the legal and bureaucratic side of the plot, where documents and oaths define who controls the wealth and inheritance.

📝 Notary 🕰️ Law

Notary

The notary character appears as the legal observer of property and inheritance in the unfolding drama. His role underscores the theme that legality and legitimacy are part of the battlefield over Favraux's fortune.

📜 Law 🕰️ Legitimacy

Last Updated: December 06, 2025 at 16:31

Major Themes – Judex (1963)

Explore the central themes of Judex (1963), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕵️ Vigilantism

Judex operates outside official police channels, using disguises, strategic surveillance, and calculated interventions to thwart the criminals. The film questions whether private action can uphold justice when institutions falter. The bird-headed magician act at the engagement party symbolizes how appearances conceal true motives. Ultimately Judex's interventions steer the outcome toward moral accountability.

💰 Wealth & Deceit

Favraux's fortune rests on swindles and blackmail, illustrating how wealth can corrupt and corrupt others. Diana Monti schemes to weaponize that wealth through marriage, treating money as a weapon and a goal. Jacqueline renounces her inheritance to protect Alice, exposing ethical limits to wealth and power. The pursuit of fortune drives much of the danger and manipulation in the plot.

🎭 Masks

The engagement party is a festival of disguises, where hidden identities fuel suspense and misdirection. Judex's bird-head disguise embodies how appearances mask true intents and loyalties. Revelations unfold as the masks come off, exposing truth behind the façades of wealth and crime. The rooftop duel and its aftermath underscore the theme that truth is uncovered when masks fall.

Last Updated: December 06, 2025 at 16:31

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Unlock the Full Story of Judex

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Judex Summary

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Judex Timeline

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Judex Timeline

Judex Spoiler-Free Summary

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Judex Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Judex

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