King of Hearts

King of Hearts

Year: 1966

Runtime: 102 mins

Language: French

DramaWarComedyCrude humor and satireMilitary combat and heroic soldiers

De Broca’s Crowning Touch! An ornithologist, mistaken for an explosives expert, is sent alone to a small French town late in World War I. He must untangle a garbled resistance report about a bomb the withdrawing German troops have set to demolish a weapons cache, navigating the confusion and danger of his unexpected mission.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – King of Hearts (1966)

Explore the full timeline and setting of King of Hearts (1966). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

October 1918

The action unfolds in October 1918, during the final days of World War I as German forces retreat. The village awaits liberation while a dangerous clockwork trap looms over the town. The countdown to midnight intensifies the tension between imminent destruction and whimsical role-play.

Location

French village

A small village in occupied France serves as the backdrop for the countdown to midnight. The main square centers on an automaton clock wired to a bomb, turning a war-torn town into a ticking stage. The presence of a nearby insane asylum adds a surreal layer, as its inmates repurpose the town into their own theater.

🏘️ Rural village 🕰️ Occupied France 🗺️ World War I era

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 08:28

Main Characters – King of Hearts (1966)

Meet the key characters of King of Hearts (1966), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Charles Plumpick (Alan Bates)

A signaller whose craft is caring for war pigeons rather than explosives. He arrives with two pigeons, seeking to decipher the phrase 'the knight strikes at midnight' and disarm the bomb. Disguised as the 'King of Hearts', he leads the inmates through a surreal town to avert disaster, facing danger with wary courage.

🧭 Protagonist 🕊️ Pigeon-handler 🛡️ Reluctant-hero

The Duke of Clover (Jean-Claude Brialy)

One inmate who adopts aristocratic airs, orchestrating ritual and order within the improvised town. He participates in the pageantry surrounding the 'King of Hearts' and helps maintain structure among the others as midnight approaches.

🏰 Inmate-turned-aristocrat 🗺️ Role-player 🧭 Loyalist

Monseigneur Marguerite (Julien Guiomar)

An inmate who projects religious authority as part of the town’s theater. He blends pomp with leadership, guiding others in their performances and injecting moments of solemn ritual amid the chaos.

⛪ Religious-leader 🧭 Role-player 🧩 Mentor

Madame Eva aka Madame Eglantine (Micheline Presle)

A matronly figure who mentors younger residents and introduces Plumpick to the human side of the asylum’s make-believe world. She embodies warmth and shrewdness within the town’s surreal carnival.

🎭 Patron 🪄 Connector 🪙 Opportunist

General Geranium (Pierre Brasseur)

An inmate who channels military authority into the town’s makeshift theater. He participates in the group’s impersonations, offering a counterpoint to Plumpick’s civilian mission.

🎖️ Military-leader 🗺️ Role-player 🕊️ Survivor

General Vallemat (Daniel Prévost)

Another inmate who commands within the ensemble, translating wartime discipline into performative order. His presence heightens the tension between danger and whimsy in the town.

🎖️ Military-leader 🗺️ Role-player 🧭 Ensemble

Duchess (Françoise Christophe)

An inmate who assumes royalty in the town’s pageant. She adds courtly humor and structure to the group as they wait for midnight’s strike.

👑 Royalty 🧭 Role-player 🗺️ Social-leader

Schottischer Colonel (Adolfo Celi)

A German commander orchestrating the trap and enforcing the occupation in a tense display of military authority.

🎖️ German-officer 🗺️ Strategist 🕵️ Tension-builder

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 08:28

Major Themes – King of Hearts (1966)

Explore the central themes of King of Hearts (1966), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🌀 Madness

The story blurs lines between sanity and performance as inmates inhabit the town like actors in a dream. Plumpick must navigate a world where the sane rules of war no longer apply. The chaos of the asylum and the battlefield asks who is truly sane.

🎭 Masks

Role-playing becomes a survival strategy, with inmates adopting roles from duke to duchess to preserve control and meaning. Plumpick’s ascent to 'King of Hearts' dramatizes how identity can be flexible under pressure. The masquerade exposes how thin the line is between civilization and fantasy.

🕊️ Liberation

Liberation emerges not just as military victory but as a choice to protect each other through artful illusion. The inmates guide Plumpick toward safety, redefining freedom as solidarity within an enchanted sanctuary. The ending questions whether true freedom lies in accepting difference and madness alike.

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 08:28

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King of Hearts Summary

Read a complete plot summary of King of Hearts, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

King of Hearts Summary

King of Hearts Timeline

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King of Hearts Timeline

More About King of Hearts

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King of Hearts (1966) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

King of Hearts (1966) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

King of Hearts (1966) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow