La Traversée de Paris

In 1942 Paris under German occupation, Marcel Martin is an unemployed taxi driver who makes a living delivering parcels by night for the black market. He must ferry four suitcases filled with pork meat across the city, a dangerous assignment that pulls him deeper into illicit activity. The setup establishes the tense, improvisational world in which the film unfolds.

To hide the noise of the slaughter, Martin heads to the basement of grocer Jambier and plays his accordion as cover. The four suitcases of meat are prepared and hidden, revealing the brutal reality behind the black-market operation. The scene establishes the stark, dangerous compromises of survival.

Martin and his wife Mariette go to the restaurant to meet what they believe is their accomplice. They learn that the man has been arrested by the police, overturning their plan. An ordinary meal becomes the prelude to a drastic, unpredictable new arrangement.

A stranger enters the restaurant and, after a misunderstanding, Martin invites him to share the meal and fill in for the detained accomplice. The choice sets the plot on a dangerous, unpredictable path. Grandgil's arrival marks a sudden reversal of the plan.

Grandgil quickly proves uncooperative, first asking for a drastic increase in payment and then menacing the grocer Jambier. The tension escalates as their fragile arrangement begins to crumble. Martin is pulled into a reckless scheme driven by the painter's whims.

To avoid police pressure, the duo hides in a bar where Grandgil begins wrecking the place. His unpredictable behavior heightens danger for Martin and everyone around them. The bar becomes a flashpoint that intensifies the pursuit by authorities.

Outside, a lone policeman challenges them, and Grandgil head-butts him to the ground. When two more policemen arrive, he speaks loudly in German, allowing them to retreat discreetly. The scene emphasizes the constant peril of occupying forces and their informants.

The two retreat to the hotel where Martin lives with his wife, and Grandgil makes a quick phone call, again speaking in German. The exchange reveals Grandgil’s strategic and performative nature. The paranoia continues as the two try to stay one step ahead of discovery.

An air raid erupts, and the pair take refuge in Grandgil's apartment, creating a moment of shared vulnerability. The confinement deepens Martin's realization that his dangerous companion is not just a mercenary but a renowned painter. The fear and uncertainty heighten the suspense.

When the danger subsides, Martin discovers that Grandgil is a world-famous painter who joined mainly for his own amusement and to extract money. He insists on returning the money he extorted, exposing the moral ambiguity of both men. The revelation shifts the dynamic from collaboration to uneasy complicity.

The two finally reach their intended destination only to find the place locked up. They rattle the bars and shout, drawing attention from a German patrol. The resulting panic leads to their capture and transport to military headquarters.

At the military headquarters, a German major recognizes Grandgil and nearly releases them. News arrives that a German colonel has been shot, and all French suspects are loaded onto a lorry; in the chaos, only Grandgil is spared. The event highlights the arbitrary nature of wartime justice.

Years after the ordeal, Grandgil leaves Paris for a holiday, with a porter carrying his bags to the train. When Grandgil tips him, he realizes the porter is Martin, uncovering the lingering connection between them. The final line, 'Still carrying suitcases?' punctuates the film's ironic cyclical motif.