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Last Known Address (1970) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1970 · 102 mins · French
Directed by
José Giovanni
Starring
Serge Marquand, Rita Maiden, Michel Charrel, Paul Crauchet, Sébastien Floche, Lino Ventura

Officer Marceau Léonetti, diligent and energetic, randomly pulls over the son of a powerful lawyer for drunk driving. Months later the lawyer slanders Léonetti, branding him violent and incompetent, prompting his transfer to a modest precinct. There he meets the attractive Jeanne, and together they confront a demanding investigation.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Events in order (12)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like Last Known Address
  5. 5 Every angle

12 events in order · contains spoilers

Last Known Address Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Last Known Address (1970) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Léonetti stops the lawyer's son for drunk driving

    Marceau Léonetti, an energetic officer, stops by chance the son of an influential lawyer who is driving under the influence. The incident puts him under scrutiny from the lawyer and foreshadows the later conflict. It establishes Léonetti's competence and sets up the lawyer's motivation for a later false accusation.

    When
    beginning
  2. False accusation leads to transfer

    A few months later, the lawyer falsely accuses Léonetti of violence and incompetence. The accusation leads to Léonetti's transfer to a small police station. There he has little to do beyond recovering stolen pigeons, illustrating the dull routine of his new posting.

    When
    a few months after the first incident
    Where
    small police station
  3. Joins special crime unit and teams with Jeanne

    An old colleague, now head of a special crime unit, recruits Léonetti. He meets young officer Jeanne, and they are tasked with catching men who sexually harass women in cinemas. Jeanne acts as bait in a sting operation.

    When
    shortly after joining
    Where
    special crime unit
  4. Mission to locate Roger Martin for Soramon's trial

    Léonetti and Jeanne are assigned to locate and arrest Roger Martin, the only witness who can testify at the murder trial of master criminal Soramon. With the prosecution's other witness dead, Martin's testimony is crucial. The police only have his old address in the Cité de la Glaciére.

    When
    lead-up to the trial
    Where
    Cité de la Glaciére
  5. Following Martin by tracking his old furniture

    They search for Martin by tracing his old furniture he sold when he moved. The hunt takes them through the city as they chase down scraps of his past. The absence of a current address complicates the pursuit.

    When
    early phase of the case
  6. Clue of a daughter and blue pills

    During the investigation, they learn Martin may have a young daughter. A clue points to her taking medication in the form of blue pills. Martin's former neighbour confirms the daughter's existence.

    When
    during the search
    Where
    neighborhood
  7. Criminals tail the investigators

    Soramon's criminal associates begin tailing Léonetti and Jeanne, hoping to uncover Martin's whereabouts. The danger increases as leads dry up and the stalkers close in. The pair stay focused on finding the daughter and the address.

    When
    ongoing
    Where
    around the area
  8. Pharmacy records lead to Martin's doctor

    Léonetti proposes checking pharmacy records to find the daughter's prescription. After a long search, on the first day of Soramon's trial, they locate a record that leads them to Martin's doctor. The breakthrough re-energizes their pursuit.

    When
    on the first day of trial
    Where
    pharmacies
  9. Attack and stolen note; Jeanne gets the address

    Leaving the pharmacy with the address, Léonetti and Jeanne split up. On the street, a gang attacks Léonetti; he fights them off but is badly beaten. The gang steals what they think is the note with the doctor's address, but Léonetti has already given the address to Jeanne.

    When
    same day as pharmacy record found
    Where
    street
  10. Doctor confirms appointment and arrest of Martin

    At the doctor’s surgery, they learn Martin and his daughter have an appointment that day, not just an old address. Léonetti apprehends Martin as he leaves the surgery. Martin and his daughter are taken to a hotel under police protection.

    When
    the day of the appointment
    Where
    doctor's surgery
  11. Martin testifies; guards lapse

    Martin testifies at court the next day. After the testimony, the police leave him unguarded, which allows the Soramon gang to strike. He is assassinated in the park, in view of his young daughter.

    When
    the day after the testimony
    Where
    park
  12. Jeanne's disillusionment and goodbye

    Jeanne expresses disillusionment with police work, saying the payoff of Soramon's conviction was not worth Martin's death. Léonetti bluntly responds, and Jeanne says goodbye before driving away. The film ends with a philosophical misquote about life and living it fully.

    When
    end of events

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 12:35

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Timeline questions answered

Last Known Address Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Last Known Address (1970): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Léonetti get transferred to a small police station?

Léonetti is transferred because the powerful lawyer whose son he stopped for drunk driving months earlier launches a retaliatory campaign. The lawyer falsely accuses Léonetti of being violent and incompetent, using his political influence to have Léonetti reassigned to a modest precinct. This punishment posting removes him from his previous role and sets the stage for his later involvement in the special crime unit.

Foreshadowing: The initial traffic stop explicitly foreshadows this conflict, as the lawyer's son threatens Léonetti with consequences.

  • leonetti transfer
  • lawyer retaliation
  • false accusation
  • police misconduct
Q2

Who is Roger Martin and why is his testimony crucial?

Roger Martin is the sole remaining witness who can testify against the notorious criminal Soramon in a murder trial. With the prosecution's other witness already dead, Martin's testimony is the only evidence that can secure Soramon's conviction. This makes finding him a high priority for the police and target for Soramon's gang.

  • roger martin
  • witness
  • soramon trial
  • testimony
  • criminal case
Q3

How do Léonetti and Jeanne finally locate Roger Martin?

After exhausting street-level leads, Léonetti decides to search pharmacy prescription records for the medication his daughter takes. The long search finally pays off when they find a prescription linked to Martin's doctor. They use this lead to track Martin down, learning he has an appointment at the doctor's office that same day.

Foreshadowing: The earlier discovery of blue pills that the daughter takes foreshadows this pharmacy search strategy.

  • pharmacy records
  • prescription
  • daughter medication
  • locating witness
Q4

Why is Roger Martin killed after testifying?

Roger Martin is assassinated in a park by one of Soramon's gang members precisely because he has testified against Soramon. After giving his courtroom testimony, the police leave him unguarded, the guards lapse in their protection. The gang exploits this window to murder Martin in public, in full view of his young daughter, eliminating the witness permanently.

  • martin killed
  • assassination
  • soramon gang
  • witness protection failure
Q5

What causes Jeanne to leave at the end of the film?

Jeanne becomes completely disillusioned with police work after witnessing Martin's assassination. She tells Léonetti that the conviction of Soramon feels hollow because the system failed to protect Martin and his daughter. The preventable death of an innocent man who did the right thing by testifying shatters her faith in the justice system, leading her to part ways with Léonetti.

  • jeanne leaves
  • disillusionment
  • police corruption
  • witness death
  • emotional ending
Q6

What happens when Léonetti is attacked by the gang?

After obtaining the doctor's address from pharmacy records, Léonetti and Jeanne split up. On the street, Léonetti is ambushed and badly beaten by Soramon's criminal gang, who believe he has the address information. However, Léonetti had already secretly passed the real address to Jeanne before the attack. The gang steals what they think is the crucial note, but it's worthless, the real lead is already with Jeanne.

Foreshadowing: This attack demonstrates the increasing danger as the investigation nears Soramon.

  • leonetti beaten
  • gang attack
  • address stolen
  • jeanne escapes
Q7

Why is Jeanne used as bait in the cinema operation?

Léonetti and Jeanne are tasked with catching men who sexually harass young women in cinema theatres. The special crime unit uses Jeanne as bait in a sting operation to attract and expose these harassers. The assignment is dangerous and morally weighty, requiring Jeanne to put herself in harm's way to trap the offenders.

  • cinema harassment
  • sting operation
  • jeanne bait
  • special crime unit
Q8

What is the importance of the blue pills clue?

The blue pills are a prescription medication that Martin's daughter takes. This detail becomes crucial because it provides a paper trail. When traditional methods fail, Léonetti realizes pharmacy prescription records could lead to Martin's doctor and ultimately to Martin's location. The blue pills essentially become the key to unlocking the investigation.

Foreshadowing: The clue is introduced early in the search phase, anticipating its later importance.

  • blue pills
  • prescription medication
  • daughter health
  • investigation clue
Q9

What happens when Léonetti stops the lawyer's son?

At the beginning of the film, Léonetti randomly stops the son of a powerful lawyer for driving under the influence. This routine traffic stop has no immediate consequences but establishes Léonetti as a competent, diligent officer. It also creates the conflict that later erupts when the lawyer retaliates against Léonetti by smearing his reputation with false accusations of violence and incompetence.

Foreshadowing: This incident directly leads to Léonetti's later transfer and sets the entire plot in motion.

  • drunk driving
  • lawyer son
  • traffic stop
  • initial incident

Movie threads

More Movies Like Last Known Address, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Last Known Address tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Neo-Noir Police Stories of Disillusionment like Last Known Address

Dedicated officers confront a flawed system where justice is never guaranteed. For viewers who liked the cynical police drama in Last Known Address, this list features similar movies where dedicated cops battle a corrupt system. These crime thrillers share a tense, atmospheric tone, a steady investigative pace, and often a bleak ending that questions the very nature of justice.

  • gritty
  • cynical
  • tense
  • disillusioned
  • methodical
  • atmospheric
  • Tone: tense, cynical, bleak
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a linear, procedural investigation that exposes deep-seated corruption, often targeting the protagonist personally. The central conflict shifts from catching a criminal to surviving a hostile system, leading to a climax where justice is compromised or fails entirely, leaving the characters disillusioned.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the emotional and professional corrosion of police work, a gritty and tense neo-noir atmosphere, and a thematic exploration of failed justice within a corrupt institution. They deliver a specific kind of sobering, methodical crime story.

Methodical Thrillers with a Bleak Vibe like Last Known Address

Tension builds steadily towards an inevitable, harsh conclusion. If you appreciated the steady, tense build-up and devastating ending of Last Known Address, this collection is for you. These movies are similar thrillers and crime dramas that prioritize a methodical pace and atmospheric dread, leading to conclusions where characters face the grim repercussions of their actions or a corrupt world.

  • methodical
  • tense
  • bleak
  • somber
  • atmospheric
  • slow burn
  • Tone: tense, somber, disillusioned
  • Pacing: steady, slow burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories unfold in a linear, steady manner, layering details and pressure rather than relying on twists. The emotional journey is one of escalating dread and futility, as characters' efforts are ultimately undone by forces beyond their control, resulting in an ending that feels both inevitable and deeply unsatisfying.

Why they belong together: These films are united by a specific combination of pacing and tone: a steady, procedural build-up of tension paired with a fundamentally cynical or bleak outlook on the world. The viewing experience is defined by a sense of impending doom that is patiently and effectively realized.

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Movies Like Last Known Address

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Every angle

Last Known Address (1970) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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