Madame X

Jean Rochin, Jacqueline's former lover, bursts into Bernard Fleuriot's apartment and shoots him, then flees. Jacqueline escapes the scene unseen as the room erupts in alarm and police respond to the gunfire. The violent interruption shatters their fragile life together.

Jacqueline returns home to find Bernard furious about her infidelity and her absence during their son's illness. He banishes her from the house and warns that he will tell their son his mother has died. This confrontation marks the end of their marriage and forces Jacqueline to flee.

To escape her ruined life, Jacqueline assumes the alias Miss Pran and becomes a governess for two children of a wealthy couple in Monte Carlo. She tries to live anonymously, keeping her past hidden while a new identity begins to take hold. The move marks a fresh start, though danger lingers in the shadows of her name.

Bernard, urged by his friend Maurice Dourel, tracks Jacqueline and learns her location with the help of Rose, his housekeeper. Two policemen arrive at the Monte Carlo estate ahead of him, increasing the risk that Jacqueline's past will catch up with her. Jacqueline pretends not to be Miss Pran, attempting to keep her secret alive as tensions mount.

Fearing pursuit, Jacqueline flees aboard an American yacht, leaving Monte Carlo behind. The voyage marks the end of her Miss Pran persona as she heads toward a new, uncertain life in New York. The escape propels her into a long, nameless flight.

In New York, she drifts into a life of drink and low-profile work, performing as a hostess and entertainer in bars across the Old World and the New. Her identity remains fluid as she searches for safety and meaning in anonymity. The city becomes a temporary stage for her hidden past.

In New Orleans, she works as a hostess and singer for Scipio but flees again when danger rises. She travels to Buenos Aires, continuing a pattern of displacement driven by fear of exposure. The move deepens her isolation and desperation.

In Buenos Aires she meets gambler Lerocle, who helps her cheat at cards. After a drunken confession reveals her real name and her previous marriage, Lerocle uses the secret to blackmail Bernard and takes her to Paris. Her past begins to close in as threats loom over her husband and son.

Before Lerocle can exploit her secrets, Jacqueline shoots him to prevent the public disgrace of her former husband and son. The act triggers her arrest for murder and a new trial shaped by her evasive past. It shows her willingness to take drastic action to control her fate.

Arrested for murder, Jacqueline refuses to divulge her name or defend herself, clinging to anonymity. The courtroom reveals her adult son, Raymond, as the appointed attorney, entwining personal ties with legal drama. The tension between past identities and present consequences dominates the proceedings.

Bernard, Maurice, and Rose attend the courtroom to support Raymond's defense, but Jacqueline signals them to stay silent. Raymond delivers a vigorous, emotional appeal to the jury, pleading for mercy. The scene emphasizes a mother's love and a son's resolve to protect his mother.

Awaiting the verdict, Jacqueline thanks Raymond for his effort and asks if she can offer 'a mother's kiss'. She collapses and dies, her identity unresolved as the case remains nameless. The final moment underscores the cost of secrets and the fragility of a life lived under many names.