Mississippi Mermaid

Louis Mahé, a wealthy tobacco planter on Réunion, awaits his bride-to-be Julie. He meets his business partner Jardine at the Hotel Mascarin and they head to pick up the engagement ring. The scene establishes the fortune and anticipation surrounding their impending marriage.

Louis drives to greet Julie as she arrives on the Mississipi from Nouméa and is struck by her beauty. He quickly realizes the woman is not the Julie in his photos, and they both admit to hiding parts of the truth about themselves. The pair begins their marriage under a cloud of deception.

Louis and Julie marry soon after their first meeting and Louis showers her with trust, even printing her image on cigarette packs. He grants her access to his wealth, while Julie’s letters seem to align with their growing romance. The couple overlooks inconsistencies, choosing belief over doubt.

Julie's sister Berthe sends an angry letter demanding Julie's whereabouts. Louis returns home to find Julie has vanished with nearly 28 million francs, draining his bank accounts. A private detective, Comolli, is hired to uncover the impostor behind Julie's identity.

Berthe reveals the impostor is not Julie and that she saw her sister board the Mississipi. Comolli is hired to track the impersonator as Louis and Marion's dangerous ruse intensifies. The pursuit marks the collapse of the couple's façade.

Louis, exhausted from the ordeal, flies to Nice and collapses from fatigue. He recuperates at Clinique Heurtebise, where he glimpses Julie's impostor on television, dancing at a nightclub in Antibes. The distance between illusion and reality widens during his convalescence.

Louis buys a gun and travels to Antibes to confront the impostor in her hotel room. The woman reveals herself as Marion Vergano and recounts a sordid past, including prison and a heartless gangster named Richard who orchestrated the plot. Louis, moved by her confession, appears to forgive her.

Louis and Marion buy a convertible and head to Aix-en-Provence, where they move into a house and spend their days traveling the region and making love. For a moment, their happiness seems a fragile escape from the earlier treachery.

Comolli arrives in Aix and, after failing to bribe him, Louis shoots the detective dead and buries him in the wine cellar. The couple flee to Lyon, but Marion grows restless with their fugitive life and longs for a Parisian luxury.

Louis returns briefly to Réunion to sell his share in the plantation to Jardine, only to find police on their trail again. Forced to flee, they abandon most of their money and head toward a new horizon illuminated by danger.

The couple seeks isolation in the mountains, hoping to cross into Switzerland. Marion grows increasingly unhappy with the fugitive life, while Louis’ health declines and he suspects she may be poisoning his coffee.

Louis confronts Marion with his knowledge of her scheme and accepts his fate, admitting his deep love for her. Marion professes love back, tears streaming as she vows to make amends and acknowledges the complexity of their relationship.

With renewed emotion, they decide to leave together, trudging through a snowstorm toward the border. Their future remains uncertain, but their bond has endured through betrayal and sacrifice, ending in a hopeful if fragile retreat from the law.