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Nana (1934) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Nana (1934) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
1934 · 90 mins · English
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Directed by
Dorothy Arzner
Starring
Mae Clarke, Lionel Atwill, Lucille Ball, Richard Bennett, Reginald Owen, Lawrence Grant

In 1920s Paris, the spirited Nana fends off a drunken military officer in a café, catching the eye of fellow diner Gaston Greiner. He offers her a place in his musical theater, and she quickly becomes a star and the lover of Greiner and two other men. When Greiner learns of her affairs, he fires her, and Nana must struggle to reclaim her singing career while facing new suitors and the fallout of her choices.

On this page (9)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (12)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (4)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 The book behind the movie
  7. 7 Movie threads
  8. 8 Movies like Nana
  9. 9 Every angle
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12 main characters · contains spoilers

Nana Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Nana (1934), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Satin (Mae Clarke)

    Nana's friend who helps steer her back toward the stage in pursuit of wealth. Satin embodies the opportunistic social climber who uses her circle to influence outcomes and profits from Nana's fame.

    • 🎭
    • 🤝
    • 💰
  • Nana (Anna Sten)

    A Parisian streetwalker who rises to stage success and captures Georges's heart. Her longing for love collides with the demands of fame and the control exercised by the Muffat family, guiding her toward a tragic fate.

    • 💃
    • ❤️
    • 🕊️
  • Georges Muffat (Phillips Holmes)

    Nana's soldier lover whose duty pulls him away to Algeria. He remains hopeful and loyal, seeking to be with Nana despite interruptions by duty and distance, until their plans are thwarted by circumstance.

    • 💘
    • ⚔️
  • Colonel de Muffat (Lionel Atwill)

    The protective older brother figure whose disapproval drives the rift between Nana and Georges. He wields substantial influence, initially steering events to separate the couple and later shaping Nana's life through status-driven power dynamics.

    • 🏰
    • ⚖️
  • Zoe (Jessie Ralph)

    One of Nana's friends who participates in the scheme to divert Nana back to the stage. Zoe represents the social circle that profits from Nana's fame and participates in the manipulation surrounding her life.

    • 🤝
    • 🪙
  • Mimi (Muriel Kirkland)

    Nana's friend whose actions mirror the group’s scheme to intercept letters and influence Nana's trajectory. Mimi contributes to the web of deception surrounding Nana's career and personal life.

    • 🗝️
    • 🧭
  • Sabine Muffat (Helen Freeman)

    A member of the Muffat family within Nana's social orbit, anchoring the aristocratic dimension of the Parisian circle that surrounds Nana and Georges. Her role underscores the family influence over Nana's fate.

    • 👑
    • 🏰
  • Grand Duke Alexis (Lawrence Grant)

    A noble figure in the Parisian milieu whose presence highlights the intersection of aristocracy and show business. Alexis's interactions illustrate the pressures and expectations placed on performers within high society.

    • 🗺️
    • 👑
  • Finot (Ferdinand Gottschalk)

    A member of Nana's social and theatrical network, contributing to the complex web of relationships that define the period's showbiz world.

    • 🎭
    • 🕰️
  • Bordenave (Reginald Owen)

    A figure within the Parisian theater circle who helps populate the social ecosystem surrounding Nana and her circle.

    • 🏛️
    • 🎩
  • Gaston Greiner (Richard Bennett)

    A member of Nana's affluent social circle, reinforcing the moneyed, influential environment of Parisian society.

    • 💼
    • 💎
  • Chorus Girl (Lucille Ball)

    An uncredited chorus performer who embodies the bustling theater world supporting Nana's ascent and the era's performance culture.

    • 🎵
    • 👯

Last updated: February 20, 2026 at 00:04

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Setting

Where and When Does Nana Take Place?

The setting of Nana (1934): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

Late 19th century (Belle Époque)

The narrative sits in a Paris where theater and social prestige shape destinies during the Belle Époque, a period of opulence and artistic flourish. Aristocratic titles, military service, and the spectacle of the stage define daily life and relationships. The events—letters, separations, and power dynamics—reflect the era's tensions between desire, conformity, and public reputation.

Location

Paris, Countryside villa near Paris, Algeria

The story unfolds in Parisian high society and its outskirts, with Nana and her friends purchasing a villa in the countryside and becoming neighbors with the Muffat family. The Algeria setting appears as a military commission that pulls Georges away from Nana, marking a physical and emotional distance. The mix of urban theater life and rural retreat highlights the stark contrasts in the world Nana navigates.

  • 🏙️ Paris
  • 🏡 Countryside villa
  • 🇩🇿 Algeria

Last updated: February 20, 2026 at 00:04

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4 major themes

Nana Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Nana (1934) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Forbidden Love

    Nana's romance with Georges defies social boundaries and class expectations. The relationship becomes a site where passion clashes with duty, disapproval, and the rigid codes of the era. The couple's attempt to sustain their love under pressure illustrates how societal norms can crush intimate bonds.

  • Stage and Wealth

    Nana's ascent into stardom is intertwined with wealth and exploitation. Satin, Mimi, and Zoe use the lure of fame to manipulate Nana back into the theatre world and reclaim status. The world of performance is shown as both a ladder to luxury and a web of manipulation.

  • Decay and Alcohol

    Nana's growing alcoholism signals her loneliness and longing for Georges when their letters fail to reach her. Drink becomes a coping mechanism that compounds vulnerability and accelerates a descent from grace. The liquor serves as a tangible symbol of the decadence and fragility of her world.

  • Control and Deception

    Colonel Muffat's protective stance evolves into controlling influence over Nana's life, including his involvement in separating the lovers. The interception of letters by friends exposes the pervasive manipulation within their social circle. The culmination hinges on secrets and betrayals that trap Nana in a fatal struggle between desire and power.

Last updated: February 20, 2026 at 00:04

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Character & theme questions

Nana Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Nana (1934): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the movie Nana set?

Nana is primarily set in 1920s Paris, specifically within the world of Parisian theater and high society. The story also extends to a countryside villa near Paris where Nana and her friends relocate, and to Algeria, where Georges Muffat is stationed for military service. The contrast between the glamorous Parisian theater scene and the more secluded villa highlights the different social spheres Nana navigates.

  • paris setting
  • parisian theater
  • villa
  • algeria
Q2

What time period does Nana take place in?

Nana is set during the Belle Époque, the late 19th century period known for its opulence and artistic flourishing in Paris. This era was characterized by aristocratic titles, military service obligations, and the spectacle of theater shaping social destinies. The time period reinforces the story's themes of class rigidity and the tension between personal desire and societal expectations.

  • belle époque
  • late 19th century
  • paris era
  • historical setting
Q3

What are the main themes of Nana?

Nana explores several interconnected themes: Forbidden Love, as Nana's relationship with Georges defies class expectations; Stage and Wealth, showing how the theater world offers both opportunity and exploitation; Decay and Alcohol, depicting how Nana's loneliness leads to alcoholism as a coping mechanism; and Control and Deception, illustrating how the Muffat family manipulates circumstances to separate the lovers. These themes combine to portray a tragic story of ambition, betrayal, and societal constraint.

  • forbidden love
  • stage
  • wealth
  • alcohol
  • deception
  • control
Q4

Who is the main character Nana?

Nana is a Parisian streetwalker who rises to stage success and becomes the lover of multiple men, including Georges Muffat. She is portrayed as a spirited woman whose longing for genuine love collides with the demands of fame and the controlling influence of the Muffat family. Her character arc traces a tragic descent from hopeful stardom to despair, ultimately ending in suicide.

  • nana
  • main character
  • protagonist
  • singer
  • actress
Q5

Who is Georges Muffat and what is his role?

Georges Muffat is Nana's soldier lover, a young man whose military duty pulls him away to Algeria. Despite the distance and interruptions, he remains loyal and hopeful about being with Nana. His relationship with Nana represents the forbidden love theme, as their connection faces disapproval from Colonel Muffat, Georges's protective older brother who wields significant influence to separate them.

  • georges muffat
  • soldier
  • lover
  • algeria
  • nana's love
Q6

What role does Colonel Muffat play in Nana?

Colonel de Muffat acts as the protective older brother figure whose disapproval drives the rift between Nana and Georges. He wields substantial influence over both their lives, initially steering events to separate the couple and later shaping Nana's trajectory through status-driven power dynamics. His controlling actions include intercepting letters between the lovers, demonstrating the pervasive manipulation within their social circle.

  • colonel muffat
  • authority
  • control
  • manipulation
  • antagonist
Q7

How does the Belle Époque setting influence Nana's story?

The Belle Époque setting establishes a world where theater and social prestige define personal destinies. Aristocratic titles and military service create rigid social codes that constrain individual choice. The era's tension between desire and public reputation shapes every relationship in the film, as characters must navigate the expectations of high society while pursuing personal happiness, ultimately leading to tragic consequences.

  • belle époque
  • paris society
  • aristocracy
  • social class
  • historical context
Q8

Who are Nana's friends and what influence do they have?

Nana's friends include Satin, Zoe, and Mimi, who together represent the opportunistic social circle that profits from her fame. These characters help steer Nana back toward the theater world in pursuit of wealth and status. They also participate in schemes to intercept letters between Nana and Georges, contributing to the web of deception that traps Nana. Their actions illustrate how the world of performance becomes both a ladder to luxury and a web of manipulation.

  • satin
  • zoe
  • mimi
  • friends
  • manipulation
  • supporting characters
Q9

Why is Nana considered a tragic figure?

Nana is tragic because her genuine longing for love is systematically destroyed by the very society that elevates her to stardom. Her ascent in the theater world brings wealth but also exploitation and control. When separated from Georges by Colonel Muffat's manipulation, Nana turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism, accelerating her descent. The story's melancholic tone and bleak ending leave no hope, portraying how societal norms and personal vulnerabilities combine to crush intimate bonds.

  • tragedy
  • downfall
  • alcohol
  • despair
  • tragic fate
Q10

What is the significance of the countryside villa in Nana?

The countryside villa near Paris represents a retreat from the demanding world of Parisian theater and high society. Nana and her friends purchase this villa, becoming neighbors with the Muffat family. The setting highlights the stark contrasts in Nana's world, the glamour and manipulation of the city versus a seemingly simpler rural existence. However, even in this supposed retreat, the social dynamics and manipulations of Parisian high society follow them, as the Muffat family's influence extends to this space.

  • villa
  • countryside
  • retreat
  • muffat family
  • contrast

Movie threads

More Movies Like Nana, by Mood & Story

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

Tragic melodramas of self-destruction like Nana

Stories centered on a charismatic protagonist's inevitable and bleak downfall. If you were captivated by Nana's tragic arc, explore more movies like it. These films feature charismatic protagonists whose own choices lead to a bleak and inevitable downfall, sharing a somber, fatalistic mood and heavy emotional weight.

  • tragic
  • melancholic
  • fatalistic
  • desperate
  • somber
  • heavy
  • Tone: melancholic, bleak, fatalistic
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows a protagonist, often initially full of life or ambition, whose character flaws—such as addiction, unchecked desire, or poor judgment—set them on an inescapable path toward a grim conclusion. The focus is on the psychological and emotional unraveling, with the ending serving as the final, devastating act of their tragedy.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a core focus on a tragic character arc, a consistently melancholic and somber tone, and a viewing experience defined by high emotional intensity and a bleak sense of inevitability.

Bleak period dramas with tragic romance like Nana

Historical stories where ambition clashes with harsh social realities. For viewers who enjoyed the 1920s Paris setting and tragic romance of Nana, this list features similar movies. Discover more historical dramas where characters battle social climbing, betrayal, and unrequited love within a visually rich but emotionally harsh world.

  • nostalgic
  • somber
  • tragic romance
  • desperate
  • historical
  • social drama
  • Tone: somber, nostalgic, tragic
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative unfolds within a meticulously recreated historical period, where the protagonist's aspirations for love, fame, or social status are systematically crushed by the era's rigid class structures, moral hypocrisy, or economic pressures. The romantic elements are intense but ultimately serve to highlight the tragedy, culminating in a loss of innocence and a bleak resolution.

Why they belong together: This thread connects films through their shared use of a historical setting to amplify a tragic narrative, a consistently melancholic and nostalgic mood, and a focus on themes like social climbing, betrayal, and the futility of desire within a restrictive society.

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Movies Like Nana

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Every angle

Nana (1934) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Nana in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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