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Timeline

Nana (1934) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

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 (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (12)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 The book behind the movie
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like Nana
  7. 7 Every angle
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12 events in order · contains spoilers

Nana Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Nana (1934) 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. Nana is discovered and rises to stage fame

    A Parisian streetwalker named Nana is discovered by a theatrical impresario and quickly becomes a stage sensation. Her performances captivate audiences and attract the attention of Paris's social circles. The sudden fame thrusts her into the spotlight and sets the course for her life of romance and risk.

    When
    early career
    Where
    Paris
  2. Nana falls for Georges Muffat; Colonel disapproves

    Nana enters a romantic relationship with soldier Georges Muffat, drawing him into her world of fame. His protective elder brother, Colonel de Muffat, disapproves and watches the pair closely. The romance becomes a focal point of tension within their circles.

    When
    early romance
    Where
    Paris
  3. Nana and friends buy a villa; neighbors with the Muffats

    Nana, Satin, Mimi, and Zoe pool their earnings to buy a villa in the countryside. The Muffat family moves nearby, bringing the Colonel into closer proximity to Nana’s life. The new setting creates a stage for romance, jealousy, and scheming.

    When
    after initial success
    Where
    French countryside
  4. Nana and Georges rekindle romance; Colonel still disapproves

    Nana and Georges resume their relationship despite the Colonel's disapproval. The couple navigates clandestine meetings and the strain of being watched by an overbearing guardian. The romance becomes more intense while external pressure tightens around them.

    When
    romance ongoing
    Where
    Countryside villa
  5. Colonel de Muffat orders Georges to Algeria; Georges vows to return

    The Colonel orders Georges on a military commission to Algeria to break their bond. Georges promises Nana that he will come back when his duty is finished. The long separation plants a seed of hope that sustains Nana’s longing.

    When
    military deployment
    Where
    Algeria
  6. Months pass; letters disappear; the plan to pull Nana back unfolds

    Months pass and Nana receives no word from Georges. Satin, Mimi, and Zoe intercept the couple’s letters to lure Nana back to the stage, hoping she will regain her former wealth. The villa becomes a pawn in a larger game of ambition and status.

    When
    months later
    Where
    Paris / villa
  7. Colonel offers a theater return; Nana becomes his mistress

    An apologetic Colonel de Muffat offers to reconnect Nana with a new theater opportunity. Nana accepts and begins an arrangement that makes her the Colonel’s mistress. The renewed attention from fans masks the moral cost of her new position.

    When
    one day
    Where
    Paris
  8. Nana revels in fame but sinks into alcoholism

    Nana basks in renewed fan attention and social glamour. She misses Georges and, overwhelmed by longing, turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism. The glittering life masks growing personal emptiness.

    When
    shortly after
    Where
    Paris
  9. Georges returns to Paris; he believes Nana ignored his letters

    Georges arrives back in Paris and searches for Nana. He believes Nana has received his letters but has chosen to ignore them. His longing to be with her remains, even as he confronts a changed reality.

    When
    return
    Where
    Paris
  10. Georges and Nana plan to run away together

    The couple decide to flee together, seeking freedom from Colonel de Muffat’s control. The plan embodies a final chance at happiness and a return to their true bond. They prepare for what could be their last escape.

    When
    imminent escape
    Where
    Paris
  11. Colonel de Muffat arrives; confrontation escalates

    Colonel de Muffat arrives and disrupts the couple's escape plan. The confrontation lays bare the power dynamics and Nana’s desperation. The moment marks a decisive turn toward tragedy.

    When
    final confrontation
    Where
    Paris
  12. Nana commits suicide

    Nana, overwhelmed by love, betrayal, and social pressure, takes her own life. The tragedy serves as a bleak coda to a life built on romance, fame, and resistance against a rigid society.

    When
    final tragedy
    Where
    Paris

Last updated: February 20, 2026 at 12:31

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Timeline questions answered

Nana Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Nana (1934): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Colonel de Muffat send Georges to Algeria?

Colonel de Muffat deliberately sends Georges to Algeria on a military commission to separate him from Nana. The Colonel strongly disapproves of their relationship due to Nana's background as a streetwalker and stage performer, viewing her as unsuitable for his younger brother. By assigning Georges to an overseas posting, the Colonel hopes the distance will permanently break their bond.

  • colonel muffat
  • georges muffat
  • algeria
  • separation
  • disapproval
Q2

Why do Satin, Mimi, and Zoe intercept Nana's letters from Georges?

Satin, Mimi, and Zoe intercept the correspondence between Nana and Georges specifically to lure Nana back into stage life. They want her to return to the theatrical world where she once enjoyed wealth and status. By creating the illusion that Georges has abandoned her, they hope to convince Nana to abandon her wait and rejoin the stage, restoring their collective access to prosperity.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the women pooled earnings to buy the villa, showing their shared ambition for financial security.

  • satin
  • mimi
  • zoe
  • letters
  • intercepted
  • stage career
Q3

Why does Nana agree to become Colonel de Muffat's mistress?

Nana accepts the Colonel's offer primarily because he promises to help her return to the theater. After months of waiting for Georges' letters with no word arriving, Nana is vulnerable and desperate for a way back into the life she once knew. The Colonel uses this opportunity to bring her into his orbit while separating her from his brother.

  • colonel muffat
  • mistress
  • theater
  • opportunity
  • desperation
Q4

Why does Nana turn to alcohol after her success returns?

Nana begins drinking heavily because she is overwhelmed by loneliness and longing for Georges. Although her fame and public adoration have returned, she misses him deeply and has no word of his whereabouts. Alcohol becomes her coping mechanism as she waits desperately for a man who appears to have forgotten her, while trapped in an unsatisfying arrangement with the Colonel.

  • alcohol
  • alcoholism
  • loneliness
  • georges
  • coping
Q5

What triggers the final confrontation between Colonel de Muffat and Nana?

The confrontation erupts when Colonel de Muffat discovers that Georges has returned to Paris and the two lovers have planned to run away together. The Colonel arrives at their meeting point, confronting them and shattering their escape plans. This collision between the Colonel's control and the couple's desperate attempt at freedom leads directly to the tragic climax.

  • colonel muffat
  • confrontation
  • escape
  • run away
  • discovery
Q6

Why does Nana take her own life at the end?

Nana commits suicide because she is destroyed by the combined weight of love, betrayal, and social oppression. She has lost Georges (who believed she ignored his letters), become the Colonel's mistress out of desperation, and faces the collapse of any hope for genuine happiness. The final confrontation shatters what little remains of her spirit, leaving her overwhelmed by despair and unable to continue.

  • suicide
  • tragedy
  • despair
  • love
  • betrayal
  • social pressure
Q7

Why does Colonel de Muffat disapprove so strongly of Nana and Georges?

The Colonel views Nana as morally unsuitable for his younger brother because of her profession as a streetwalker turned stage performer. He sees her as a woman of loose morals who will corrupt or harm Georges. Additionally, as Georges' protective elder brother, the Colonel feels responsible for guiding him away from what he considers a destructive relationship that could damage the family name.

  • colonel muffat
  • disapproval
  • class
  • morality
  • family reputation
Q8

Why do Nana and Georges decide to run away together?

Nana and Georges plan to flee together because they want to escape the Colonel's control and societal scrutiny. Georges has returned from Algeria believing Nana received his letters but chose to ignore him, yet he still loves her. Nana, despite her circumstances, holds onto their original promise. Their planned escape represents a final attempt to build a life together away from the forces keeping them apart.

  • escape
  • run away
  • georges
  • freedom
  • love
Q9

How does the intercepted letters situation affect Nana and Georges?

The intercepted letters create a catastrophic miscommunication that poisons their relationship. Nana believes Georges has abandoned her, leading her to accept the Colonel's arrangement. Georges returns believing Nana received his letters and chose to ignore him, which wounds him deeply. This tragic misunderstanding, orchestrated by Satin, Mimi, and Zoe, ultimately prevents the couple from reuniting with clear understanding.

  • miscommunication
  • letters
  • misunderstanding
  • separation
  • betrayal
Q10

Why does Nana agree to return to the stage with the Colonel's help?

Nana agrees to return to the stage because it represents her only path back to the life of fame and financial security she once enjoyed. With Georges gone and no letters arriving, she feels she has no other prospects. The Colonel's offer provides an opportunity to reclaim her status, even though it requires her to become his mistress, a compromise she makes out of desperation rather than desire.

  • stage
  • fame
  • career
  • colonel muffat
  • return
Q11

What is the significance of Nana and her friends buying the countryside villa?

The villa purchase represents the women's collective aspiration for stability and independence away from Paris's streets. By pooling their earnings, they achieve a modest property that brings them closer to the Muffat family. This physical proximity creates the opportunity for the romance between Nana and Georges to deepen while simultaneously placing them under the Colonel's watchful eye.

  • villa
  • countryside
  • satin
  • mimi
  • zoe
  • independence

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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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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