The Crime of Monsieur Lange (1936) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

1936 · 80 mins · French

Directed by

Jean Renoir

Starring

Jean Dasté, Paul Grimault, Claire Gérard, Odette Talazac, René Lefèvre, Marcel Lupovici

A man and a woman reach a café‑hotel on the Belgian border, where patrons immediately recognize the man as Amédée Lange, a wanted murderer from Paris. Lange had been a printer’s assistant under a ruthless boss who swindled and preyed on female staff. After fleeing his creditors, the workers form a cooperative to keep the press running. The story then explores what drove Lange to become a killer.