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The Devil and the Ten Commandments (1962) movie poster

Plot Summary

The Devil and the Ten Commandments (1962) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
1962 · 120 mins · French
Directed by
Julien Duvivier
Starring
Alain Delon, Michel Simon, Mel Ferrer, Marcel Dalio, Yves Barsacq, Danielle Darrieux

A devilish presence haunts a series of seven 15‑minute vignettes, each exploring the fallout of violating one of the Ten Commandments. A profane employee risks losing his job; a lover discovers her stripper husband’s secret; a Jesuit novice quits to avenge his sister’s tragic end; a bored husband buys a necklace for his wife; a man learns his true mother is an actress; a bank cashier is dismissed; the devil appears as a serpent in a bishop’s meal.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 What happens: full plot
  2. 2 Plot questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like The Devil and the Ten Commandments
  5. 5 Every angle

Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in The Devil and the Ten Commandments: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of The Devil and the Ten Commandments (1962) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Episode 1 Jérôme Chambard, the elderly handyman at a convent, faces a stern warning: if he keeps taking the name of the Lord in vain, he will lose his job. His fate seems sealed until the visiting the bishop turns out to be an old school friend, sparing him from dismissal and setting a tone of unexpected mercy that threads through the rest of the stories.

Episode 2 To obtain a beautiful necklace, Françoise Beaufort yields to the allure of Philip Allan, the wealthy husband of her friend Micheline Allan. The temptation and secrecy around the jewelry ripple through the relationships, as Georges Beaufort, Georges Beaufort, discovers the hidden piece and ultimately hands it over to Micheline after a carefree afternoon together, reshaping loyalties and trust within the circle.

Episode 3 Denis Mayeux, a Jesuit novice, steps away from the order to avenge his sister’s suicide, a tragedy sparked by Garigny who lured her into prostitution and drug use. The police reveal that Garigny would face only a few years if convicted for pimping and trafficking. Denis plans to confront Garigny unarmed, but Garigny grabs a concealed shotgun and shoots him. In truth, Denis had already alerted the authorities, and Garigny is subsequently arrested for murder, closing a violent chapter with a measure of tragic justice.

Episode 4 A stranger claiming to be God arrives at a remote farm, and his presence catalyzes remarkable acts: he helps the paralyzed grandfather stand and eases the dying grandmother’s last moments. His benevolent intervention is short-lived, however, as psychiatric nurses searching for him close in, leaving questions about faith, healing, and the boundaries between miracle and manipulation. The enigmatic figure is portrayed by Dieu, while the grandfather is remembered by Le grand-père as a man who had long seemed helpless until this miraculous moment.

Episode 5 Pierre Messager, a nearly 21-year-old medical student, grows up under tense tension with his taciturn father Marcel Messager and sharp-tinned mother Germaine Messager. Out of the blue, Marcel reveals that Pierre’s real mother is Clarisse Ardan, a renowned stage actress, and Pierre’s visit to Clarisse after a rehearsal becomes a test of character. Clarisse flirtatiously questions sincerity while evading the truth, leaving Pierre to decide that his best path is to honor and support the parents who raised him, even as a complicated bond with Clarisse lingers in the background.

Episode 6 Didier Marin’s life at the bank shifts from routine to crisis as he is told to leave his post. When a gunman targets the counter, Didier fills the robber’s suitcase with money and tracks the thief to his apartment. After a tense confrontation, the two men decide to share the loot, only to discover that the case contains bread, wine, and a sausage instead of cash. The tramp who swapped the food for money is arrested, and Didier’s quick thinking paradoxically saves him from immediate peril, highlighting a day where luck, prudence, and a touch of absurdity intersect.

Episode 7 Returning to Episode 1’s events, Jérôme Chambard and the bishop share a long, well-lubricated lunch, but the bishop’s memory falters when it comes to the Ten Commandments. The humor and weariness of the moment underscore the episode’s recurring theme: human fallibility and the ways faith, humor, and vulnerability intersect in ordinary life, leaving a lasting sense of both fragility and connection across the convent, the church, and the wider circle of characters who drift in and out of each other’s lives.

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:17

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Plot questions answered

The Devil and the Ten Commandments Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about The Devil and the Ten Commandments (1962): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does the bishop save Jérôme from being fired for blasphemy?

The visiting bishop saves Jérôme because he discovers they are old school friends from years ago. This personal connection compels the bishop to intervene and spare Jérôme from losing his job, despite the convent's warnings about his habit of taking the Lord's name in vain.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Jérôme's job seemed doomed, but the bishop's arrival creates an unexpected turn of events.

  • bishop
  • jerome
  • blasphemy
  • convent
  • old friend
Q2

Why does Georges Beaufort give the necklace to Micheline instead of keeping it?

After discovering the hidden necklace that his wife Françoise obtained through an affair with Philip (Micheline's husband), Georges chooses to give it to Micheline. This act occurs after Georges spends a carefree afternoon with Micheline, effectively reshaping the loyalties and trust within their circle of friends by exposing the infidelity while redirecting the expensive gift back to its rightful owner.

  • georges
  • micheline
  • necklace
  • francoise
  • affair
Q3

Why does Denis leave the Jesuit order to confront Garigny?

Denis, a Jesuit novice, leaves the religious order because his sister committed suicide after Garigny lured her into prostitution and drug use. Believing that filing a formal complaint would be insufficient, Denis decides to confront Garigny personally to avenge his sister's death and prevent him from harming others, viewing direct action as more effective than bureaucratic channels.

Foreshadowing: Denis's departure from the seminary signals his transformation from a religious life to one driven by personal vengeance.

  • denis
  • garigny
  • sister
  • suicide
  • revenge
  • jesuit
Q4

How does Garigny end up arrested for murder if Denis confronted him unarmed?

Although Denis goes to confront Garigny unarmed and is shot dead during the encounter, Denis had already alerted the authorities about Garigny's criminal activities beforehand. This prior notification means the police were already pursuing Garigny, and when Denis is killed, Garigny is arrested for murder rather than merely pimping and trafficking, which would have resulted in a much lighter sentence.

  • garigny
  • murder
  • arrest
  • police
  • denis
Q5

Who is the stranger who claims to be God at the farm?

The stranger who arrives at the isolated farm and claims to be God is portrayed by Fernandel (credited as Dieu). He performs what appears to be miraculous acts, helping the paralyzed grandfather walk and easing the dying grandmother's final moments, but psychiatric nurses arrive searching for him, suggesting he may be a mentally unwell man who believes he is divine rather than an actual deity.

  • stranger
  • fernandel
  • god
  • farm
  • miracle
  • psychiatric
Q6

Why does Pierre decide to stay with his adoptive parents after learning about Clarisse?

After Pierre learns that Clarisse Ardan is his biological mother, he visits her after a rehearsal. Clarisse attempts to seduce him and remains evasive about their true relationship, refusing to confirm or deny her maternity. Seeing through her manipulation and unreliability, Pierre decides to honor and support the parents who raised him, choosing loyalty to his adoptive family over the confusing connection with his biological mother.

  • pierre
  • clarisse
  • adoptive parents
  • mother
  • stage actress
Q7

Why does Didier fill the robber's suitcase with money during the bank robbery?

When a gunman targets Didier's counter at the bank, Didier improvises by filling the robber's suitcase with both notes and coins rather than simply handing over money. This strategic act creates a bargaining chip and buys time, allowing Didier to later track down the thief and attempt to recover the loot, demonstrating resourcefulness under pressure despite his impending job loss.

  • didier
  • bank
  • robber
  • suitcase
  • money
  • loot
Q8

Why does the suitcase contain bread, wine, and sausage instead of money?

After Didier and the thief agree to share the stolen loot, they discover the case contains bread, wine, and a sausage instead of cash. A tramp had previously swapped the food for the money, likely mistaking the suitcase for someone else's lunch. The tramp is ultimately arrested for theft, revealing a comic twist where the elaborate robbery ends with food instead of fortune.

  • bread
  • wine
  • sausage
  • case
  • tramp
  • robbery
Q9

Why does the bishop forget the Ten Commandments during lunch with Jérôme?

During the extended, well-lubricated lunch shared between Jérôme and the bishop (a continuation of their earlier meeting), the bishop's memory fails him when trying to recall the Ten Commandments. This moment underscores the film's theme of human fallibility, showing how even a religious figure struggles with the basics of faith after physical indulgence, adding humor while highlighting the gap between spiritual authority and practical remembrance.

  • bishop
  • commandments
  • lunch
  • forget
  • memory
  • humor
Q10

Why does Françoise risk her marriage for a necklace from Philip?

Françoise Beaufort succumbs to the advances of Philip Allan, the wealthy husband of her friend Micheline, specifically to obtain a beautiful necklace. Her pursuit of luxury and material desire leads her to commit infidelity, setting in motion a chain of events that strains relationships and exposes the moral compromises she makes for vanity and wealth.

  • francoise
  • philip
  • necklace
  • affair
  • luxury
Q11

What happens to the paralyzed grandfather when the stranger arrives at the farm?

When the stranger claiming to be God arrives at the isolated farm, he performs what appears to be a miraculous healing on the paralyzed grandfather, enabling the elderly man to stand for the first time in years. This remarkable intervention provides a hopeful moment, though it is complicated by the arrival of psychiatric nurses searching for the stranger, leaving ambiguity about whether the healing was supernatural or psychological.

  • grandfather
  • paralyzed
  • stranger
  • healing
  • farm

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Devil and the Ten Commandments, by Mood & Story

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

Movies like The Devil and the Ten Commandments: Episodic Moral Explorations

Anthology films that explore human flaws through whimsical, cautionary tales. Find more anthology films and sketch comedies similar to The Devil and the Ten Commandments. If you enjoyed its series of moral vignettes exploring human fallibility with a satirical touch, you'll appreciate these movies with a similar structure and thematic focus.

  • satirical
  • moralistic
  • episodic
  • thought-provoking
  • playful
  • varied
  • Tone: whimsical, satirical, moralistic
  • Pacing: variable, episodic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a collection of self-contained stories, often linked by a central theme or narrator. Each segment presents a character facing a temptation or moral choice, leading to consequences that explore a facet of the film's overall ethical message.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together by their distinctive anthology structure and their shared interest in examining morality through multiple, short narratives. They create a varied but cohesive experience centered on philosophical or ethical questions.

Dark Humor and Philosophical Stories like The Devil and the Ten Commandments

Stories that use absurd comedy to ask serious questions about life and ethics. Discover movies similar to The Devil and the Ten Commandments that mix playful comedy with moral philosophy. If you liked its whimsical tone and its approach to serious themes like temptation and sin through satire, these recommendations will match that unique vibe.

  • satirical
  • playful
  • contemplative
  • absurdist
  • moralistic
  • thought-provoking
  • Tone: whimsical, contemplative, absurdist
  • Pacing: steady, reflective
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives often involve characters encountering absurd situations that force them to confront deeper truths about themselves or society. The journey is punctuated by comedic moments, but the underlying conflict is fundamentally philosophical, leading to resolutions that are contemplative rather than purely hilarious.

Why they belong together: They are linked by a unique tonal blend where whimsy or absurdity is not just for laughs but is a vehicle for exploring weighty ideas. The pacing and intensity are balanced to allow for both humor and reflection.

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Every angle

The Devil and the Ten Commandments (1962) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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