The Things of Life (1970) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Pierre's morning drive toward Rennes

Pierre, a Paris architect in his forties, drives to a meeting in Rennes after a night spent arguing with his lover Hélène. He has not signed documents for a Tunis job and has promised to take his teenage son Bertrand on holiday to the family home on Île de Ré. The day feels unsettled as he weighs a possible future with Hélène against his current commitments.

When

morning

Where

on the road to Rennes, France

The unsent letter at the café

Stopping at a café, Pierre writes a letter to Hélène canceling their arrangement, but he never posts it. The draft reveals his indecision and the conflict between his commitments and his desires. The moment foreshadows the later choice he will make on the road.

When

before crash

Where

café

A wedding glimpse alters his course

While driving past a wedding, Pierre concludes that the unsent letter was wrong and that he should marry Hélène. The idea of commitment weighs more heavily than the caution he had felt earlier. His sense of what might be true about his life begins to tilt.

When

same day

Where

on the road near a wedding

Plans with Bertrand and the Tunis job

Pierre had agreed to take his teenage son Bertrand to the holiday home on Île de Ré, and he had also been considering a job transfer to Tunis. He balances the promise to his family with the allure of a new opportunity. These plans lay the groundwork for the choices he will reflect on later.

When

same day

Where

in the car during the journey

The pig truck and the crash

A lorry full of pigs stalls at a crossroads in the French countryside. Pierre swerves to avoid the truck and crashes into an orchard, hurled onto the grass. He slips into unconsciousness as the world around him changes in an instant.

When

morning

Where

French countryside crossroads and orchard

Consciousness and memory

In the moments after the crash, Pierre drifts in and out of consciousness. He revisits the essential things that make up his life, including his relationships with Hélène, Catherine, Bertrand, and his career as an architect. The memories come in fragmented, non linear bursts as the mind searches for meaning.

Arrival at the Le Mans hospital

Pierre is rushed to hospital in Le Mans, but he does not recover. The medical staff contend with a hopeless prognosis as his life wanes. The crash marks the end of his physical life and the beginning of the memory theater.

When

shortly after crash

Where

Le Mans hospital

Catherine inherits his effects

As Pierre's widow, Catherine receives his effects, including the unsent letter to Hélène. She holds the letter among the belongings and becomes a guardian of his unsettled decisions. The moment shifts the focus from Pierre to the two women whose lives intertwine with his.

When

after his death

Where

Le Mans hospital

The unsent letter read and torn

Catherine reads the unsent letter by the window, and as Hélène hurries toward Pierre's bedside, Catherine tears the letter to pieces. The act destroys the chance for direct closure and leaves Hélène to confront the reality of his death. A nurse later tells Hélène that she is too late to see Pierre.

When

immediately after death

Where

hospital room

Hélène learns she is too late

Hélène is informed by a nurse that she is too late to reach Pierre's bedside. The moment underscores the final separation of the two lovers and the fragility of timing. She stands outside while life ends inside.

When

immediately after death

Where

hospital corridor

The film's non-linear frame

The opening sequence juxtaposes the period immediately after the crash with the crash itself, establishing the film's time jumping structure. This non-linear framing recurs throughout as Pierre revisits his life in fragments. The memory play becomes a lens on choice and regret.

When

opening sequence

Unresolved life choices

With the letter torn and Hélène unable to reach him, the film closes on the idea that memory and what could have been shape a life more than actual events. Pierre's decisions remain unresolved, echoing the film's meditation on time and memory.