They Were Five (1936) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story unfolds in Paris, specifically along the Marne River. The protagonists discover a ruined laundry building on the riverbank and convert it into a guinguette, a traditional French riverside restaurant and dance hall. This riverside location becomes the central hub for their new business and the evolving relationships among the five friends.

• paris
• marne river
• setting
• guinguette
• location

The movie is set in 1930s Paris during the interwar period. This was a time of economic strain and shifting social norms in France, which shapes the characters' desperation and their willingness to take risks for a better future. The decade's atmosphere of uncertainty influences both the urgency and the optimism driving the friends' gamble.

• 1930s
• interwar
• paris
• era
• time period

A guinguette is a French term for a informal riverside restaurant and dance hall that was popular in early 20th century France. These venues typically offered simple food, drinks, and dancing along rivers like the Marne. In the movie, the ruined laundry is transformed into this type of communal entertainment space, representing the dream of leisure and prosperity the five friends share.

• guinguette
• french culture
• restaurant
• dance hall
• marne river

The film explores several interconnected themes: friendship and loyalty among the five men who pool their lottery winnings; greed and money's corrosive effect on trust; romantic jealousy especially surrounding Gina; and the transformation of both space and relationships as the guinguette is built. These themes interweave to show how shared dreams can be undermined by personal flaws.

• friendship
• greed
• jealousy
• transformation
• themes
• money

The five friends are Jeannot (played by Jean Gabin), Charlot, Tintin, Mario, and a fifth member who completes the group. After winning a national lottery, they pool their money to purchase a dilapidated building rather than splitting the prize. Each brings different strengths and weaknesses that eventually strain their partnership as the business grows.

• jeannot
• charlot
• tintin
• mario
• five friends
• characters

Jeannot serves as the de facto leader of the five friends. He is portrayed as pragmatic and sociable, steering the group toward their shared vision of pooling the lottery winnings to rebuild their lives. His leadership is tested when romantic jealousy toward Gina creates tension with Charlot, revealing vulnerable and imperfect sides that strain his friendships.

• jeannot
• leader
• role
• pragmatic
• charlotte
• group dynamics

Charlot is an older member of the group who left his faithless wife Gina. He is portrayed as shrewd and calculating, always looking to maximize his gains from the lottery windfall. His persuasive nature and resistance to being sidelined create significant rifts within the group, as he uses charm to influence Jeannot and protect his own interests.

• charlot
• greed
• manipulation
• cunning
• motivation

Mario is an illegal immigrant from Spain who is engaged to Huguette. Facing possible expulsion from France, he quickly marries Huguette to secure his legal status and future. His pragmatic response to precarity shows how the characters' personal ambitions intersect with the desperate circumstances of 1930s France.

• mario
• immigration
• spain
• huguette
• marriage
• legal status

Gina is Charlot's wife and becomes a focal point of jealousy and manipulation within the group. Her presence creates romantic tension between Jeannot and Charlot, with jealous impulses driving decisions that could lead to violence. Her shifting loyalties test the men's trust and expose the fragile boundaries between communal goals and personal desires.

• gina
• jealousy
• charlot
• romance
• manipulation
• tension

The Marne River provides the physical setting and cultural backdrop for the entire narrative. The ruined laundry sits along its banks, and the friends transform it into a guinguette overlooking the water. The riverbank location becomes synonymous with their dream of communal leisure and prosperity, while the water itself symbolizes the flow of life and change that affects the group.

• marne river
• guinguette
• setting
• riverside
• transformation

Paris in the 1930s represents both opportunity and hardship for the characters. The city's social landscape during the interwar period, with its café culture and riverfront guinguettes, provides the perfect backdrop for their entrepreneurial dream. The setting also reflects the era's economic challenges, as five unemployed friends seek to reinvent themselves through the lottery windfall.

• paris
• 1930s
• setting
• urban
• café culture
• social context

The physical transformation of the ruined laundry into a thriving guinguette mirrors the psychological and social changes occurring within the group. As the men live and work together on-site, their bonds intensify but fault lines also emerge. The rebuilt space becomes a symbol of hope turned sour, showing how outward transformation can mask internal decay of friendships and dreams.

• transformation
• guinguette
• rebuilding
• space
• change
• symbolism