Zazie dans le Métro

Gabriel greets his sister Jeanne at a Paris railway terminus and she departs with her latest lover, leaving her ten year old Zazie in his care. Zazie declares she wants to ride the Metro, but workers are on strike. Gabriel takes Zazie to the taxi of his friend Charles, starting their day in motion.

Zazie is handed to Albertine after Gabriel lodges above Turandot's café. Gabriel gets ready to go to work, and a dispute erupts with Turandot over Zazie’s blunt language and precocity. The quarrel underlines the tension between adults and Zazie.

Early in the morning Zazie slips out and Turandot follows. When Turandot tries to shepherd her back, Zazie accuses him of paedophilia, drawing a crowd. Turandot retreats, and Gabriel later hears of the incident.

Back at home Turandot recounts what happened to Gabriel over several glasses. Gabriel returns from work and listens as the tale unfolds, realizing the day’s events are spiraling beyond control. The sense of danger around Zazie deepens.

Zazie wanders through Paris as the Metro stations remain shut due to the strike. She remains curious and bold, watching the city from a new perspective. The adults chase after her and the day grows stranger.

An elegant man picks up Zazie and takes her to a flea market where he buys her jeans and treats her to a dish of mussels. She reveals to him that her mother killed her father with an axe but was acquitted. She also recounts life with the lover of her mother and how she was passed on to her uncle.

The stranger accuses Zazie of theft and pretends to be a plain clothes policeman, escorting her back to Gabriel apartment. There a tense interrogation unfolds as Gabriel is questioned about his role with a young girl. The scene shows adults tangled in confusion and suspicion.

After a suggestion that Gabriel is pimping the forward little girl he is forced to reveal his night job as a drag act in a club. The same fake cop then accuses Gabriel of homosexuality and he is thrown out of the flat. He retreats to the bar below and searches for a way to cope.

Café waitress Mado brings lunch to Gridoux next door and worries about the nosy stranger while hoping to talk about cabbie Charles who she hopes will marry her. The stranger persists in pressuring Gridoux, making the situation more tense. The little subplot weaves through the main chaos.

Gabriel and Charles set off to show Zazie the sights of Paris, and the day becomes a series of misunderstandings. The Eiffel Tower visit turns into a focal point of confusion as Zazie questions her uncle about his sexuality. The misadventures continue as the day unfolds.

The group attracts the attention of a stylish set of German girls who treat Gabriel as their mascot and invite him onto their tour bus. Mouaque, an overdressed widow, becomes interested in Trouscaillon, a cop who resembles the morning accuser. The social mix adds humor and danger to the day.

Gabriel invites Mouaque and Trouscaillon to eat with him and Zazie at a restaurant that night. Zazie again seeks attention by misbehaving. Albertine brings Gabriel his costume just in time for the show and the evening becomes a wild ride.

At the club Gabriel performs his drag act while Albertine and the others watch. A bar fight erupts causing chaos as cops swarm the place. Albertine leads the group to safety through the Metro tunnels while the strike keeps the system closed.

In the morning Albertine carries the sleeping Zazie to the railway station as Jeanne laments her love life. Zazie wakes with a sense of grown up perspective. The escalators of the Metro start up as the strike ends and the city returns to normal.