Zig Zag | |
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Zig Zig | |
Directed by | László Szabó |
Screenplay by | László Szabó |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Jean-Pierre Baux |
Edited by | Jacques Witta |
Music by | Karl Heinz Schäfer |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | AMLF (France) |
Release date |
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Running time | 89 minutes |
Country | France |
Language | French |
Zig-Zag (French: Zig Zig) is a 1975 French film directed by László Szabó and starring Catherine Deneuve and Bernadette Lafont.[1]
Marie and Pauline are two cabaret singers in the Pigalle entertainment district of Paris and are highly sought after as the stars of the "Zig Zig" cabaret number. Their admirers include Monsieur Jean, a wealthy retired police commissioner. Little by little, the couple of friends begins to receive "reservations" from regular customers at the bar of ex-boxer Aldo Minelli. There they prostite themselves to save money to create a secure future, dreaming of buying a chalet in the mountains.
However, unbeknownst to Marie, Pauline works with a gang of transvestites who kidnap the wife of the Minister of Agriculture. Marie discovers that Pauline is involved and call outs her friend for becoming a criminal. While the inspector assigned to the case, Inspector Bruyère, is in the dark on the case and his wife is cheating on him with the security guard Edelweiss, Monsieur Jean finally finds and identifies the minister's wife and solves the case. Pauline, however, is murdered shortly afterwards by the tramp Walter, who is in love with her and wants revenge. Monsieur Jean in turn kills Pauline's killer and runs towards Marie, who is holding her friend's lifeless body in her arms.
Catherine Deneuve said it was one of the most chaotic shoots she had ever experienced, with director László Szabó constantly drunk on set.[2]