Subplotly
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Jenny (1936) poster

Jenny

dir. Marcel Carné · 1936

Feature
Forbidden Love
Mood
Melancholic / Romantic
Look
shadowy, atmospheric Parisian nightlife with a vintage feel
Structure
character-driven with intertwining relationships
Plot

When her fiancé breaks off their engagement, Danielle leaves London and returns to her mother, Jenny, in Paris. With her business partner Benoît, Jenny runs what appears to be a respectable nightclub – it is in fact a place where wealthy men can buy the favours of attractive young women. Oblivious to her mother's professional and personal life, Danielle meets a handsome young man named Lucien, and falls in love with him – not realising that he is Jenny's lover...

Why watch

Danielle returns to Paris after her fiancé abruptly ends their engagement, seeking solace with her mother, Jenny. Unbeknownst to her, Jenny's nightclub is a façade for a world of hidden desires and complex relationships, where love and betrayal intertwine. Watching this film is like wandering through a dimly lit Parisian club, where every glance and whispered conversation carries the weight of unspoken truths and longing.

Talking points
  • the impact of societal expectations on personal relationships
  • the complexity of mother-daughter dynamics
  • the nature of love and betrayal
Cultural context
pre-World War II Parisian societythe rise of nightlife and cabaret culturegender roles in the 1930s

Where this shelves

every shelf · back to the store