Dossier 51
| Industry | Film distribution |
|---|---|
Area served | France |
Dossier 51 () is a 1978 French crime drama helmed by director Michel Deville, based on a novel authored by Gilles Perrault. Both Deville and Perrault received the César Award for Best Screenplay, Dialogue or Adaptation in recognition of their work on this movie. The film was also selected for the Un Certain Regard category at the 1978 Cannes Film Festival.
Plot
A French intelligence service undertakes a thorough surveillance mission targeting a diplomat identified only as 51. Although his career seems stable, scrutiny into his personal affairs uncovers significant weaknesses.
He is revealed to be the sole surviving child of his mother, who discloses that his father was betrayed to the Gestapo by her spouse. His time at a Catholic school and during military service illustrates a tendency to fabricate alternate realities. Following a romantic involvement with an anarchist student, he weds a woman from an influential family; she bears him two children but engages in infidelity.
Eventually, an agent earns his confidence and uncovers his history, leading him to take his own life by deliberately crashing his automobile. This marks the conclusion of the operation.
Cast
- Françoise Béliard - Sylvie Mouriat
- Patrick Chesnais - Hadès
- Jenny Clève - Agent 747
- Jean Dautremay - Esculape 3
- Gérard Dessalles - Brauchite
- Jean-Michel Dupuis - Agent Hécate 8446
- Sabine Glaser - Paméla
- Nathalie Juvet - Marguerite Marie
- Françoise Lugagne - Madame Auphal
- Christophe Malavoy - Agent 8956
- Claude Marcault - Liliane Auphal / 52
- François Marthouret - Dominique Auphal / 51
- Jean Martin - Vénus
- Claire Nadeau - The 9000 Friend
- Michel Aumont - Mars's voice
Financials and Distribution
Handled by Gaumont Distribution, Dossier 51 earned close to $2 million, indicating a moderate level of box office success within the French cinema landscape.