Les chinois à Paris (1974)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Jean Yanne

Writers:

Robert Beauvais (novel)
Robert Beauvais (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 February 1974 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy

Plot:

Overnight, Paris is invaded - although peacefully - but the Chinese Army, and millions of Chinese people... It's the Nazi occupation all over again, with modern - funny - twists. |

Plot Keywords:

Chinese | Occupation | Paris | Communist | Satire

Cast

Jean Yanne	...	Régis Forneret
Nicole Calfan	...	Stéphanie
Macha Méril	...	Madeleine
Michel Serrault	...	Grégoire Montclair
Kyozo Nagatsuka	...	Pou-Yen
Georges Wilson	...	Lefranc
Jacques François	...	Hervé Sainfous de Montaubert
Fernand Ledoux	...	Frugebelle
Paul Préboist	...	Fonctionnaire / Civil servant
Daniel Prévost	...	Fontanes
Bernard Blier	...	Président de la République Française
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Régis Ander
Yves Barsacq	...	Le général moustachu au bérêt rouge
Daniel Basset
Fernand Berset
Jean-Marie Bon
Michel Charrel
Michel Delahaye
Jean-Michel Desjeunes
Max Desrau
Bernard Duchemin
Robert Favart
André Gaillard
Jacques Galland
Raoul Guylad
Charles Kassapian
Georges Léon
Jean-Louis Maury
Paul Mercey	...	Un résistant
Christian Noël
Jacques Provins
Lawrence Riesner	...	Le conseiller du Président de la République
William Sabatier
Maurice Vamby	...	Un résistant
Lionel Vitrant	...	Un bagarreur
Teddy Vrignault

Also Known As:

Chinese in Paris (International: English title)
I cinesi a Parigi (Italy)

Runtime:

USA:115 min | France:115 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1974) | Sweden:15

Company:

Ciné Qua Non

If Chinese Maoists took Paris...

Wild, sarcastic French comedy by the irrepressible director/writer/actor Jean Yanne about what would happen to Paris and Parisians if Chinese Maoists invaded France. This rebellious satire -- ideally to be seen on a double bill with Godard's "La Chinoise" -- makes fun of very delicate political matters. There are plenty of innuendos about French collaborationism during WWII, but then it's almost always true that any occupying forces in a foreign culture will eventually engage in corruption and shady businesses, while some of the invaded natives will always find a way of profiting from the status quo. The subject is common to every invasion/ domination ever taken place (including right now you know where).

Wonderful cast, acid script and quick-tempered dialog are highlights in this irregular but imaginative film by Yanne, the man who made fun of Ceasar & Cleopatra on "Deux Heures moins le Quart avant Jésus Christ" (1972), the French Revolution in "Liberté, Égalité, Choucroute" (1975) and French TV industry in "Je te Tiens, Tu Me Tiens par la Barbichette" (1979). There are many memorable scenes; I particularly enjoyed the new "version" of Bizet's Carmen by Chinese opera singers, a riot!!!