La Baie des Anges

“Love is just a game of chance.”

LA BAIE DES ANGES refers to the bay of Nice, near the casino mecca of Monte Carlo. This iconic casino has been the setting for many films, but in LA BAIE DES ANGES, its glamour and tragedy really come into their own. The iconic opening scene on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, accompanied by Michel Legrand’s melancholic soundtrack, sets the tone for the rest of the film.

The ever-enigmatic Jeanne Moreau, platinum blonde for this film, plays gambling addict Jackie, with, by her side, Claude Mann as bank clerk Jean, who gets sucked into her risky world. What follows is a typically Demy dreamlike odyssey between casinos, hotel suites, cars, and haute couture: the glamour and tragedy of the gambling table have rarely been so closely intertwined. For Jackie, life itself seems nothing more than a game of chance: she has traded her husband, child, and wealth for the gaming table. Jean, who is more cautious by nature, allows herself to live this way for a few days, not knowing whether life with Jackie is a winning or losing bet.

Unlike many other casino films, it is essentially irrelevant whether the players win or lose in LA BAIE DES ANGES. Only the experience counts. The film’s plot embodies the essence of gambling: nothing is straightforward or predictable; everything revolves around chance and luck. This makes LA BAIE DES ANGES one of Demy’s bleakest works, his last film in black and white; he then switched to colour with THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG.

This film is part of Lucky Chance (27 Feb-1 Mar): a three-day film festival about humankind’s desire for gambling.