The Little Thief (1988)
"La petite voleuse" (original title)

In a small town in post-World-War-II France, an unhappy sixteen-year-old (Janine Castang) tries to escape her dreary situation by any means at her disposal. Three successive friends (Michel... See full summary »

Director:

Claude Miller

Writers:

François Truffaut (original scenario), Claude de Givray (original scenario),

Stars:

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Didier Bezace, Simon de La Brosse

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlotte Gainsbourg	...	Janine Castang
Didier Bezace	...	Michel Davenne
Simon de La Brosse	...	Raoul
Clotilde de Bayser	...	Séverine Longuet
Raoul Billerey	...	Rouleau
Chantal Banlier	...	Léa
Nathalie Cardone	...	Mauricette
Renée Faure	...	La Mère Busato
Catherine Arditi	...	La directrice école
Gilbert Bahon	...	Le brigadier
Clothilde Baudon	...	Bonnin
Joëlle Bruyas	...	Soeur Marie-Odile
Denise Chiabaut	...	Le doctresse
Philippe Deplanche	...	Jacques Longuet
Erick Deshors	...	Raymond

Storyline

In a small town in post-World-War-II France, an unhappy sixteen-year-old (Janine Castang) tries to escape her dreary situation by any means at her disposal. Three successive friends (Michel Davenne, a married lover; Raoul, a fellow thief; Mauricette Dargelos, a photographer and fellow prisoner) help her learn from her mistakes.

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Plot Keywords:

lover | thief | friend | small town | escape | 

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Taglines:

A Deliciously Sexy Tale Of Love And Larceny.

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Genres:

Drama | Crime | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

September 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Little Thief

Filming Locations:

Barneville-Carteret, Manche, France

Box Office

Gross:

$1,100,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orly Films, Orly Films, Renn Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min 105 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

François Truffaut's scenario offered the leading character Janine Castang as a female counterpart to the character Antoine Doinel in The 400 Blows.

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Connections

References Tambour battant (1953)

User Reviews

More than a touch of Truffaut's charm.

A nice little movie about Janine, a young girl, a compulsive thief, in post-war France, trying to put some kind of life together. Kicked out of her village for theft she goes to the big city where she takes employment as a maid and begins an affair with a married man. On meeting Raoul, a fellow thief, she embarks on a secondary love affair that ultimately leads to incarceration in reform school. Compelling performances by Charlotte Gainsbourg as Janine and the talented, sadly missed Simon de la Brosse as Raoul. This was Truffaut's last sortie into writing before his death and the charm is totally evident. A sentimental journey through a troubled young woman's life, this is a wonderfully detailed story that lingers.