Romance takes a back seat to drama in this movie depicting life at the once-fashionable Parisian bordello known by its address 122 Rue de Provence. Patronized by the wealthy and powerful, this elegant house of prostitution featured a top-ranked restaurant and specialized rooms for men with unusual tastes: a railroad carriage room, a stable room, etc. In the story, two young people "on the make" bump into each other as they are arriving in the same rail station. Though attracted to one another, they are deliberately vague about their destinations. He is headed for a diplomatic career, she is an ambitious young prostitute who wants to work at the best house in France. Later, they meet at 122 Rue de Provence.
Production
The themed rooms are unhinged production design genius
Costume
Late-70s French decadence that screams 'we have money and problems'
Director
Christian Gion
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real 122 Rue de Provence was one of Paris's most famous maisons closes, operating from 1878 until 1946 when brothels were banned. Gion shot in actual surviving locations.
Nicole Calfan was a major starlet when this flopped; she later called it 'the film that taught me French audiences don't want sex to be this honest.'
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