Mi][+dd??le class student Bob Letellier en(-ters a (=new wor/ld ,w_hen he meets[% Alai)-n, a(! free-thinking re:!be$@l who,\---. a\lo\)ng with his group o f y o?ung Par i%.s/`]^ians, h, #as (o_pted f_or a life of insta`.$nt gra;$tifica^tion ^*inst;`-ead of(! work and !.;c.=@ommitme` ^nt. ) At a?; party, B
(ob meets a young %woman, Mic, who appears to
:
/b%e just
?[ ?as( carefree and cyni[!:ca-_l ;/a :s Alain. Mic's only dream is to/$+: own a luxury car, )and wit/h Bo^[_b's hel!#/p_, she m@,-anages t+%o find  the money$# to @=but
,:
i]t. `)`Mi@c's *f_@riend Clo disco!vers sh^
e is pregna`+nt@  and, not*$ knowing who the 
f
[ather is,?# %@she asks+ Bob to marry her. *When they ne`xt meet at a party, Bob an;d. Mic deny that they @!/ha.ve an$[y feelings *for one [ano:ther - a [=d!eclaration that ]soon leads to tragedy... `　　　　Ma?rcel Car?-]né is wid[.ely@/$ r.^eg.a@rded a*s - one: of
;t%he s(!ta-/ndard bearers. $of Fren+/ch quality c`inema of the 193$0s and 1940s, responsible for !\such`* masterpi:](eces as Quai des b*^r!umes (:1938) and Les Enfants du]] Para(/d*is (1945). How ir%)onic th=$en that,` in +!)19.=58, toward`-/s
 @@ ,=the e;nd of ) =hi-#/s fi/.lm\`#-m $akin
g career, h, e sh ou-$[ld;!
ma\`ke a film which?* dared )to portray th`.`e attitud(.e`_/$s and behaviou_r of th e 1950s :yout]h , in a way; tha^#t?/ effect![ ,ively captures t+^he$ \ moo -[@d a;nd sentiment o]f the#. time.　　　　Les? Tricheurs was a hugely controver[\\si`al film, not least  beca#.*use of =)i
ts blatant /depic+_)tion o,f];# adole. !.scen-@^t fre )e-love,^!+@ .and(
! *,was ev)en ban,*ne^$d in so/me regio\-+ns of Fr..=an=%ce. It also received some intense)ly %)u_(+nfavo$/u,
rab@[l
*#/e reviews, ;most% not(
ably from .)_( the y=$oung hot)heads o#@n the?\ Cahiers du cin.ém :a suc+h as F[/;]rançois Tru.[`)f*faut who c?\ ited thi]; s+;] film as a prim e $ex^]ample of \\the decline of \ Fre,?n( ,ch cinema into mediocri/ /
ty.+ =
In@: spit@e$?? of all t _hi%]*s ne,g!?ative p^%ress, th$e fil\`[m prov
*ed t^:?o be an astonishing comme# ]rcial success, attract %i=[ng five m/illio/n=\ c_ine-ma-goers , an_?)!$d was award^e`d the G#`ran]d(+ Pr.]i\x du ,Cin éma françai)s in-: 19;; ?58.　　　　Whil]st Les Tricheur$(s is not as flawles%_;s as C,()arné's earlier?) masterpie,ces,+ it]) is nonet@$-@hele:s*s +a significa@(_nt ]$w*+$ork, ^*havi,ng \the )(power to `both .shock and mo,^+ve its a[udien ?ce, whilst having gre-at en
[:tertain]ment va .^lue. It  evokes#- ;the:. mood : /@of
( %it-.s time in a way that few Fre,$@\nch films of th;
;is `\period did, depictin-g y_:ou%`ng peop.^le
as pl +!;easure-seeking #,:@rebels, rejecting the a.`usterity and discipline of the previous generation whilst purs`_u  ing a life without ca,^(-)r^es, responsibil ](=ities*= or^ love. Similar:
it(?ies with James=? Dean's fil,%[ms of th$e 1950s (+;)most notably Rebel wi]=t=_\.h]_,out a Cau-*$se) a.re apparent, although C*[$`arné's %/*t
reatm +ent of young %+= people is far more abst_/!ract #[- in his :[-film 
^the-)y merel\y symbolise a world that has lost ,)it@s way, more o/;r less victims of pos^)!=t-war\ prosperity.: Although the y]
oung! people in L^+es Tr/^iche:;:urs++ lack#` ?,@th^e authenticit;y to be t;otally cred.% ible@, th[e_  fil(m does make \^an important, `an.@d indeed quite dis*+_+t.::u] rbing point, ab_[^out wh;$ere
the p_,e?r+missive -?;so^c?iety m$\ay be he@@ading.@$　　　　%=+Much of .`the p lea)?+sure of_ the film is i@ ;n the performances+ fro,m i[ts four lead a#
ctors, J@ $a $[cques Charrier, Pascale Petit, Laur(ent Terzi.# eff and Andr;éa Pari-sy, although only Terz@ieff is reall$-y convi:nc]ing in his ro%le. Marc ; el Carné =ori_ginally[ \;consi/^dere:`d Alain De`,lon and Jean+!-Pa=u=l Belmondo for the parts o-_f Bob and Alain respectively, b]-[efore opting,^%
^for Charrier and Te/\%*,r;_@%zieff. As? a co=*nso
lation, Carné off*ered B/#^elm]ondo a ^.small+er part in th^%e film - alas too sm\)/all for [the actor to be noticed[` by the publi.[c+. Belmond% o\'s breakt@)?hrou gh]` ;?\(had to $$#wa.^i+*t until t[#h!:e fo!. l ,;low;_.ing year when \]\@he starred `)in Jean-Luc *G+odar
?$d's revolutionary( A+%=, bout de souffle, a film which offers @%a ve_#^ry d?iffere*;?n[*:,t perspe:+ %ct-ive of *;the yo#uth
 generation.