Movies - Les jeux sont faits

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Les Jeux Sont Faits is an existential book written by Jean-Paul Sartre in 1943 and published in 1947. The title translates literally as "The Games Are Done", an idiomatic French expression used mainly in casino gambling meaning the bets have been placed. An English translation (no longer in print) was made from the French by Louise Varése in 1952, and published as The Chips Are Down.

The story is set in an unnamed French city, in a setting vaguely suggestive of occupied France during World War II. The plot concerns two characters, Pierre Dumaine and Eve Charlier. They are predestined to be soulmates, but this destiny is prevented by their premature violent deaths, and they do not meet until passing into the afterlife.

Plot synopsis

Pierre and Eve realise different truths about their own lives as they walk invisibly as ghosts amongst the living, with the power to interact only with other deceased souls. Pierre and Eve have difficulty adjusting to this powerless condition. They meet each other in line to register at a bureacratic clearing house for the recently deceased. They are surprised to be informed that there has been a mistake in the paperwork and in fact they were predestined to be soulmates.

Pierre and Eve are revived and permitted 24 hours to fall completely in love with one another, or their second chance at life will be revoked. However, they are each distracted by unfinished business from their previous lives. Eve was poisoned by her husband, and needs to convince her sister that he is not a good man. Pierre needs to stop a revolution he had planned to overthrow the Regent. In death, Pierre has discovered the Regent knows of the plans to revolt, and Pierre realizes that if the revolt occurs it will result in the massacre of his friends and the end of the resistance. Unable to explain the unique circumstances in which they acquired their knowledge, they both have difficulty convincing their friends of what they know is the right thing to do. Neither is able to completely dissociate themselves from the things that were once important to them, and they realise that by not concentrating on their love they might be sacrificing their second chance at life.

Characters

Pierre Dumaine – Pierre is a leader of an underground resistance movement against the local Regent in the unnamed city in which the story is set. His death was a result of a betrayal by Lucien, another member of the rebellion, and a police informant.

Eve Charlier – Eve is the wife of Andre Charlier, the Chief of Police. Like Pierre, her death is a result of betrayal. Her husband Andre slowly killed Eve by poisoning her drinks as she lay stricken in bed, in order to inherit her wealth and marry her beautiful younger sister.

Analysis

Sartre is commenting on the hopelessness of freedom of choice. Pierre and Eve are permitted to return to the living for the express purpose of falling in love. But in the afterlife they have seen terrible things that they overlooked while living and attempt to prevent these things from occurring, rather than loving one another. After 24 hours, the pair die once more, having accomplished nothing, including a consumation of their love. This reinforces Sartre's view that one is condemned to follow one's choices, no matter how good or bad. He also shows that it is impossible to know if a choice is right, even if it is done with the best possible motivations. To Sartre, there is no absolute truth or morality. Instead, he believes destiny will always win.

Sartre shows that though freedom is perhaps an illusion, it is also a necessity. Pierre and Eve realise the absurdity of death as they wander the streets and witness the problems of friends and loved ones after their second demise. They are powerless to help and thus powerless to relieve themselves of their own suffering in reaction to what they see; they are forced to view life, yet they cannot participate in it themselves since they are mere ghosts. All that keeps us from leading useless, fleeting lives is our power and freedom to interact with the surrounding world according to our own choices.

Film adaptations

A film adaptation directed by Jean Delannoy was made in 1947, with Micheline Presle playing the role of Eve and Marcel Pagliero as Pierre.

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