The title of this French "reality" drama, which translates to Before the Deluge, is a play on Louis XVI's famous prognostication, "Apres moi, le deluge." Set in 1950, the film concentrates on five Parisian adolescents. Certain that the next war will herald the apocalypse, the youngster make plans to run off to a desert island and set up a new society. This, however, will require money, which is why the boys decide to pull off a "necessary" robbery. Idealism collapses in the face of cold reality, as the five youths suffer from the consequences of their actions. Avant le Deluge was one of a group of films cowritten by director Andre Cayatte and Charles Spaak which endeavored to explore the touchy social issues of the day: others in the Cayatte-Spaak canon include the euthanasia-themed Justice est Faite and the capital-punishment tract Nous sommes tous des assassins.
as Albert Dutoit
as Jean-Jacques Noblet
as Marcel Noblet
as Liliane Noblet
as Jean Arnaud
as Philippe Boussard
as Richard Dutoit
as Daniel Epstein
as Serge de Montesson
as Le commissaire Auvain
as Monsieur Boussard
as Françoise Boussard
as Le président du tribunal
as Josette
as Madame Arnaud
as Le garçon de café
as L'autre inspecteur de police
as Le veilleur de nuit
as Madame Dutoit
as l'inspecteur Malingué
as (Voice dubbing for Carlo Ninchi)
