''Calmos'' is a 1976 French film directed by

Bertrand Blier Bertrand Blier (; born 14 March 1939) is a French film director and writer. His 1978 film '' Get Out Your Handkerchiefs'' won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 51st Academy Awards. He is the son of famous French actor Bernar ...

. A comedy that explores the battle of the sexes, often explicitly, it satirises both the rise of feminism in France and traditional attitudes of Frenchmen.

Synopsis

Paul, a married gynecologist in Paris, is weary of women's bodies and needs. Leaving a patient in the stirrups, he heads for the freedom of the street. There he meets Albert, who has that morning left his wife. Each recognises a kindred spirit, and the two travel to a remote village, were they rent a house and lead a relaxed bachelor existence. Their enthusiasm for good food and wine earns them the friendship of the village priest. However, the idyll ends when their wives track them down and coerce the priest, after negotiation, into recalling them to their marital duties. After weeks of freedom, a weekend at home with the wife is more than either can bear. They run away to open country, where they are joined by other men who cannot stand the demands of women and are fed by sympathetic farmers. This pastoral fraternity is scattered by a tank crewed by women, and the fleeing Paul and Albert are captured by a squad of female infantry. Their captain says the two will have to pleasure them all, starting with her, but after negotiation lets them make a run for it. Once caught again, they are taken to an institute in Paris and operated on. Fixed to their beds and with enormous erections, women are let in two at a time for strictly two minutes of copulation. Years later, aged and shrunken to miniature size, they are living on a mountain top and have made themselves tiny hang gliders. Caught in a storm, their machines are wafted over the ocean and drop them in a strange cleft by a tropical beach. Exploring it, they fall into a soft-walled cavern that throbs. Viewers realise the two are inside the body of a woman....

Cast

Jean-Pierre Marielle Jean-Pierre Marielle (12 April 1932 – 24 April 2019) was a French actor. He appeared in more than a hundred films in which he played very diverse roles, from a banal citizen (''Les Galettes de Pont-Aven''), to a World War II hero ('' Les Milles ...

as Paul Dufour, a

gynaecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined ar ...

Jean Rochefort Jean Raoul Robert Rochefort (; 29 April 1930 – 9 October 2017) was a French actor. He received many accolades during his career, including an Honorary César in 1999. Life and career Rochefort was born on 29 April 1930 in Paris, France, to ...

as Albert *

Bernard Blier Bernard Blier (11 January 1916 – 29 March 1989) was a French character actor. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his father, a researcher at the Pasteur Institute The Pasteur Institute (french: Institut Pasteur) is a French ...

as Émile *

Brigitte Fossey Brigitte Florence Fossey (; born 15 June 1946) is a French actress. Early years The daughter of a schoolteacher, Fossey was five years old when she was cast by director René Clément to star in his film, ''Forbidden Games''.Valérie Mairesse Valérie Mairesse (born 8 June 1954) is a French stage and film actress. She was nominated for the César Awards 1978 for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ''Repérages ''Faces of Love'' (french: Repérages) is a 1977 Swiss French dra ...

as Claudine * Micheline Kahn as Geneviève *

Sylvie Joly Sylvie Joly (18 October 1934 – 4 September 2015) was a French actress and comedian. She was best known for her roles in the films '' Going Places'' (1974) and ''Get Out Your Handkerchiefs'' (1978). Personal life Joly was born in Paris. She ...

as The Doctor *

Claude Piéplu Claude Léon Auguste Piéplu (9 May 1923, Paris–24 May 2006, Paris) was a French theater, film and television actor. He was known for his hoarse and frayed voice. Selected filmography *''D'homme à hommes'' (1948) - (uncredited) *''Le Ro ...

as The Old Soldier *

Dora Doll Dora Doll (born Dorothea Hermina Feinberg; 19 May 1922 – 15 November 2015) was a French actress. Career One of her first screen appearances was as Juliette in Henri-Georges Clouzot's ''Manon'' (1949). She appeared as Lola in Jacques Becker's ...

as The Amazon Chief *

Dominique Lavanant Dominique Lavanant (born 24 May 1944) is a César Award-winning French film and theatrical actress. She is known for her comedy skills especially with posh and distinguished characters like Rosalind Russell's; characters often defined by the ad ...

as The short-sighted woman *

Marthe Villalonga Marthe Villalonga (born 20 March 1932) is a French actress. She was born in Fort-de-l'Eau, Algeria. Theatre Filmography External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Villalonga, Marthe 1932 births Living people French film actresses People from ...

Françoise Bertin Françoise Bertin (23 September 1925 – 26 October 2014) was a French actress. She appeared in over 125 films since 1961. Among these were five films directed by Alain Resnais: '' Last Year at Marienbad'', '' Muriel'', ''The War Is Over'', '' ...

as Employees of the lab *

Liliane Rovère Liliane Rovère (born 30 January 1933) is a French actress. Personal life In 1955, she went to the United States where she met Chet Baker. They lived together for two years. She was married to ''Bibi Rovère''. In 1971, they adopted a girl that ...

as A Soldier

References

External links

* 1970s sex comedy films 1976 films Films directed by Bertrand Blier 1970s French-language films French sex comedy films 1976 comedy films 1970s French films {{erotic-comedy-film-stub