La Balance
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''La Balance'' (U.S. title: ''The Nark''; literal translation: ''The Informer'') is a 1982 French film directed by Bob Swaim. It stars
Nathalie Baye Nathalie Marie Andrée Baye (; born 6 July 1948) is a French film, television, and stage actress. She began her career in 1970 and has appeared in more than 80 films. A ten-time César Award nominee, her four wins were for ''Every Man for Himsel ...
, Philippe Léotard,
Tchéky Karyo Tchéky Karyo (; born Baruh Djaki Karyo; 4 October 1953) is a Turkish-born French actor and musician. Beginning his career as an actor on stage in classical and contemporary works, he began to work as a character actor in films in the 1980s. He h ...
, Maurice Ronet, and Jean-Paul Comart. It won the César Award for Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress, and was nominated for Most Promising Actor (twice), Best Director,
Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...
, and Best Editing. The film had a total of 4,192,189 admissions in France, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of the year.


Plot

Nicole is a
sex worker A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker" According to one view, sex work is ...
in Paris. Her former racketeer boyfriend and
pimp Procuring, pimping, or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term "pimp" ...
, Dédé, has been excluded from the business of a local mob boss, Roger Massina, because of a romantic dispute over Nicole. When a police informant is killed, the police decide to recruit Dédé as a replacement. The police raid Dédé's apartment, find a gun, and blackmail him into becoming an informant using this and other threats. The police want to get to Massina and try to use Dédé to do it. Dédé agrees to participate in a set-up and tries to return to Massina's favor by telling him about a rich antique dealer he has found to rob (actually part of the set-up), and asking for help. Massina, tempted by greed, agrees and begins to reintegrate Dédé into his organization. On the day of the heist, Dédé is replaced by Massina's unhinged henchman, Petrovic. Dédé attempts to call off the police plan, but officer Le Belge, wearing headphones, does not hear him and proceeds with the operation. As Le Belge blocks Massina's van, Petrovic becomes suspicious and opens fire, killing civilians and nearly killing Le Belge—who is saved by his Walkman, which absorbs a bullet. Massina escapes, but Petrovic is chased and ultimately shot in the head by Le Capitaine after killing an officer. The captain then instructs his team to reload Petrovic's weapon. Dédé is cornered by Massina in an alley, but manages to overpower and shoot him. Fearing retaliation, Dédé hides. Nicole, believing he is safer in custody, informs the police, who arrest him. She watches and weeps from a car as he is taken away.


Cast


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Balance, La 1982 films 1982 crime films French crime films Films about prostitution in Paris Films directed by Bob Swaim Films featuring a Best Actor César Award–winning performance Films featuring a Best Actress César Award–winning performance Best Film César Award winners Films set in Paris 1980s French-language films 1980s French films