Claude Sautet's Mado (1976)

Claude Sautet's Mado came out in 1976, at the end of Les Trente Glorieuses: from the rebuilding of Europe after the war, when French (along with most of Europe) had seen large economic growth, greater general wealth, and had an optimistic outlook. Then the oil crisis spelled a slowing down of the party, and this is seen in the unemployment in the film (Alex and Pierre at the beginning), girls feeling forced to prostitute themselves to survive (such as Mado (Ottavia Piccolo) herself), and a pessimistic outlook.

But the threatened failure of the property business of Simon (Michel Piccoli) is not due to the economic outlook of the time, but to his partner being duped by the crook Lépidon (Julien Guiomar) and putting a bullet through his head.

So now Simon has more problems than before: he's tried marriage twice, but being incapable of liking themself, how can he be suited to live with another woman? He is finishing his relationship with Hélène (Romy Schneider) but seems to be over-affectionate towards Mado, whom he uses for paid sex but would obviously prefer a lasting relationship. Mado too is friends with Alex and Pierre (who becomes Simon's chauffeur). And in fact it is Mado who will pull Simon out of the economic mess he's in, but at the expense of the life of Reynald Manecca (Charles Denner), the main man in Mado's life, whom she doesn't charge for sex, but who started out as a cleint.

In spite of the gloom everyone washes his or her sorrows in alcohol: Alex, Pierre and their friends in the local bar; at the beginning the property executives enjoying the highly expensive Château Margaux 1947; the generally frequent drinking. And at the end – in two bizarre and almost surreal sequences – everyone (apart from Lépidon's mob of course) takes refuge from the rain at a very alcoholic private party in a bar, and leaving it they take the wrong road, end up stuck in the mud and continue the celebrations with drink stashed in a boot of ones the cars, warming themselves over a makeshift fire. But the last scene is shot around Hélène apparently entering a detox clinic.