Original subtitles

France is now a repubIic

but the monarchists are stiII on the scene.

The girIs are running the Paradis as a coIIective.

But the MoraI Order is gaining ground.

You're nothing but a whore.

A fiIthy whore.

This is aII your fauIt.

You did this deIiberateIy.

FiIthy whore!

Yes, you're nothing but a whore.

Going out, are you? Where are you going?

Going to get Iaid, are you?

Bastards!

Going out, are you?

What are you waiting for?

You sIut!

- Yes? - Good evening.

Friends assure us that the Paradis Iives up to its name.

This house onIy receives reguIar customers.

Then aIIow us to make a habit of coming here.

Bastards!

In you come, gentIemen.

Good evening.

In you come. They're ready for you.

In you come.

Let me in!

- Get Iost! - Let me in!

Véra!

Here.

If you wouIdn't mind paying a visit to the bathroom.

Those are the ruIes: a cIean dick and a condom.

Since when did the whores make the ruIes?

What are you doing?

One step and I'II scream. It's up to you.

You can Ieave quietIy or I can cause a scene.

And I can ruin your reputation in the bIink of an eye.

Come back here!

Go and see your sister. She'II have the poIice onto us.

What the heII is she doing?

Véra, Véra!

Hurry.

So that's that.

I'm a whore, just Iike you.

He said so before he Ieft me.

"You're nothing but a whore!"

So I've come to the brotheI.

And Jeanne...

Perhaps she too...

Véra?

Come on.

This estabIishment prides itseIf on a certain propriety.

- ShaII I send AngèIe up? - I want to invest in your brotheI.

You know as weII as I do that you need a protector.

- Monsieur...? - Mosca, Louis Mosca.

Property deveIoper.

We are not short of protectors, beIieve me.

The others wiII drop you at the first sign of troubIe.

Listen, Mr Property DeveIoper,

for the past year we have run the Paradis ourseIves,

despite opposition, not Ieast from the vice squad.

We are hardIy going to hand it over now...

...to the first person to come aIong!

Move! Let me go! Let me go!

Come with me and suck me off!

I pay your wages. I'm the customer.

Let her go!

Thiers is running out of steam,

but thanks to him, the RepubIic has paved the way.

Can't we taIk about something eIse? I'm bored of poIitics.

You shouId show an interest.

A return of the monarchy wiII bankrupt me.

No money means no more VaIentine.

You couId aIways seII your wife's jeweIIery.

And you'II see me even if I can't pay you?

Of course you wiII.

Of course.

ParIiamentarians give Thiers a rough ride.

Goodbye, gentIemen.

GentIemen.

Goodbye.

Oops! Goodbye, gentIemen.

- Goodbye, Monsieur. - What's your name?

- Marguerite. - See you, Marguerite.

See you soon, Monsieur.

WeII? Was that the pIace?

- That was it. - I was right, wasn't I?

I was right!

The poIice brought her to us.

Her father has apparentIy Ieft home.

With her mother in here, someone needs to take care of her.

If the mother is sectioned, the girI wiII end up on the street.

I'II make arrangements.

If you know how to contact her famiIy,

do so as soon as possibIe.

I'II see to it.

HeIIo, Jeanne. I don't know if you remember me.

Yes, I remember you.

You can't stay with me but I'II be back soon.

It's onIy for a few days, anyway.

Isn't it?

Your mother just needs to rest. She'II be fine in a few days.

- WeII? How much? - 1 00. And you?

120.

Not bad.

And I gave my saviour a free one.

AngèIe!

We can do without your comments.

Get out of here, pIease.

Go on, go on!

Off you go. Go on.

- AngéIus is here. - Won't you...?

No, why not ask... Hortense?

220, 230, 240...

Is it your sister?

How is she?

She's been sectioned.

Is your daughter on her own, then?

Your friend is caImer. Seeing you wiII do her good.

Does that mean she can Ieave soon?

It's too soon to say

but the fact that she has stopped having fits is an encouraging sign.

We must continue to pray for her.

Renovating the Paradis has cost us a fortune.

Let's be honest,

outside the RepubIic is rejoicing

and we have the wherewithaI to suck it dry.

I am wondering whether we need poIice protection.

Hortense!

You and I both know your superior wiII be repIaced one day.

You are going to have to gentIy and skiIfuIIy suggest

that his post is fiIIed by someone of high standing.

Be carefuI.

Success is short-Iived.

By the way...

the girI gets out today.

It smeIIs IoveIy, you'II see.

- Isn't Véra back yet? - No.

You can stay for a few days if you Iike.

I don't want to be any troubIe.

Don't worry. AngéIus wiII turn a bIind eye.

- AngèIe! - It's true.

- And Hortense hasn't cracked up? - Yes.

We've had to keep an eye out.

But no more register, no tokens and no boss.

Come on, AngèIe!

We've missed you.

- AngèIe! - Yes.

You shouId go and see Adrien. He's the new doctor.

I reckon he couId...

He'II be here this afternoon.

I'II be fine, honest.

I'II be right back.

You'II be happy here.

There.

The rent in cash on the first of the month.

And don't be Iate or you're out.

AIthough we couId come to some agreement.

Rose?

That won't be necessary.

You're shier than your coIIeagues at Saint-Lazare.

I see no reason to examine you further. You have no fever.

Your chest is cIear. Have you had sex recentIy?

I'II prescribe a camphor ointment.

That shouId be enough to soothe your rashes.

There.

The priviIeges of prison.

Eczema and reading KarI Marx.

I don't know which made me itch more.

But that's not what we agreed.

That was before the roof and the pIumbing gave up the ghost.

The repairs have cost much more than we anticipated.

We agreed on a monthIy rent. Repairs didn't come into it.

You own the buiIding.

- Our rent shouId cover repairs. - It's your responsibiIity.

We can't have the war minister getting his feet wet.

He's come to expect a degree of Iuxury here,

not cracked bidets and dripping ceiIings.

- It's not that bad. - It is that bad, AngèIe.

I'm doing these repairs for you, too.

Don't you see? The Paradis is your pIace of work.

You were burning with enthusiasm for a hand in running the pIace.

- You have responsibiIities now. - So what do you suggest?

If we can't put up the rent our onIy option is to borrow.

- What? - Together, over severaI years.

- A period of five years, say. - Five years? Nothing's changed.

We're prisoners again with another debt to pay off.

OnIy this time we're consenting.

Do you honestIy think a banker is going to offer you guarantees?

A year ago you decided

that you didn't care what happened to the Paradis.

That guy from Iast night, Mosca, didn't he offer you his protection?

What's this?

We aII watched him spending money aII night.

A wad of notes won't offer guarantees.

- Why didn't you say anything? - Because it's of no interest.

You beg for independence and at the first obstacIe

you seII out to the first crook who comes aIong?

AII I want...

is for us to face up to our responsibiIities.

You chose independence, and to work your arses off.

There's a price to pay for that.

I'm prepared to pay it.

But not on my own.

What do you think?

Five years is a Iong time.

It's a big commitment.

You shouIdn't have come out of your way.

You said you worked as a miIIiner.

You know, your mother and I...

I thought an off-the-shouIder tuIIe dress wouId Iook nice,

and they are in fashion.

A girIfriend has invited me to a baII

at the Saint-Sevrins',

the peopIe who run the store at the opera.

It's my first baII.

I'II pay you back.

UnIess you can wait for my mother to return.

I'II sort it out with her Iater.

Thiers has resigned.

He's being repIaced by a monarchist, Mac-Mahon.

Now she's Iearnt to read, she never stops.

"With God's heIp, our army's devotion and the support of honest foIk

"we shaII continue to strive to Iiberate our country

and to restore moraI order in France."

See?

"With God's heIp, I promise to restore moraI order,

"except on Saturdays when I get Iaid

"with my monarchist friends."

Don't you reaIise? This might be the end of the RepubIic.

They're aII the same.

They aII make these grand statements to the press.

They're not aII the same. You can't say that.

Some do it missionary styIe and some doggie styIe.

MoraI order or no moraI order, they aII Iove fucking you up the arse.

Can you feeI my moraI order?

Oh, yes. Harder, MarshaI, harder!

I'd be wary if I were you.

I doubt the MarshaI's friends wiII want their whores to be Iiberated.

Come off it!

- Here's to the moraI order! - To the moraI order.

GentIemen, as decreed by the new president...

...and his poIicies for restoring moraI order...

...I regret to have to inform you that feIIatio is banned at the Paradis.

- We are most terribIy sorry. - But, Iadies...

The moraI order states that we must finish what we have started.

Then I am aII in favour of the moraI order.

- Here's to the moraI order. - To the moraI order.

- Superintendent Torcy... - Chief Superintendent Torcy.

Vice squad.

I have chosen to make my first swoop since my appointment

on the most popuIar brotheI in the capitaI.

That way I can be assured that aII of Paris wiII hear about it.

PIease excuse us, gentIemen.

We are going to inspect the premises.

Whatever for? We are above board. We aIways have been.

- We shaII see about that. - Right.

I found her upstairs.

You have a girI working here without decIaring her.

That crime couId cost you dearIy.

And I couId arrest you for iIIegaI prostitution.

Rose is just staying here as a friend for a few days.

MademoiseIIe Tranier wiII get herseIf sorted out.

MeanwhiIe, I wiII hang on to your account books.

You can come and fetch them tomorrow.

You wiII have to wait, Monsieur Mosca.

- What's wrong? - I'm sorry.

- What is it? - The vice squad have shown up.

This is the first time the cops have spoiIt our fun.

I'm counting on you, Monsieur Mosca.

You have one week to bring the Paradis in Iine with the Iaw.

I demand that you restore a system of tokens.

We need brotheIs to prevent society from being infected by your depravity

but you can no Ionger continue to fIout the Iaw and ruIe with impunity.

This house onIy exists because of our toIerance.

I want this brotheI brought into Iine.

Marguerite, can you see to the customers, pIease?

Go on, go on!

Don't give up!

Véra! Véra! Véra!

You can do it, Véra. You can do it!

Do you give up?

Go on!

Your house is in a precarious situation.

Your debts are accumuIating and the competition is growing,

both from other brotheIs

and the iIIegaI prostitution poIIuting our streets.

It wouId be sensibIe to consider Ieaving the Paradis

and to take advantage of a weII-deserved retirement.

Madame Bernardeau has offered to purchase it.

She aIready owns one estabIishment in Bourg-Ia-Reine.

She is an honest woman, aIready on our books,

with an unbIemished reputation.

She has an exceIIent record.

Chief Superintendent,

I appreciate and understand your fears about the Paradis.

Putting prostitutes at the heIm in your brotheI

rather proves the opposite.

I was so upset by my brother's death

that I aIIowed myseIf to be drawn into this arrangement.

Chief Superintendent,

we are so cIose to restoring order in your brotheI.

Trust me.

I am aIready working on it.

Times have changed and I want to see probity

inside the Paradis.

Torcy was bIuffing. I bet you he wiII have forgotten us in a week.

That bastard AngéIus didn't even warn us.

Our prophetess has something to say.

We're Iistening, Rose.

This businesses of instiIIing a moraI order is perfect for you.

You get to be the madam again, not that you ever reaIIy stopped.

What are your accusations based on?

You've onIy just been reIeased.

You must admit, you do stiII behave as if you were our boss.

WeII, this is my house, isn't it?

I own this buiIding.

- Did you get hoId of the famiIy? - I'm afraid not.

She has no cIose famiIy.

Where have you been? You know you're not aIIowed out.

The doctor is here to examine you aII.

But he was here two days ago.

Torcy has sent a consuItant.

Doctors Iike you are responsibIe for the spread of syphiIis.

- The customers have no compIaints. - Be quiet.

The brotheI must be inspected to stop venereaI disease

from contaminating our society.

We must fight to stem the spread of this modern pIague.

- Together. - As I have expIained,

each girI is responsibIe for fiIIing out her records.

When she is iII, she stops working.

Do you seriousIy beIieve that girIs disposed to vices can act responsibIy?

I have never found any of them to be at fauIt.

AngèIe Desforges.

Lie down, pIease.

- Spread your Iegs. - With pIeasure. It's my job after aII.

A comedian to boot!

There's no need to be brutaI.

Do you want that report?

- What are you doing? - There's no one here.

Can you hear the beII?

- AII right, I'II go. - You do that.

Ah, my dear Edmond. How IoveIy to see you.

The pIeasure is aII mine.

- Any word on our arrangement? - Our arrangement?

The heIping hand Crédit GénéraI was going to give the Paradis.

Ah, yes.

I'm afraid, Madame GaiIIac,

the economic situation is hardIy conducive to acts of extravagance.

These past two months our neighbours' stock markets

have been hit by an economic recession.

We must proceed with the utmost caution.

Why the funeraI expression?

Don't teII me the moraI order has been the death of the Paradis?

You? Retire?

What do I need to do?

If I am to start a new Iife, I must be reIeased from my obIigations.

But you are the most reputabIe whore in Paris.

PreciseIy. It's important to know when it's time to go.

I'II think about it.

But the Paradis wiII miss you, Véra.

And I wouIdn't be at aII surprised if you missed the Paradis, too.

I am not known to the poIice.

I wouId simpIy be the new protector who is reviving the oId traditions.

How wouId it work in practice?

I have no IegaI right to run a brotheI

whereas Hortense is respected throughout Paris

for her skiIIs as a brotheI madam.

Customers wiII buy tokens which you hand to her.

Once I have taken my commission I wiII pay you in cash.

I wiII fix the rent and the charges.

I can even empIoy your doctor for medicaI care, if you so wish.

What do you want in exchange?

To have an office here and for my men to be free to come and go.

I'm not going to Iie. I am no saint.

My affairs are not aII above board.

But with me you wiII have no more money worries.

Excuse me!

Madame!

Excuse me!

Stop!

You are going to have to come with us.

I gather you were thinking of Ieaving

and hoping to be discharged.

You know fuII weII that whores are forbidden

from wandering the streets before seven in the evening.

The peopIe of France have a right to know they are deaIing with a whore.

Hortense GaiIIac promised me yesterday that she wouId take her girIs in hand.

Somehow I doubt her abiIity to do so.

On the other hand, they Iisten to you.

They respect you.

If you heIp us, the Chief Superintendent wiII show you his gratitude.

Once order has been restored,

he may consider discharging you.

You are right.

I shaII Ieave you time to think about it.

I'm afraid we have no choice.

- You want to give in to Torcy? - Look what he did to her.

You promised to restore order.

What was I supposed to say? He was threatening to cIose us down.

We are no match for the poIice any more.

We may not be,

but Mosca is.

And he's got Iots of money.

- I've seen it. - Mosca?

He's a rogue.

So what if he's a rogue?

AII those bankers, spies and poIiticians

happiIy come here to get their rocks off

but when we need their heIp, they are nowhere to be seen.

If Mosca has money,

Iet him finance the deficit and take over the reins.

See?

We can negotiate the best conditions with him.

We?

Rose?

Do you remember what I did?

So that you couId fuIfiI your dreams of independence?

So those dreams have been dashed

and your soIution is some man?

He's not just "some man".

But as for you, never again.

We don't want to go backwards.

Who is it?

Do you know who I am?

Superintendent AngéIus, vice squad.

Young PauIine Bois' procurer.

And she is not the onIy girI you pimp on the streets around the opera.

What of it?

I'm taking over the Paradis.

Is that what aII this fuss is about?

Your boss wiII see proof that order is being restored:

medicaIs, up-to-date registers, a madam.

Your job is to temper his miIitant tendencies.

Your commission wiII depend on how gIowing the reports are.

The moraI order is to Torcy what the Virgin Mary is to Bernadette.

He won't Iet it go.

He's handsome!

- There you are! - Sorry.

Right. You position yourseIf there.

How Iong?

Too Iong.

You stay in position.

You see something, anything, a cop or someone who Iooks Iike a cop,

whatever it is, you whistIe twice, OK?

- Then you... - Hang on, I don't get it.

- How Iong? - StiII too Iong.

You need to act fast and siIentIy.

The staff sIeep upstairs in the servants' quarters.

You two find a hideout, OK?

Hang on. Next...

- How Iong? - Too Iong.

As soon as we've opened it, we scarper.

How Iong?