L'Argent

(, meaning "money") is a 1983 French tragedy film written and directed by Robert Bresson. The film is loosely inspired by the first part of Leo Tolstoy's posthumously published 1911 novella The Forged Coupon. It was Bresson's last film and won the Director's Prize at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival. Plot A young man, Norbert, enters his father's study to claim his monthly allowance. His father obliges, but Norbert presses for more, citing a debt he owes a schoolmate. The father dismisses him, and an appeal to his mother fails. Norbert tries to pawn his watch to a friend, who instead gives him a forged 500-franc note. The boys take the counterfeit to a photo shop and use it to purchase a picture frame. When the store's co-manager finds out, he scolds his partner for her gullibility. She chides him in return for having accepted two forged notes the previous week. He then decides to pass off all three forged notes at the next opportunity. He uses them to pay Yvon for delivering heating oil. Yvon tries to pay his restaurant tab with the forged notes, but the waiter recognizes them as counterfeit. Yvon is arrested, and the photo shop people lie at his court trial. Yvon avoids jail time, but he loses his job.