The Crime of Monsieur Lange

The Crime of Monsieur Lange is a 1936 French drama film directed by Jean Renoir about a publishing cooperative. In it, René Lefèvre plays Amédée "Monsieur Lange", a mild-mannered novelist whose stories parallel the real-life experiences of his colleagues as they form a cooperative after their exploitative boss disappears and later returns to reclaim profits. Meanwhile, Lange falls in love with Valentine (Florelle), an old flame of the boss's. The film follows Lange's decision to shoot and kill the superior to protect the cooperative, leading to a thrilling escape across the border with Valentine's help from sympathetic strangers.