Boulevard

Boulevard is a French film directed by Julien Duvivier, released in 1960, and set in the Quartier Pigalle. It focuses on Georges 'Jojo' Castagnier (Jean-Pierre Léaud), an adolescent who lives in a poor room under the roof of a block of apartments in the Pigalle section of Paris. He ran away from home when he realized that his step-mother hated him from day-one. Among Jojo's many neighbors is the gorgeous Jenny Dorr (Magali Noël), a nightclub dancer, whose lover he dreams of being. But, to Jojo's disappointment, Jenny becomes the lover of Dicky (Pierre Mondy), a former boxer, who spends his time loafing about the Pigalle cafés. Jojo lacks for steady work, but manages to meet his financial obligations with a series of odd jobs. He tries selling magazines, which is a success for a while, though posing as Narcissus for two gay artists proves to be something of a disaster. Eventually, he woos Marietta (Monique Brienne), one of his other neighbors and a girl more suited to his age. But when things go really awry, Jojo becomes desperate and tries to commit suicide by jumping off the roof of his building.