Work · Jean-Paul Sartre
The Chips Are Down
Two dead people learn they should have met and receive a chance to relive their love, immediately challenged by earthly commitments.
Understanding the text
Published as a book in 1947 for Jean Delannoy's film, the screenplay should be distinguished from the decisions made in its cinematic realization.
Key points
- 01
Destiny
A promised predestined couple encounters concrete situations.
- 02
Return
Coming back cannot erase previous relationships and obligations.
- 03
Cinema
Passage between dead and living organizes action's problem visually.
How to read it
Distinguish screenplay and finished film; the plot is not a simple statement of existentialist doctrine.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗