Mado (1976)

Simon Léotard, a wealthy property developer, lives with his elderly father and has never wanted to marry Hélène, whom he sees from time to time. He is involved with Mado, a young woman who occasionally turns to prostitution because of financial hardship. Simon asks her whether she knows an accountant among her friends, and Pierre enters the picture. The suicide of Simon’s business partner, Julien, and the discovery of his embezzlement come to light. Simon cannot bring himself to bury his ruined friend without taking action, even though his partner had run up enormous debts with Lépidon, a shady businessman. Lépidon proposes a deal to Simon, who refuses. Through Mado, Simon obtains incriminating documents from a certain Manecca, another swindler and Lépidon’s former partner, to whom Mado is deeply attached. With these documents proving fraud, Simon corners one of his nominees, Barachet, a formerly corrupt civil servant. Forced by Simon, Barachet signs over a plot of building land for its purchase price—the “agricultural” price—which enables Simon to avoid ruin. Manecca is then eliminated by Lépidon’s men.