L’Exercice du Pouvoir (Exercising Power)

At the turn of the century, one woman, Rachel Sartene (Michèle Moretti), refuses the role assigned to her. She doesn’t want to be a stake, an object of desire or an element of social success: she wants to play, to desire, to succeed. A quick decision opens the door to marriage with a member of parliament, Alexandre Bast (Michel Aumont). Here she is admitted to a select circle of men who mix private and political life while presiding over the destinies of France. Of course, she keeps the best for herself: Georges Argand (Raymond Gérome), President of the French Council. With her husband, now Postmaster General, and her lover at the pinnacle of power, Rachel is now fulfilled. But the Postmaster General soon realizes that a portfolio doesn’t take away the pain of being ridiculed. For all concerned, the game becomes difficult and dangerous. Scenes of love – or ménage – end up resembling political strategy, while politics seem to become, by turns, a comedy of manners.