Georges, known as Jojo, is a teenager living in a poor attic room in a building in the Pigalle district of Paris after running away from home. Among his neighbors are a nightclub dancer he is fond of, a former boxer who spends his days in the local cafés, and a gay painter who takes an interest in him. Jojo moves from one odd job to another while trying to find his place in this working-class neighborhood.

How it was made

Boulevard was directed by Julien Duvivier from a screenplay by René Barjavel, with music by Jean Yatove. Jean-Pierre Léaud, then fifteen, played his second leading role. Filming took place at Boulogne Studios and at several locations across Paris, and according to sources the director had to keep a close eye on the young actor to keep him out of trouble.

Reception and legacy

The critic John Grant describes the film as a borderline noir in a traditional style, which stood apart from the Nouvelle Vague at its peak and came as a relief to ordinary moviegoers. The newspaper Le Devoir was very critical overall, though it praised Roger Dormy's photography of Paris. Ben McCann places the film within Duvivier's work for its ambiguous ending, in which violence is framed as a gesture of male reconciliation.