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A jazz singer and a British jewel thief are brought together by their mutual desire to forget the past.

The film is based on the musical recording of the famous opera by Modest Mussorgsky about the tragic events surrounding the ruling of the Russian tsar Boris in the early 17th century. The recording was actually made two years before the filming with the participation of the Washington Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich) and several opera stars (the part of Marina is sung by Galina Vishnevskaya). Zulawski made the film just as we would be watching the theatrical performance. Then we are going through the sets and, finally, we notice the film crew. The director deliberately filled the picture with a plenty of anachronisms making the implications on the Soviet history and the other dictatorships of the 20th century.

Tonton (aged 59, with a weak heart), drives his taxi by day. By night, his nephew Jules takes the wheel. They adore each other. This evening, however, Tonton is celebrating his sixtieth birthday in the bar on the corner; for the first time ever, Jules misses the celebration. Tonton doesn't hold it against him though, since Jules -30 and still a virgin- has at last fallen for a woman. The night before she fell asleep in his cab. Not wanting to wake her, the young man left the meter running and dropped off in turn. By dawn, the beautiful passenger had fled without leaving an address...and without paying the bill.