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Paris in the 1830s. Four friends
share a drafty Parisian garret. Though leading a life of
privation, they are buoyed by good spirits: the writer Rodolfo,
the painter Marcello, the musician Schaunard and the philosopher
Colline. It is Christmas Eve, and they decide to celebrate in
their favorite pub, the Café Momus. Rodolfo stays behind to
finish an article. There is a knock at the door; their neighbor
Mimě, whose candle has gone out, asks for fire. Rodolfo is
fascinated by her. It is love at first sight!
The new lovers catch
up with Rodolfo’s friends at the Café Momus, where Marcello‘s
former mistress Musetta turns the evening into a spirited event.
The light-hearted mood of Rodolfo’s and Mimě’s first days
together does not last, however, for Mimě develops a fatal
illness. Though they agree to stay together, Mimě leaves her
lover. Only when she is desperately ill and dying does she
return to the garret where she once was so happy – and to
Rodolfo, the man she still loves with all her heart... |
