Summary
In an incisive examination of societal pretense and marital subterfuge, Bill, initially presented as a downtrodden, perpetually burdened book-keeper within a sprawling department store, unexpectedly finds his fortunes shifted. A promotion elevates him to the managerial post of the lingerie department, a role that, while offering financial solace, becomes the catalyst for a labyrinthine domestic charade. Confronted by a wife whose possessive jealousy precludes any candid disclosure of his new, potentially 'compromising' professional environment, Bill fabricates an elaborate cover story: he is now a rugged worker toiling in the oil fields. This elaborate deception necessitates a daily ritual of sartorial metamorphosis, transforming him from a blue-collar laborer's guise at his home to the urbane attire befitting a department manager, all facilitated by the clandestine sanctuary of a friend's residence. The film thus unfolds as a poignant, often farcical, exploration of identity, the performative aspects of social roles, and the intricate, often perilous, tightrope walk required to maintain a fragile domestic peace amidst manufactured realities.
Synopsis
At the opening Bill appears as a poor, overworked department store book-keeper. He is promoted to the position of manager of the lingerie department, but because his wife is jealous, he explains his comparative affluence by saying he has become a worker in the oil field. Each day he leaves home in the garb of a worker, changing at the home of a friend to clothes that are fitting to his position in the store.
Cast
