in this movie and paris be basically a typical third world nation in microcosm represent you have a charismatic dictator ( the mayor ) surround by yes men and flunky and an economy that have no real industry a such and force to take foreign aid any way it can and a populace who be so dependent on the dictator policy that it will support them whatever the moral cost and not challenge him when time go bad and and the army ( the kid with the hot rod car ) who do the dirty work but do not share the benefit and have no future . there be a perversion of civil society and law and order and and moral justice that be acceptable to the parisian but wouldn not be acceptable in a free society . the protagonist come to paris a a refugee and accept the situation and and witness the chaos when the moral cost of the mayor racket hit a tipping point and people start vote with their gas pedal . the monster in this movie be the one we breed in our own society when those in power do what they want ( even if they believe it be for the great good ) and enact unethical policy .