Film Review
Subway was the film that brought international fame and notoriety to French film
director Luc Besson, although he had directed one feature before this, the
post-apocalyptic fantasy
Le Dernier combat (1983).
In common with Jean-Jacques Beineix's
Diva (1981)
and Leos Carax's
Mauvais sang (1986),
Subway brought a startling modernity to the French thriller in the 1980s, taking
the iconography of the classic policier and giving it a massively stylish makeover.
Whilst these films were well-received in their day, they now come across
as a tad shallow, with very little real substance beneath the surface gloss.
Yet even though they are somewhat lacking in plot and character depth,
this 'cinéma du look' (to use the term ventured by the critic Raphaël Bassan)
is incredibly seductive. Besson's film is particularly striking as it
somehow captures the raw essence of classic film noir and intensifies it, making
Subway a novel viewing experience that is both liberating and gruelling.
This is a highly pertinent film, dealing with topical themes of exclusion and rebellion.
It is about identity, the need that we all feel to rip ourselves free from
the chains of conformity so that we may seek out our own path to
fulfilment. This is most apparent in the stories of the main
characters Fred and Helena (stylishly played by Christopher Lambert and Isabelle Adjani),
but it can also be seen in the increasingly desperate behaviour
of the police chiefs who are hunting Fred. For all its showy exesses
and lack of narrative cohesion,
Subway is a well-conceived film that
deals imaginatively with universal themes.
As happened with many of Luc Besson's subsequent films,
Subway was
decried by the critics but proved to be hugely popular at the box office.
In the decade that ensued, the director appears to become increasingly influenced
by contemporary American cinema, so that whilst his later films
Nikita (1990) and
Léon (1994)
are every bit as visually striking as
Subway, they lack its poetry and purity.
© James Travers 2000
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Luc Besson film:
Le Grand bleu (1988)
Film Synopsis
Helena, the beautiful young wife of a wealthy businessman, invites a stranger Fred to
her party. Fred repays her by stealing compromising documents from her husband's
safe, with the aim of blackmailing the couple. Pursued by police and the henchmen
of Helena's ruthless husband, Fred goes on the run, taking refuge in the Paris metro.
Here, he meets other social misfits, including a roller-blader the police have been hunting
for several months. Whilst Helena realises that she has fallen in love with Fred
and makes every attempt to contact him, Fred occupies himself with forming a band by recruiting
buskers. Meanwhile, the police and Helena's husband are getting closer to their
target...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.