Manchester University Press
1 Three French neo-baroque directors
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Raphaël Bassan
Abstract
In terms of film production, the 1980s has become characterised by a so-called cinema du look and, more specifically, associated with the work of three young filmmakers: Jean-Jacques Beineix, Luc Besson and Leos Carax. Unlike Besson and Carax whose work is neo-baroque from their second film, Beineix began to work in this vein from his first film, Diva, which can be seen as the founding film of the genre. For some critics, Diva, Subway or Mauvais sang have no more cultural value than would an advertisement for pantyhose or a popular TV show. It could be argued that Jules in Diva is a distant alter ego of the director, and that Mayol in Le Grand bleu has more than a few points in common with Besson; but these characters are too fictionalised to be truly autobiographical.
Abstract
In terms of film production, the 1980s has become characterised by a so-called cinema du look and, more specifically, associated with the work of three young filmmakers: Jean-Jacques Beineix, Luc Besson and Leos Carax. Unlike Besson and Carax whose work is neo-baroque from their second film, Beineix began to work in this vein from his first film, Diva, which can be seen as the founding film of the genre. For some critics, Diva, Subway or Mauvais sang have no more cultural value than would an advertisement for pantyhose or a popular TV show. It could be argued that Jules in Diva is a distant alter ego of the director, and that Mayol in Le Grand bleu has more than a few points in common with Besson; but these characters are too fictionalised to be truly autobiographical.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of tables and figures vii
- List of contributors viii
- Preface x
- Introduction 1
- 1 Three French neo-baroque directors 11
- 2 Du côté d’Europa, via Asia 23
- 3 Musical narration in the films of Luc Besson 43
- 4 Hearing Besson 57
- 5 Of suits and men in the films of Luc Besson 75
- 6 From rags to riches 91
- 7 The sinking of the self 109
- 8 Imprisoned freedoms 121
- 9 Nikita 135
- 10 Léon and the cloacal labyrinth 147
- 11 Jeanne d’Arc 161
- 12 An unpublished interview with Luc Besson 175
- Filmography 179
- Select bibliography 189
- Index of proper names and film titles 193
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of tables and figures vii
- List of contributors viii
- Preface x
- Introduction 1
- 1 Three French neo-baroque directors 11
- 2 Du côté d’Europa, via Asia 23
- 3 Musical narration in the films of Luc Besson 43
- 4 Hearing Besson 57
- 5 Of suits and men in the films of Luc Besson 75
- 6 From rags to riches 91
- 7 The sinking of the self 109
- 8 Imprisoned freedoms 121
- 9 Nikita 135
- 10 Léon and the cloacal labyrinth 147
- 11 Jeanne d’Arc 161
- 12 An unpublished interview with Luc Besson 175
- Filmography 179
- Select bibliography 189
- Index of proper names and film titles 193
