Director: Jean-Jacques Beineix
Studio: Studio Canal/Lionsgate
Video: 1.66:1 anamorphic/enhanced/remastered for 16:9 color
Audio: French & English Dolby mono
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Extras: Scene-specific director’s commentary, Interview with director, Interview with Dir. of Photography Philippe Rousselot, Interview with Set Designer Hilton McConnico, Interviews with cast and crew, Intro to Interviews by Phil Powrie, author of book on Beineix
Length: 117 minutes
Rating: *****
This classic French thriller is one of the first releases in a new Lionsgate series called The Meridian Collection, devoted to new editions of significant and creative works of world cinema. That certainly applies to Diva, which is a very stylish and distinctive mix of new approaches to music, design, color and cinematography – all done on a small budget, but you would never know it. Diva won France’s Cesar Awards for Best Music, Best Cinematography and Best Directorial Debut. The main theme music on piano by Vladimir Cosma is a compelling minimalist melody, and the Diva performs among other operatic selections a lovely aria from the opera Le Wally by Catalani. Audiophiles will enjoy the appearances of a Nagra and other open reel tape decks plus Nakamichi and other audio gear, and car enthusiasts will find much to their liking, including not one but two identical white pre-1956 Citroens in action.
Jules, a young moped-equipped postal carrier, is a thorough fan of a reclusive black opera soprano, and illegally tapes her concerts from the front row using a Nagra (though exactly how he does that is not shown). He tries to woo her, but runs into serious trouble both with those tapes – sought by Taiwanese bootleggers – and a cassette which is unknowingly slipped into his bag. The latter tape is wanted even more by the police chief it incriminates in a scandal involving crime, prostitutes and cocaine. Jules is befriended by an older artist friend and his young Vietnamese girlfriend who roller skates around his big loft. Various chases and violence follow, as expected. One chase thru the Paris Metro is quite spectacular. The extra features are worth viewing, and it’s pleasing that they are kept short and sweet, but cover aspects of the film from many different vantage points. Both they and Diva itself will fascinate any film buff interested in the innovative approaches used in this feature.
– John Sunier
