Subway [Blu-ray]

I didn't know what to expect when I watched this excellent Columbia TriStar - Gaumont DVD transfer of "Subway", although I knew the movie had been nominated for thirteen Cesar Awards (winning three.) Mon Dieu! - I was bowled over by the manic energy in its directing, cinematography and editing, the deadpan humor from the wonderful actors portraying numerous eccentric characters and its superb, scintillating soundtrack (how about Rickie Lee Jones singing "A Lucky Guy" during one scene?!) In fact, this genre-bending movie (with a nod to Godard) is mostly about the music (especially in one thread of its various plot lines); before the film starts, the following quotes appear on the screen: 'To be is to do' - Socrates, 'To do is to be' - Sartre, 'Do be do be do' - Sinatra. If you love that, you'll love this film!

I purchased Subway because I've become a big Luc Besson fan after watching several of his films: ie.Fifth Element,The Professional, Wasabi,etc.,: all very good films. In addition to the connection to Luc Besson there were a number of favorable reviews posted to this site. After having watched Subway I can't imagine someone giving it a favorable review; and I watched the supposedly "best version" of the film. There was no aspect of the film that made it worth spending time watching it. Til you've seen the movie, you're simply choosing which reviews to believe. I'm telling you, if you purchase this you'll regret spending time and money on it. If there were a rating lower than one star, I would have selected that.

Great French movie directed by Luc Besson with outstanding French actress Isabelle Adjani and Christopher Lambert.

Very intense! Good movie!! 👍🏼

Perfect

I looked into the film Subway (1985) because I was interested in other work done by Luc Besson, director of such films like La Femme Nikita (1990) and Léon: The Professional (1994). Now I realized from the outset this film was going to be more of an avant-garde affair based on the reviews (many tout style over substance), but what I didn't realize was just how boring and pointless it was going to be...the film stars Christopher Lambert (Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, Highlander), whose in the process of making yet another Highlander film titled Highlander: The Source (2005)...talk about milking something for all its worth...along with Isabelle Adjani (The Tenant, Ishtar). Also appearing is Richard Bohringer (The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover), Michel Galabru (La Cage aux folles), Jean-Hugues Anglade (Taking Lives), and Jean Reno (Mission: Impossible, Ronin). The film begins with a pretty exciting car chase as a character we later come to know as Fred (Lambert), decked out in white, spikey hair and a tuxedo, speeds away from a group of men intent on getting his attention by playing a high-speed game of bumper tag. The chase ends near a subway, to which Fred utilizes to escape from his pursuers, making his way into the dark labyrinth of steel and concrete. Apparently Fred (described as a `hipster' thief on the DVD case) had been attending a party, one host by a millionaire and his beautiful wife named Helena (Adjani), stole some important documents, and is now holding them for ransom. Problem is, Fred finds himself falling for Helena, which only serves to complicate matters. These scenes are mixed in with various scenes of all the different and interesting folk Fred meets underneath the subway (sadly, there are no mole men), many of which have absolutely nothing to do with the story whatsoever but help fill out an hour and forty minute running time. So what does Fred intend to do with this money once he gets it? How about starting a band with the various underground (literally) musicians he's since met while hiding out from the cops and hired thugs? First of all, one should be wary as there are numerous DVD releases of this film, some much worse than others, and Amazon has mixed the reviews for these various releases together in a cross-linkage nightmare (good job guys). The one I watched, and am now reviewing is the Columbia/Tristar Studios DVD (ASIN: B00005OSJO) release with Lambert holding a neon light and features blue graphics on the cover (it also appears to be the more expensive version). The version to avoid is the one with the two shot of Adjani and Lambert where it appears Lambert is sliding his hand into Adjani's shirt. Getting back to the film itself...as I mentioned before, many reviewers have commented on element of style over substance with regards to this film, but I felt it had little of either, which brings up another question...are all French directors required to produce one ` New Wave' film during their career? I've got nothing against New Wave cinema as I enjoy films like Alphaville (1965) and Repo Man (1984), but the aspects consistent with that style of film didn't really come through here for me. That's not to say they wouldn't for someone else, though, as it comes down to ones own interpretation...the movie just seemed plodding and pointless with little symbolistic and/or abstract conceptual present, two of the elements supposedly prevalent over the more traditional aspects like plot, defined characters, narrative i.e. an actual story. Also, what little there appears to be of the former seems to be what it is only on a very superficial level...I know there's no formula for determining this kind of thing, but if you're going to go this route, then jump in with both feet and give the audience something to chew on...that' just my opinion...really well done avant-garde works one different levels in that, on the surface it can entertain, while also maintaining a depth for those whose wish to explore further and develop their own ideas with regards to underlying themes and their significance. I will say even though there was a prevalent sense of boredom throughout for me, the film did look good as Besson, if nothing else, knows how to set up a shot. Another positive aspect about the film is the music, much of it composed by Eric Serra, who actually appears in the film as Enrico, the bassist. Serra has since gone on to score any number of films including La Femme Nikita (1990), GoldenEye (1995), and Rollerball (2002). I did think the idea of people living and existing beneath the subway an interesting idea, but not completely original as I've seen it before in the 1972 film Death Line aka Raw Meat, although that was a story about cannibals living beneath the London subway, surviving off the occasional passenger snatched from the platform. One thing I did learn from this film is the subways in Paris are reasonably clean and remarkably free of vermin like rats and roaches, something generally prevalent in the belly of metropolitan mass-transit beasts. The widescreen anamorphic (2.35:1) picture on this DVD look decent, but isn't without some very minor flaws, ones most viewers will be able to live with in slight age defects. The Dolby 2.0 audio comes through cleanly enough. It's odd as the DVD seems to be set to play the English dub along with the English subtitles, but this can be changed. I would recommend the original French track with English subtitles (the English dubbing is pretty lousy). There are a couple of extras in the way of filmographies for some of the cast and crew, along with trailers for Léon: The Professional (1994), The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), and The Big Blue (1988). No trailer for this film, though... Cookieman108

I LOVED IT. I LOVE ALL OF LUC BESSON'S FILMS. THIS ONE IS QUIRKY AND FUN. I WOULD RECOMMEND IT. CHRISTOPHE LAMBERT'S IS PERFECT FOR HIS ROLE, THEY ALL ARE.

This is probably Besson most popular film and it is hard to understand how the US market got stock with such a poor DVD. No French language sound track available, no subtitle of any kind, the aspect ratio is that of a regular TV format with no wide screen option and the quality of the transfer is so poor that you are much better off taping it on cable. A looser. Marc

Film culte avec ses défauts et ses qualités, il y a une touche Besson, un univers bien particulier, une énergie, incontournable.

After a typically wild and funny car chase from French master Luc Besson, the protagonist heads underground into the Paris Metro, never to emerge for the duration of the picture. And, after being chased by thugs, he then heads behind-the-scenes, as it were, to the non-public areas of the vast system where he meets the denizens of a complex subterranean culture. This is the premise of Besson's wonderful early film, Subway. Mr. Besson sets the stage in this one for his action series, Taxi, complete with loveable characters, villains, fast edits, fast action, great actors working in ensemble. First among these is Christophe Lambert, fresh off his success as Tarzan so he is suitably athletic, young and achingly handsome in a blonde punk haircut. His character, Fred, has fallen for Isabelle Adjani as Elena -- and who can blame him? Her slow entrance, down a staircase in the subway in a glorious cocktail dress of gray silk, is full of portent for the fun to come. Elena had invited Fred to her house for a party, where he promptly blew the safe (because he 'can't stand safes'), stole papers, and he is now pursued by her not-so-nice husband and his henchmen. Other inhabitants of the underground world include Jean-Hugues Anglade as a thief on skates, Jean Reno as a drummer in the band Fred wants to manage, and a host of recognizeable French character actors obviously delighted to work with Besson. Mr. Lambert's French is perfect, though born American, because he was raised in Switzerland by his diplomat father. He was a French star before the Highlander film made him an American megastar. It is wonderful to see such actors in their youth, looking so beautiful, and having such a good time. This is a hallmark of a Besson film and the fun is infectious.

Correcta edición de este clásico moderno del cine galo. Respeta su formato original scope, contiene audios remasterizados, subtítulos sincronizados y algún extra (trailers originales de los títulos editados de Luc Besson). Una buena oportunidad para redescubrir esta suerte de "A bout de souffle" en clave ciberpunk, un deleite para los sentidos (sobre todo por la música de Eric Serra).

面白い映画です。 根底にあるのは、権力や富裕層に対する反骨精神と自由を求める若さ。でしょうか？ でも何故か泣ける…。不思議な映画ですよね。自分で自分が何故泣くのかわかりません。 とても良い映画なのに、何故あまり話題にならなかったのか？不思議です。 イザベルアジャーニ。本当に綺麗な女優さんでした。 個人レベルの評価、好みの問題ですが。世界で一番美しいと思っていました。 クリストファーランバートもチョット人気が出たりしましたし、 監督はもう語る必要ない。脇を固めるメンバーも豪華。 この時期、この時代だから揃ったメンバーなんでしょうし、 彼らに共通する業界での当時の立ち位置や周囲からの軋轢に対する 意思表明と見るのはそれ程穿った見方では無いと思うんですが？ どうでしょう？ 劇中の挿入歌のシーン。拾ってきたボーカリストの身なり、外観を見て 日頃白眼しされてきたはずの、バンドメンバーが「あ〜あ」⤵︎って 表情をする…。 それが歌い出すと…。 曲の哀感。ボーカルの声質。グッときます。 忘れられてほしく無い映画なんです。どーですか？

Très bon film à l'atmosphère très particulière... Revu avec nostalgie bien des années après mon premier visionnage. ! Bon jeu d'acteurs, musique géniale....