VIDOCQ: A Visually Stunning Historical Crime Thriller

In terms of its visual layer, Vidocq is one of the most interestingly executed films I have seen so far. Its director, Pitof, a specialist in special effects, decided to use an extravagant visualization technique not to create an imaginary world, but to depict the very real 19th-century Paris. The result was excellent.

Paris, 1830. In the fight against a mysterious villain, one of the most famous former Parisian policemen – Vidocq – dies. In the detective agency led by Vidocq and his associate, a journalist appears, intending to write the story of his extraordinarily colorful life. The climax of the biography will be the revelation of the identity of the murderer of the ex-policeman. In the office, he meets Vidocq’s partner – Nimier. He tells him the beginning of the story that led to the tragic ending in a glassworks. It all started with the sudden death of two highly prominent gun manufacturers, who were burned alive… struck by lightning.

Vidocq is a kind of film experiment, combining the latest digital techniques for special effects with a very interesting composition of scenes, colors, framing, and clear inspirations… from painting. One might say that it is an overindulgence in form over content, but it is not. This film is an outstanding example of the trend started in the 90s by Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, in which technology plays a huge role. However, while in many “made in the USA” films, the primacy of technology over the content of the message overwhelms the entire film, the French Vidocq shows that it is possible to create something seemingly artificial (mostly computer-generated) without disturbing the harmony of perception.

What’s more, the technological acrobatics in Pitof’s film have almost been elevated to the level of art, becoming an inseparable element of the greater whole. Of course, the technical proficiency of the film is not enough to determine its quality, but when watching the polished, detail-filled frames, bursting with colors by Jean-Pierre Sauvaire, one gets the impression that they form one, finished whole, which would defend itself even without the filler of words and people. Why? While watching this film, I had an irresistible feeling that in the beautifully realized shots, I notice inspirations that go far deeper than just the naturally imposed associations with the poetics of music videos or advertisements (although these too have recently become “small” works of art).

What can be seen in Jean-Pierre Sauvaire’s shots is The Last Judgment by Hans Memling, and also, perhaps more importantly, Hieronymus Bosch and his apocalyptic visions of the world on the other side of life. As an example, I will mention the perfectly realized scene of Vidocq’s appearance in the “lion’s den” – the hideout of the film’s villain. The shots presented in this scene could serve as a model for a Bosch painting. They are as frightening and captivating as his works. The mentioned scene transports us into the heart of the painting, making us almost feel the blood dripping on our skin and the air filled with the scent of fear of the women sentenced to cruel death.

Throughout the film, where the operator boldly manipulates light and shadow, the atmosphere of darkness lurking in every place not touched by the light of a lamp accompanies the viewer. This effect is further intensified by filming the characters’ faces in close-ups, sometimes exaggerating them, which gives the impression of a bad dream. One must also not forget the already mentioned panoramas of 19th-century Paris, which create an absolutely realistic impression. The set design is a very strong point of the film, as are the depictions of the characters, especially the Alchemist – the villain. The graphic depictions of the characters were created by the well-known former collaborator of Jean-Pierre Jeunet – Marc Caro, whose achievements we can admire in Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children.

The visual side of the film is extremely important for the reception; after all, it is often repeated to young filmmakers to show what can be shown, leaving the rest to words. It seems that Pitof adhered to this rule very conscientiously, leaving little to explain. Unfortunately, the plot suffered because of this. After the screening, the viewer gets the impression that the screenwriter lacked a little concept to make the story more sophisticated, leaving an unpleasant feeling that this, after all, the most crucial element determining tension, remains slightly behind the visual side of the film. The script’s pitfalls, fortunately, are relatively few in the film. Vidocq has a great start to the action. The mystery that appears promises a lot, but unfortunately, in the end, it leaves the viewer somewhat unsatisfied. One could say that combining the screenwriting talent of David Mamet or M. Night Shyamalan with the direction of Pitof and Sauvaire could create a truly explosive mix and create an epoch-making work.

One cannot fail to mention the actors playing the main roles. Gérard Depardieu has little to play, as despite being at the top of the cast list, we see him on screen for a relatively short time. Guillaume Canet, present on screen the longest, plays his role of the journalist well enough not to negatively affect the reception of the film, but does not impress. It seems that the best performances in Vidocq are the supporting or even episodic roles, which give the whole film a slightly surreal aftertaste. I am primarily referring to the stunningly beautiful Inès Sastre (Preah) and Moussa Maaskri (Nimier).

Pitof has created a film that may not be a masterpiece, but visually and artistically is certainly groundbreaking. Once again, the French have shown that they can create cinema that, even in terms of technology, does not fall behind the best achievements of American cinema, and perhaps even surpasses them.