Reviews (26)

Beware of cheap imitations
"Diva" is one of my very favorite movies -- I distinguish that term from "film." It has a wonderful combination of a suspenseful plot (based on a detective novel by Delacorta,( who, I believe, has a Lolita complex illustrated by the young Vietnames girl), pop-art imagery, and a thoughtful theme (the increasing mechanization/depersonalization ) of modern classical music. A beautiful mixture of film noir, nouveau vague, and Hollywood thriller, with a self-deprecating sense of humor.

BEWARE OF THE OTHER DVD VERSION (with the gangster portrait on the box). IT HAS HORRIBLE SOUND WHICH IS FATAL FOR A MOVIE CONTAINING OPERATIC AND CLASSICAL MUSIC.

Run, Jules, Run!
I first saw this film in high school and was immediately impressed with it. I've rented it innumerable times and am glad it's finally made it to DVD. The premise is somewhat ridiculous, but if you see the film as an operetta in itself, then it makes sense. The plot interweaves three stories quite skillfully: the first thread involves the obsessive love that Jules, a delivery man, has for an opera singer (the Diva), and the lengths he will go to in order to possess her (or at least to capture her amazing voice). The second tale involves two cut-throat Japanese agents who will do anything to nab Jule's bootleg copy of the Diva singing (as she refuses to be recorded and thinks that music should be an emphemeral experience). And the final intrigue that provides the weft and woof for this movie is that of an underground sex slave ring and the Paris police department's attempts at apprehending the crime lord in charge of it.

All the characters in the movie were quite well-developed, except for that of the title character, the Diva, played by Wilhelmenia Fernandez. She is in real life an American opera singer, and as such I probably should not have expected so much from her as an actress. Nonetheless, her lackluster performance did not sabotage the great work by Frederic Andrei, who was superb as a naive, lovestruck Jules. Other notable performances were given by Richard Bohringer, the fabulously enigmatic Gorodish, the Zen-man with an answer for everything; and Thuy An Luu, his incorrigible, shoplifting girlfriend. I also loved the slapstick humor provided by the crime lord's two henchmen.

Diva is an all-around enjoyable film that capitalizes on the sense of sound in the same manner that "Like Water for Chocolate" culled from the sense of taste. You will hear a certain aria over and over again from this film, but the music that will actually stay with you is a haunting piano piece by Erik Satie (when Jules and Cynthia are in the park). I highly recommend this movie, especially if you liked "Run Lola Run."

As wonderful now as it was then
When I saw DIVA in the theaters, back in 1982, I knew I had witnessed something incredibly special. And for years it had kept a warm spot in my heart and mind. When I heard the DVD had been released, I was afraid of two things: 1) that the transfer would be a disaster and 2) the film would be terribly dated.

The not-so-good-news first: while superior to the earlier DVD release (which I had never seen, but heard about) the film suffers a little from some muddy sound, and at the worst times: during the operatic performances. Yet, the chase scenes have incredibly crisp sound. But I can't let that spoil the fact that the movie has held up incredibly well after 20+ years. While the fashions are of a by-gone era, everything else holds up perfectly. The plot, the direction, the performances are all as engaging as anything that's come out in recent years. Younger viewers may feel that this is a little old-fashioned, but I doubt it. This is a great film that has a little bit of everything: drama, love, comedy--and the strangest villains in cinema history! Give DIVA a chance.

A Thrilling Visual Poem
Diva is poetically visual as it displays a cinematically stunning experience, which renders one speechless with its sublime cinematography. The story begins with a postman, Jules, who is absorbed by opera as he tapes an opera singers performance. Unknowingly Jules has been observed by two peculiar men followings him in order to try retrieve the recording. In addition, a woman who is murdered has placed a tape recording in Jules's postman bag, which will add more problems for him. Diva is a superb cinematic experience that will visually intrigue as much French New Wave did during the 60s and 70s as it often produces new and interesting ways of displaying cinema.

cult film - no question about it
Diva is very intriguing with it's two parallel plots. The first time I saw this movie I was a bit confused and to this day I wouldn't know how to properly categorize it. It's a bit of a crime story, a bit of a romantic drama and has got lot's of great music.

But even if the movie had no plot and the acting was absolutely terrible (which it isn't), you could still just sit back and enjoy the music and the pictures (the lighthouse scene is absolutely gorgeous). Thuy An Luu is very tantalizing and a joy to watch, especially skating around Gorodish's warehouse / home.

Vladimir Cosma's piano sequences like the "promenade sentimentale" are masterpieces in their own right and I highly recommend the soundtrack.

I've seen this movie many times in the theatre. Owning this DVD is the next best thing to the real experience on the big screen and this was one of the first purchases I made after getting a DVD player. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jean-Jacques Beineix (Betty Blue) made a catchy debut as a director with this slick, defiantly superficial 1982 movie about a young mail carrier who illegally records a performance by an opera singer, then gets the tape mixed up with evidence that could incriminate gangsters. Wearing flashy commercialism like a badge, Beineix fills the screen with explosions of disposable pop kitsch. Yet he also tells a fairly compelling story in the process, a story that only seems to get more interesting the closer one gets to the end. An unusual experience, Diva should be seen also for the influence it had on the look and feel of movies and music videos in the '80s. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Stylish, hip thriller marred by poor transfer
This stylish, hip thriller of the early 80's is a cult classic. Featuring Wilhelmenia Wiggins-Fernandez, a real-life Diva. In the film she plays Cynthia Hawkins, an opera singer who refuses to record her music.

Frédéric Andréi (Jules) is a loner messenger boy, who makes a beautiful bootleg recording of one of her recitals. He also becomes the unknowing recipient of a tape containing evidence about the Paris underworld, setting off a chain of events where everyone's motives are misunderstood.

Sad to say, this good film is seriously marred by the worst sound transfer I have ever heard on a DVD. It is muddy and indistinct, much worse than most VHS tapes. Because the voice of Wilhelmenia Wiggins-Fernandez is central to the plot, the poor audio quality makes it hard to understand why anyone would make such a fuss about recording her.

The video transfer is not great, but passable, however the audio quality seriously dimishes the impact of a good film. If you listen to the compact disk soundtrack, you'll know what you're missing. This DVD looks like it was rushed to market with very little thought or care. The film deserves a better fate.

I'm one of the few who didn't like the film.
Sorry, but I agree with the fellow who says that this film
is overrated. To those who love it, "I'm happy for you." I saw it on TV - beautiful music, lush photography, but by the end of the film, I felt that I was wasting my time -- at the end, it reminded me of an ordinary TV thriller climax. Sorry - once was enough for me.

Looking for the film
Here it is, 2003, and I still remember this film that I saw in Washington, D.C., in the early 80s. I am still haunted by the opera piece that Ms. Fernandez sang over and over and which permeated the film, so I have lately been trying to get a copy of it and am disappointed to learn the DVD isn't up to standard. With this particular film it would be a shame since her singing was so stimulating. If anyone recalls the song, please email me at annieo@cstone.net! I recommend the film highly, by the way.

Divalicious
Gorodish and Alba play gods in Jean-Jacques Beineix's Diva. Gorgeous photography, especially the way that Wilhelmenia Fernandez is illuminated and shot against contrasting backgrounds. Envision American Beauty's Mina Suvari shot against the velvet richness of rose petals and Annie Leibovitz's portrait of Whoopi Goldberg submerged in a milk bath. This film is almost flawless, excepting the Parisian, Marilyn Monroesque panty shot just for the sake of a panty shot and the miscasting of the female detective.

Don't waste your money!
Unfortunately I didn't read the reviews below before I bought this DVD. It's a travesty of the DVD medium. Perhaps Fox Lorber took the story of the movie too seriously: they've produced a disk with the picture and sound quality of a bootlegged copy. Don't waste your money on it. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Good news: NTSC DVD available. Bad news: It's censored.
An NTSC version of the director's cut of Betty Blue is available. Apparently the DVD is a South Korean release. Others have reviewed the film itself, and my five-star rating is based on the film. It's excellent.

The DVD is censored. "Below the waist" shots of unclothed people have an annoying spot over them. Not that I wish to see the actors' naughty bits, but the spots are very distracting and I think detract from the quality of the film. And the censorship is just silly. This is a film intended for adult audiences, and I believe adults can handle seeing such things as exist below the waist.

Prevously, I've wondered why certain things happen, and why other things that should happen don't. The director's cut clears these questions up by including the scenes that explain others. Some of these, while helpful to the story, are a bit dull and slow the pace too much; others don't. Of course, I'd rather see what the director intended than what the Studio demands.

I wish for a U.S. release of Betty Blue on DVD, uncensored and director's cut. You can bet that [website] will have my order as soon as it's available.

The sexiest most tragic love story ever!!
Betty Blue is by far one of the best movies I have ever seen..I've made 5 of my friends watch it and at first they bemoan the subtitles but within 2 minutes they are all but forgotten. I'm not a softy but it's impossible to get through this movie dry eyed. Great soundtrack to. A ten+++++! some pretty racy sex scenes are included as well.

psychiatry class
This film is about a woman with borderline personality disorder and his boyfriend Zorg

3 HOUR BETTY BLUE ON DVD IN UK, WHY NOT USA?
This amazing and compelling story about two crazy kids (well, one might be a little crazier than the other) is availaible in a three hour director's cut on DVD in England. Some enterprising distributor should make it available here in the colonies as well. It is an unforgettable film about the pathology of obsessive love and creativity. You will long remember Zorg and Betty. I'm surprised someone hasn't turned it into a musical. It's very Sondheim.

Anglade's best
I think it is one of the best works by Anglade , it is a TRUE love story of TRUE human beings , average people , not gods or godesses. ... Read more