Vidocq proves technical revolution in French cinema

‘Vidocq’, a 2001 French movie directed by Pitof, that pits the historical figure Eugène François Vidocq against a supernatural soul-stealing monster called ‘The Alchemist’ will be screened at Alliance Francaise, Colombo at 3.00 pm on Tuesday, April 22 and 6.30 pm on Wednesday April 23.

The film revolving around a murder investigation leads the famous sleuth Vidocq played by Gérard Depardieu on the trail of a folk figure who is wreaking havoc on the political core of 1830s Paris. In 19th century Paris, the famed detective Vidocq disappears while pursuing a murderer called the Alchemist.

Etienne Boisset, a young biographer of ‘Vidocq’, follows in his footsteps and progressively uncovers Vidocq's investigations. He learns how Vidocq was called in to investigate a series of assassinations by lightning, and that the Alchemist is a wizard of sorts that wears a mirrored mask and kills virgins to maintain eternal youth.

Even the sex of the Alchemist is a mystery, because it sometimes utters mocking feminine sighs during combat with Vidocq. Etienne probes deeper into Vidocq's investigations and eventually comes to learn that the Alchemist uses virgin blood to make more magical mirrors that consume human souls.

At last, Etienne comes to the end of his trail and discovers Vidocq alive and in hiding. Etienne dons a mirrored mask and reveals himself to be the Alchemist. Vidocq has known all along, however, and is ready to fight his nemesis.

During their final confrontation, Vidocq kills the Alchemist, but at the end of the movie it is suggested that the Alchemist still lives.

The film wrote a new page of film history in the technical category as it is the first picture using a high definition digital camera (from Sony and Panavision)-the same model George Lucas used for Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones. Pitof, a former film editor, became a special effects supervisor on several French blockbusters such as The City of Lost Children, Alien: Resurrection and Luc Besson's The Messenger.