Subway (1985)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Luc Besson

Writers:

Luc Besson (dialogue)
Luc Besson (scenario)
(more)

Release Date:

6 November 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

An underground story where lives intertwine

Plot:

Fred is living in the Paris Metro system. He is blackmailing Helena, whose safe he has robbed. Fred...

Plot Keywords:

Paris | Blackmail | Train | Police | Subway

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Isabelle Adjani	...	Héléna
Christopher Lambert	...	Fred (as Christophe Lambert)
Richard Bohringer	...	The Florist
Michel Galabru	...	Inspector Gesberg
Jean-Hugues Anglade	...	The Roller Skater
Jean Bouise	...	The Station Master
Jean-Pierre Bacri	...	Inspector Batman
Jean-Claude Lecas	...	Robin
Pierre-Ange Le Pogam	...	Jean
Jean Reno	...	The Drummer
Eric Serra	...	The Bassist
Arthur Simms	...	The Singer
Michel D'Oz	...	The Guitarist
Alain Guillard	...	The Saxophonist
Jimmy Blanche	...	The Percussionist
Benoît Régent	...	The Salesman
Christian Gomba	...	Big Bill
Constantin Alexandrov	...	Héléna's Husband
Isabelle Sadoyan	...	La préfète
Bernard Pollak	...	The Commissioner
Brigitte Chamarande	...	The Commissioner's Daughter
Jacky	...	The Commissioner's Guest
Arnold Walter	...	The Commissioner's Guest
Martine Rapin	...	The Commissioner's Guest
Catherine Luton	...	The Girl with Stolen Bag
Francis Lemonnier	...	The Orchestra Conductor
Maria Vincent	...	The Dresser
Michel Montanary	...	A Henchman
Patrick Pérez	...	A Henchman
Pierre Carrive	...	A Henchman
Jean-Michel Castanié	...	A Henchman
François Guerre-Berthelot	...	A Henchman
Vincent Skimenti	...	The Blind Man
Guy Laporte	...	The Opera Waiter
Eric Proville	...	The Bar Waiter
Jean-Luc Miesch	...	The Metro Official
José Otero	...	The Metro Conductor
François Ruggieri	...	The Distinguished Man
Dominique Hennequin	...	The Sound Engineer
Magali Guidasci	...	A Punk
Roselyne Brunet	...	A Punk
Lucien Fleurot	...	The Jogging Man
Basile de Bodt	...	The Man Who Had His Hair Cut Short (as Basile)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Etienne Chicot	...	(scenes deleted)
Luc Besson	...	The Subway Driver (uncredited)
Claude Melki	...	Youssef (uncredited)

Directed by
Luc Besson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Luc Besson		dialogue
Luc Besson		scenario
Pierre Jolivet		scenario
Alain Le Henry		scenario
Marc Perrier		dialogue
Marc Perrier		scenario
Sophie Schmit		scenario

Produced by
Luc Besson	....	producer
Louis Duchesne	....	executive producer
François Ruggieri	....	producer

Cinematography by
Carlo Varini

Film Editing by
Sophie Schmit

Production Design by
Alexandre Trauner

Art Direction by
Alexandre Trauner

Costume Design by
Martine Rapin

Makeup Department
Maud Baron	....	makeup artist: Isabelle Adjani
Isabelle Gamsohn	....	hair stylist
Geneviève Peyralade	....	assistant makeup artist
Suzanne Pisteur	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Eliane André	....	production manager
Edith Colnel	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Alessandrin	....	assistant director
Didier Grousset	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Chris David	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Dominique Duchatelle	....	sound
Gérard Hardy	....	sound editor
Gérard Lamps	....	sound re-recording mixer
Harald Maury	....	sound
Harrik Maury	....	sound
Luc Perini	....	sound search

Special Effects by
Patrick Soler	....	special effects
Bernard Terreau	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Frederic Moreau	....	optical effects

Stunts
Laeruel Carala	....	rollerblade stunt double
Thieery Cour	....	rollerblade stunt double
Carole Fassiaux	....	stunts
Guy Forties	....	rollerblade stunt double
François Guerre-Berthelot	....	key stunt supervisor
Kichel Jarek	....	rollerblade stunt double
Bidine Larglois	....	rollerblade stunt double
Jean-Jacques Lissa	....	rollerblade stunt double
Raphaël Lloret	....	rollerblade stunt double
Jean Max	....	key stunt supervisor
Roland Neunreuther	....	stunt coordinator
Thierry Peros	....	rollerblade stunt double
Daniel Vérité	....	stunt coordinator (as Daniel Verite)
Jean-Claude Zefiders	....	stunts

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Magali Guidasci	....	costume assistant
Pia Micha	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Louise de Champfleury	....	assistant editor
Olivier Mauffroy	....	assistant editor
Laure Mercier	....	assistant editor
Marie Robert	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Eric Aerts	....	musician: percussions
Valérie Barki	....	musician: background vocals
Louis Bertignac	....	musician: guitar
Amaury Blanchard	....	musician: drums
Patick Gauthier	....	musician: keyboards
Alain Guillard	....	musician: Saxophone
Yvon Guillard	....	musician: trumpet
Jean-Michel Kajdan	....	musician: guitars
Philippe Kalfon	....	musician: guitars
François Laiseau	....	musician: drums
Corine Marienneau	....	musician: background vocals
Jérôme Naulais	....	musician: trombone
Laurent Peyron	....	music recordist
Ramon Pipin	....	musician: guitars
Jean-Louis Rizet	....	music recordist
Eric Serra	....	musician: bass, guitar and piano
Arthur Simms	....	musician: singer
Sydney Tiam	....	musician: percussion (as Sydney Thiam)
Benoît Widemann	....	musician: keyboards

Other crew
Virginie Barbay	....	script trainee
Elisabeth Chochoy	....	script
Marie-Christine Malbert	....	unit publicist
Isabelle Thévenet	....	script trainee

Production Companies

• Les Films du Loup
• TSF Productions
• Gaumont
• TF1 Films Production

Distributors

• Gaumont (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• Gaumont/Columbia TriStar Home Video (GCTHV) (1999) (France) (DVD)
• Gaumont DVD (2009) (France) (DVD)
• Gaumont DVD (2009) (France) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Cine Saison (1986) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Island Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical) (cut version) (dubbed)
• Artificial Eye (1985) (UK)
• Image Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD) (dubbed)
• Transmundo Films (Argentina)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Gaumont Éditions Musicales  music publisher
• Ramsès  music recording studio
• Téléphone Music  music publisher

Runtime:

104 min | Argentina:102 min | USA:98 min (English dubbed version) (edited version)

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Canada:14A (video rating) | France:U | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Porte des Lilas, Le Métro, Paris, France

Company:

Les Films du Loup

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Luc Besson] [reno]

Quotes:

Commissioner Gesberg: [handcuffing the Roller to a bar inside the train just after he finished eating his sandwich] Police... menottes... prison.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Vollidiot (2007)

Soundtrack:

Guns and People

Besson's early and best

When I first saw this movie I was magnetized by its unique atmosphere. Luc Besson created amazing out-of-genre movie. "Subway" inherits traditions of european films of the 70-ies and has something new and magnetic at the same time; and it is certainly Besson's most european film. Maybe it is the reason of it's not so high ratings by american critique. Strange, but Lambert's early and best roles in "Subway" and Marco Ferreri's "I love you" are crossed out by his later films. Talking about "Subway", this movie stands in a row of other films of the middle and the end of the 80-ies that were last before the sunset of european cinematograph and the wind of pan-american influence. And although many american movies are real masterpieces, two traditions can't be mixed. This is one of those cult films that create amazing style that can't be repeated. And although I find "Leon", "Nikita" and "5th element" really good movies, they all were commercial projects. And "Subway"... well, who saw it, they will understand. And maybe not. 10 out of 10.