Vidocq (2001)

Director:

Pitof

Writers:

François-Eugène Vidocq (memoirs)
Pitof (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

19 September 2001 (Belgium)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The underworld has surfaced...

Plot:

Paris. 1830. In the heart of the town, Vidocq, a famous detective, disappeared as he fights the Alchemist...

Plot Keywords:

Alchemist | 1830s | Detective | Investigation | Murder

Awards:

7 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Gérard Depardieu	...	Vidocq
Guillaume Canet	...	Etienne Boisset
Inés Sastre	...	Préah
André Dussollier	...	Lautrennes
Edith Scob	...	Sylvia
Moussa Maaskri	...	Nimier
Jean-Pierre Gos	...	Tauzet
Isabelle Renauld	...	Marine Lafitte
Jean-Pol Dubois	...	Belmont
André Penvern	...	Veraldi
Gilles Arbona	...	Lafitte
Jean-Marc Thibault	...	Leviner
François Chattot	...	Froissard
Elsa Kikoïne	...	La muette
Fred Ulysse	...	Le vieux souffleur
Luc-Antoine Diquéro	...	Le journaliste
Akonio Dolo	...	Gandin
Nathalie Bécue	...	La Matrone
Pierre Macherez	...	Soldat Invalides (as Pierre Marcherez)
Michel Lefèvre	...	Le cocher
Dominique Zardi	...	Ouvrier souffleur
Cyril Casmèze
Juliette Degenne
Fanny Gilles
Barbara Kelsch		(as Barbara Klesch)
Stéphanie Laurendeau
Jean-Pierre Marceau
Bernard Métreaux
Xavier Plutus
Karen Strassman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Noa Lindberg	...	Une vierge (uncredited)
Eléonore Stern	...	Une vierge (uncredited)
Céline Varin	...	Une courtisane (uncredited)

Directed by
Pitof

Writing credits
François-Eugène Vidocq		(memoirs)
Pitof		(screenplay)
Jean-Christophe Grangé		(screenplay)

Produced by
Dominique Farrugia	....	producer
Olivier Granier	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Bruno Coulais

Cinematography by
Jean-Pierre Sauvaire
Jean-Claude Thibaut

Film Editing by
Thierry Hoss

Casting by
Brigitte Moidon

Production Design by
Jean Rabasse

Art Direction by
Hervé Gallet

Set Decoration by
Fabien Belinguier
Françoise Benoît-Fresco
Jean Rabasse

Costume Design by
Carine Sarfati

Makeup Department
Frédérique Arguello	....	hair stylist
Christophe Chabenet	....	special makeup effects artist
Agathe Dupuis	....	key hair stylist
Geraldine Garetier	....	makeup artist
Denis Gastou	....	key special effects makeup
Christophe Giraud	....	makeup artist
Marie-Pierre Hattabi	....	hair stylist
Frédéric Lainé	....	special makeup effects artist
Kuno Schlegelmilch	....	hair stylist
Kuno Schlegelmilch	....	makeup artist
Jean-Christophe Spadaccini	....	key special makeup effects

Production Management
Marc Cohen	....	assistant unit manager
Sylvestre Guarino	....	production manager
Arnaud Mathey-Dreyfus	....	additional production manager assistant
Nicolas Ploux	....	assistant production manager
Marion Transetti	....	production supervisor
Philippe Tricard	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sandra Dalle	....	second assistant director
Matthieu de la Mortière	....	second assistant director
Barbara Dupont	....	third assistant director
Patricia Eberhard	....	assistant director
Thierry Mauvoisin	....	assistant director
Emmanuel Murat	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Philippe Auclaire	....	construction manager
Yann Biquand	....	second assistant decorator
Thomas Broyon	....	swing gang
Pierre Duboisberranger	....	assistant art director
Virginie Hernvann	....	assistant art director
Catherine Pierrat	....	set dressing buyer
Thierry Poulet	....	painter
Stéphane Richaud	....	construction grip
Nathalie Roubaud	....	assistant art director
Patricia Ruelle	....	painter
Gilles Ségurel	....	property master
Simon Tric	....	painter
Nicolas Vrancken	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Vincent Arnardi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Selim Azzazi	....	sound editor
Christophe Colson	....	sound designer
Edouard d'Heucqueville	....	sound mix technician
Cedric Denooz	....	sound designer
Michel Filippi	....	adr supervisor
Laurent Kossayan	....	sound designer
François Lepeuple	....	foley artist
Guillaume Leriche	....	foley editor
Guillaume Leriche	....	sound re-recording mixer
Vincent Mauduit	....	sound designer: alchimist moves
Brigitte Taillandier	....	sound
Igor Thomas-Gerard	....	dialogue editor
Jacques Thomas-Gérard	....	sound mixer: adr

Special Effects by
Benoît Bechet	....	effects trainee
Noel Chainbaux	....	special effects assistant
Olivier Marais	....	special effects
Jacques-Olivier Molon	....	sculptor
Julien Poncet de la Grave	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Nicolas Aithadi	....	digital artist: RF2K
Thierry Ardiller	....	digital compositor
Jérôme Arthuis	....	grading coordinator
Cyrille Bonjean	....	digital effects artist
Gaëlle Bossis	....	digital artist
Myriam Catrin	....	digital artist
Rodolphe Chabrier	....	visual effects artist
Bertrand Cordier	....	lighting technical director: Mac Guff Ligne
Neal Dan	....	roto artist
Stéphanie Dargent	....	matte painter
Xavier de L'Hermuzière	....	digital artist
Jerome Desvignes	....	digital artist
Delphine Domer	....	visual effects coordinator
Franck Dorat	....	3D supervisor
François Dupuy	....	digital transfers
Jerome Fournier	....	matte painting leader
Pascal Giroux	....	visual effects supervisor
Raphael Hattab	....	digital artist
Chia-Chi Hu	....	digital color timer
Abdel Ali Kassou	....	digital transfers
David Klett	....	digital artist
Didier le Fouest	....	colorist
Stéphanie Machuret	....	senior digital compositor: Mac Guff Ligne
Frederic Medioni	....	digital artist
Jean-Francois Michelas	....	digital compositor
Didier Muenza	....	technical artist
Dan Neal	....	roto artist
Benoit Philippon	....	digital effects artist
Olivier Poujaud	....	2D visual effects supervisor
Sebastien Rame	....	digital compositor
Jean-Paul Rovela	....	digital artist: RF2K
Simon Thomas	....	digital effects artist
Salvador Zalvidea	....	digital compositor
Veronique Zylberfain	....	matte artist

Stunts
Affif Ben Badra	....	stunts (as Afif Benbadra)
Daniel Breton	....	stunts
William Cagnard	....	stunts
Michel Carliez	....	stunt coordinator
Gaëlle Cohen	....	stunts
Gilles Conseil	....	stunts
Yves Girard	....	stunt double
Albert Goldberg	....	stunts
Christian Hening	....	stunts
Philippe Lazoore	....	stunts
Patrick Médioni	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Alessandro Brambilla	....	Steadicam operator
Alessandro Brambilla	....	camera operator
David Campbell	....	crane operator: Technocrane
Emmanuel de Fleury	....	second assistant camera
Vladimir Duranovic	....	grip
Vincent Gallot	....	second assistant camera
Vincent Muller	....	assistant camera
Vincent Muller	....	focus puller
Lionel Perrin	....	first assistant camera: extra unit
Lionel Perrin	....	focus puller
Vincent Richard	....	electrician
Jean-Claude Thibaut	....	camera operator

Animation Department
Marc Caro	....	character designer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Janet Latimer	....	costumer
Valérie Le Hello	....	costumer
Michèle Pezzin	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Nicolas Criqui	....	digital conformation
Catherine Macresy	....	first assistant editor
Catherine Macresy	....	on-line editor
Catherine Macresy	....	post-production coordinator
Catherine Macresy	....	supervising editor
Philippe Reinaudo	....	digital intermediate technical director
Emmanuelle Zelez	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Bruno Coulais	....	orchestrator
Clair Marlo	....	song

Other crew
Alberto Abraham Amar	....	production services manager
Ludovic Beurton	....	assistant location manager
Christophe Chauveau	....	location scout
Corinne Devaux	....	choreographer
Marie-Noelle Hauville	....	production accountant
Yann Megard	....	assistant to art director

Thanks
Jean-Pierre Jeunet	....	special thanks
Cyril Pichard	....	thanks

Production Companies

• RF2K Productions (as RF2K)
• StudioCanal (co-production)
• TF1 Films Production (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)

Distributors

• Cine Archivo (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Bioscop (2002) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Finnkino
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Medusa Distribuzione
• New Films International
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Snp
• Sunfilm Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sunfilm Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• TF1 Vidéo (2002) (France) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2003) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2003) (Argentina) (VHS)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (France)
• Vértigo Films (Spain)

Special Effects

• Les Versaillais
• Mac Guff Ligne (visual effects)

Other Companies

• CNSO Studios  Czech National Symphony Orchestra, recording studio

Also Known As:

"Dark Portals: The Chronicles of Vidocq" - USA (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, sexual content, nudity and some drug material

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Norway:15 | Czech Republic:12 | Canada:A (Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | USA:R | Australia:MA | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Italy:VM14 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Bordeaux, Gironde, France

Company:

RF2K Productions

Trivia:

The original on-spec screenplay by David Fakrikian featured Vidocq origin, adapted from the 1967 TV series by Georges Neveux and Marcel Bluwal. In the same manner as Batman Begins (2005), it showed how Vidocq became a cop, but was rejected when the producers failed to obtain the TV series rights.

Movie Connections:

References Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Soundtrack:

Concerto for mandolin RV 532: Andante

Magnifique.

Pitof's style and design comes blazing through, in a kind of high-octane version of the work he did for Jeunet & Caro - a mixture of French garishness and Tim-Burton-esque gothic fantasy and detail. Also reminded me a bit of Alex Proyas' design on Dark City.

The plot gallops along, with Depardieu appearing in flashback scenes throughout while his biographer, the police, a decadent journalist and his sidekick all try to re-trace his steps, solve the bizarre murders and capture the Alchemist (if he or she even exists)!

There's so much going on on-screen that it's a complete feast for the eyes, especially once femme fatale Preah gets mixed up in the mystery.

I also thought it was so refreshing to see the investigative duo of Vidocq and Nimier, because they are both coarse, brainy & brawny (like two bears in top hats), whereas any Hollywood film would surely add numerous physical & character defects. You'd also lose the wonderful surreal Frenchness of the setting, and almost grotesque supporting characters.

The Alchemist is a great baddie - not superhuman, but you're not quite sure (for a long time anyway) if he/she is really supernatural or not - or of his/her motivation, and by the last half hour you think it could be virtually any of the main characters under the mask, which sets you up for a really good revelation or two & a battle at the end.

An exciting movie (complex, but not difficult), and not one dull moment. I'm not sure what some of the negative reviewers were watching, because if you liked Sleepy Hollow or From Hell, you'll adore this.