The films of Luc Besson : master of spectacle / edited by Susan Hayward and Phil Powrie.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Hayward, Susan, 1945- editor.

Powrie, Phil, editor.

Series:

Manchester Film Studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Besson, Luc--Criticism and interpretation.

Besson, Luc.

Motion picture producers and directors--France.

Motion picture producers and directors.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 197 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Manchester, UK : Manchester University Press, 2019.

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

Excess and stylisation are the two major hallmarks of Luc Besson's films. Despite Besson's stature as a popular filmmaker during the late 1980s and 1990s, there was during this period little major academic work on his films. This book supplements the pioneering work by covering a broad range of issues in Besson's films, which have not yet been substantially covered by academic analysis; and, moreover, wherever possible, to use analytical tools developed in Film Studies during the same period as Besson's work. Because of the primacy of the visual for theorists of spectatorship, music emerged as a concern from the work devoted to the soundtrack. Besson's films are good examples of the way in which music is a key component of the film. His films, often considered as flashy videoclips, have musical scores which guide audience reception: actions on screen are paralleled by a musical response on the soundtrack. The book maps the evolution of Eric Serra's compositional style over the span of his collaboration with Luc Besson. It brings together inbetweenness, violence, gender and costume, starting from an examination of the development of certain key costumes worn by male characters in Luc Besson's feature films. The challenges around sexuality and gender performativity that Le Cinquieme element puts on display mark the film as contestatory of dominant ideology, are discussed. The book also presents three approaches to explain the infatuation of millions of cinemagoers and videotape buyers as a result of Le Grand bleu's success.

Contents:

Introduction / Susan Hayward and Phil Powrie

1. Three neo-baroque directors / Raphaël Bassan

2. Du côté de Europa, via Asia: the post-Hollywood Besson / Rosanna Maule

3. Musical narration in the films of Luc Besson / Gérard Dastugue

4. Hearing Besson: the music of Eric Serra in the films of Luc Besson / Mark Brownrigg

5. Of suits and men in the films of Luc Besson / Phil Powrie

6. From Rags to Riches: Le Dernier combat and Le Cinquième élément / Susan Hayward

7. The sinking of the self: Freudian hydraulic patterns in Le Grand bleu / Laurent Jullier

8. Imprisoned freedoms: space and identity in Subway and Nikita / Mark Orme

9. Nikita: consumer culture’s killer instinct and the imperial imperative / Hilary Ann Radner

10. Léon and the cloacal labyrinth / Phil Powrie

11. Jeanne d’Arc: high epic style and politicising camp / Susan Hayward

12. An unpublished interview with Luc Besson / Gérard Dastugue

Filmography

Select bibliography.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 02 Jan 2026).

Includes filmography and bibliographical references.

Description based on print record.

ISBN:

1-5261-4181-7

OCLC:

1286800620