Vidocq
Short description
Vidocq is set in Paris in 1830, where a detective named Vidocq has spent months hunting a masked killer known as the Alchemist. When the two meet in a glassworks, Vidocq falls through a shaft and is declared dead by the press. His young biographer, the journalist Etienne Boisset, arrives from the provinces to take up the unfinished investigation and track down the Alchemist, crossing paths along the way with the people who had known Vidocq.
Pitof directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Jean-Christophe Grangé; Dominique Farrugia produced it. It was Pitof's first feature, followed in 2004 by Catwoman. Gérard Depardieu plays Vidocq, with Guillaume Canet as Boisset. Inés Sastre, André Dussollier, Edith Scob and Moussa Maaskri appear in supporting roles.
Released in 2001, the film runs 98 minutes and mixes action, crime, fantasy, mystery and science fiction. Its use of digital photography gave it a distinct visual character. Made in France by StudioCanal, TF1 Films Production and RF2K Productions, it took in about 13 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds a 6.4 rating from roughly 24,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6 out of 10 from around 600 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- After the fight with the Alchemist, Vidoc falls into a well—and is subsequently rescued in exactly the same way Luke Skywalker was rescued after his fight with Darth Vader in the film "Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back" (1980).
- Originally, Vidocq was to be played by Daniel Auteuil. However, due to the decision to film with new digital cameras, production was delayed; this conflicted with Auteuil's plans, and he left the project.
- The original script project was written by screenwriter and director David Fakrikian. In this version, Vidoc challenged political villains who had orchestrated a foul political intrigue. The film's action was intended to span three days, and in the finale, Vidoc's actions led to the July Revolution of 1830, showing thousands of French citizens fighting police forces. However, this plot version was rejected by producers as being too radical and subversive. As a result, only the time and place of action, the names of the main characters, and the production design concept remained from the original project.
- At 1:33:28, as the main characters leave the grave of Vidocq's partner, the words «Jimm Morrison n'est pas mort» are scratched into the crypt in the lower right corner, which translates from French as "Jim Morrison is not dead." It is evident that the scene was filmed at the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, where the musician is buried. Calligraphic tributes from fans can already be found on graves within a 50-meter radius of Morrison's resting place.
- Eugène-François Vidocq wrote a series of books about his own adventures. In the 20th century, he became one of the favorite figures of French mass culture and the protagonist of numerous novels, films, and plays.
- «Vidocq» is the first film in history to be shot entirely on a digital video camera. George Lucas followed closely with «Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones» (2002).
- The film takes extreme liberties with the facts of the life of the real detective Eugène-François Vidocq (1775-1857), who was once a thief before becoming a renowned private detective—a sort of French counterpart to Allan Pinkerton.
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