Subway (1985)

Luc Besson’s Subway was released in 1985. This is the movie that established Besson not only as a major force in French cinema but on the international scene as well. Besson has been considered to be part of the late 80s/90 Cinéma du look movement. Opinions on Besson tend to be widely divided. He has been accused of favouring style over substance. He’s also been accused of being too slick and too Hollywood.

I personally much prefer style to substance so that doesn’t bother me.

I do have to admit that The Fifth Element is a total mess. But in its own way it’s a glorious mess.

Subway starts with Fred (Christopher Lambert) on the run after blowing a safe. It’s not clear whether he’s on the run from the police or someone else. The safe belonged to Héléna (Isabelle Adjani). We soon get the feeling that maybe Fred was more interested in Héléna than in the contents of her safe. For obscure reasons she had invited Fred to her birthday party. Héléna is clearly way out of his league. Héléna is very rich, very beautiful and very chic. She is also married.

Whatever his motives Fred took something from the safe (a file) that Héléna’s husband wants back, and he wants it back very badly. The husband is the kind of guy who gets what he wants, or else. It is implied that he is a gangster.

Fred takes refuge in the Paris Métro. He discovers that within the vast underground network of tunnels of the Métro there is a secret world. It is a world of petty crooks and misfits. It is like an entire alternative society.

Fred is both a petty crook and a misfit so he fits right in. Meanwhile he is negotiating with Héléna for the return of that file. Héléna now finds herself becoming immersed in the secret underground world.

Although Inspector Gesberg (Michel Galabru) might not like to admit it he is part of this world. Gesberg is a railway cop, head of the transport police of the Métro. Like Fred and his new friends Gesberg’s whole life revolves around the Métro. He gives no indication of having any private life and displays no interest in anything other than the job, and the Métro. Gesberg has one great ambition in life - to catch The Roller. The Roller is a roller-skating thief who has for months been humiliating Gesberg and Gesberg’s chief subordinate, Sergeant Batman (and yes, there’s an Officer Robin as well). The Roller has befriended Fred. Soon Gesberg has a second ambition - to catch Fred.

It becomes apparent that the biggest danger to Fred is not the police but the goons hired by Héléna’s husband.

Fred doesn’t seem to care. He doesn’t seem to care about anything. He is completely alienated from society.

Increasingly Héléna comes to realise that she too is alienated from her life.

Christopher Lambert’s strange disconnected performance works within the context of the movie. It’s not good acting, but it’s the right acting for this movie.

Isabelle Adjani looks gorgeous and she’s excellent. Michel Galabru is huge amounts of fun as Inspector Gesberg. This is a Luc Besson movie so naturally Jean Reno puts in an appearance. He’s The Drummer. Drumming is his life.

The characters are not terribly important, nor is the plot. The focus of the movie is the Métro and on the secret society that inhabits its darker recesses.

This is a stylish movie but the style comes more from the strange atmosphere of the hidden world rather than spectacular visuals. Besson was going for a distinctive feel. And he achieved it.

Subway is odd but it’s fascinating and mesmerising. Highly recommended.

The UK Blu-Ray from Optimum Home Entertainment is barebones but the film looks lovely and the disc is dirt cheap.

The theme of alienation is also dealt with in Besson’s two greatest movies, La Femme Nikita and Léon: The Professional, both of which I’ve also reviewed.