Rent Diva (1981)
3.6 of 5 from 121 ratings
1h 53min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Jules (Frederic Andrei) is a Parisian mail courier in possession of two highly sought-after tapes: the first contains a rare recording of American opera singer Cynthia Hawkins (Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez), with whom he has fallen in love; the second is a tape slipped into his bag by a young woman just before she is murdered. The unwitting Jules thus finds himself being pursued by Taiwanese bootleggers and a thuggish gang of drug dealers who will do anything to get their hands on the cassettes.
- Actors:
- Wilhelmenia Fernandez, Frédéric Andréi, Richard Böhringer, Thuy An Luu, Jacques Fabbri, Chantal Deruaz, Anny Romand, Roland Bertin, Gérard Darmon, Dominique Pinon, Jean-Jacques Moreau, Patrick Floersheim, Raymond Aquilon, Eugène Berthier, Gérard Chaillou
- Directors:
- Jean-Jacques Beineix
- Producers:
- Irène Silberman, Serge Silberman
- Writers:
- Daniel Odier, Jean-Jacques Beineix, Jean Van Hamme
- Aka:
- Jules
- Studio:
- Warner
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Romance, Thrillers
- Countries:
- France
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 06/10/2025
- Run Time:
- 118 minutes
- Languages:
- French DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.66:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Blue as Diva: Memories of a cult film
- Diva, about the film by Denis Parent
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 06/10/2025
- Run Time:
- 118 minutes
- Languages:
- French DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo
- Subtitles:
- English
- DVD Regions:
- Region 0 (All)
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.66:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- (0) All
- Bonus:
- 'Blue as 'Diva': Memories of a Cult Film'
- 'Diva': About the Film by Denis Parent'
More like Diva
Reviews (2) of Diva
Youthful artistic noir thriller from Paris, 1981 - Diva review by CP Customer
Sophisticated Parisian thriller. Released in 1981, Diva retains much of its freshness today. There's a bold originality to the design of this film, particularly with the stylish interiors of the warehouse apartments of two of the principals here. I liked the naivete and pretentious cool of the young protagonist. As thrillers go, the plot is probably not high on originality. It draws from the sketchbook set by seventies American detective-gangster noirs. A subway chase scene here is well executed but rather blatantly lifted from The French Connection. There are flaws. The film is too long and the convolutions of the plot lost me towards the end (not unusual). Diva takes its title from an operatic diva whose singing is wonderful but this seems a little superfluous to the plot. Paris looks beautiful in a film that really captures the feel of the city and milieu. It's a well filmed piece with some beautiful scenes. The acting stands up. Diva has enough charm and energy to make it of interest for the contemporary viewer.
3 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
Looks to Kill, but Not Much to Die For - Diva review by griggs
I was eager to finally watch this cult classic, though it’s hard to ignore how its once-radiant glow has dimmed. Diva is obsessed with looking cool–in that regard, it absolutely succeeds. Every frame is stylish and meticulously composed. But beyond that, there’s not much to hold onto. Alex Cox was right to call it an ‘Art Director’s film’–the aesthetic is everything, while the story is an afterthought. The plot is wafer-thin, following a hapless courier who stumbles into a criminal conspiracy, though it does deliver one excellent chase sequence through Paris at night. And, of course, I’ll never forget the right way to butter a baguette now. It’s easy to see how Diva influenced Luc Besson and Leos Carax with its Cinéma du Look styling, but in the end, it’s more of a mood piece than a genuinely gripping film.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.