CGI & Cinema Du Look in the 1980’s

While Hollywood in the 1980’s was focused on cashing in on Blockbuster hits with merchandise and sequels, French studios were entering a brief but important film era—Cinema Du Look. This new genre was led by three directors. Jean-Jacques Beineix, Luc Besson, and Leos Carax who each had their hand in stylizing Cinema Du Look. Many of the themes found in this new genre were similar to American Film Noir and the new wave of teen films headed by John Hughes. However, while American movies during the 80’s focused on using new CGI techniques and engaging story lines, Cinema Du Look was a genre centered in visual brilliance and style.

While the storytelling of Cinema Du Look films can be nonsensical at times, what really makes this genre stand out are the shots and edits. The reflection of a character in the sunglasses of a suspicious man, a wide shot capturing the silhouette of two people under a brilliant archway, or the high energy chase scenes in the subway. These are what make movies like Diva enjoyable. Many Cinema Du Look films had common themes of doomed love affairs, trust in friends over family, an oddball hero and scenes placed in the Underground train station. Diva, a French film by Jean-Jacques Beineix in 1981 became an instant cult classic over in the States, just as loved by American audiences as by the French. While French film critics ripped Diva apart for its weird cast of characters, relationships, and overall use of style to cover up the films questionable plot, many American critics loved the film. They praised Beineix for Diva’s originality, and urged audiences to see the film in theaters as soon as possible.

Now, I won’t lie—Diva is by no means my favorite film. But it doesn’t have to be for me to acknowledge its uniqueness in style. While I had no love for the plot (or characters to be honest) I loved the music in this film. Hell, after that opening number I automatically started clapping with the audience on screen. Another thing that struck me was how little dialogue was used throughout the film. There had to be a solid fifteen minutes before Jules said a word. And yes, while I could give an entire paper questioning Diva’s plot, what I really enjoyed in this movie was the visuals. My personal favorites were the moped chase scene with the cop, and the lighthouse shots. What can I say? It looks great.

My favorite take away from this week’s lessons was the documentary on CGI. Having grown up with Pixar, Marvel, and films like Forest Gump, it was fascinating learning how CGI evolved over time. I’d never heard of Young Sherlock Holmes having the first CGI character, or that Star Wars basically started CGI. Now you can’t throw a rock in Hollywood without hitting an actor who either played a CGI character or worked with one. The biggest shock I got from the documentary was the use of CGI in Forest Gump. I had no idea CGI could be used so quietly in scenes such as Forest excelling at pin-pong. It’s fascinating learning how something so common in today’s films evolved over time, and seeing just how much it has improved.

My favorite movie trilogy is How to Train Your Dragon. While the first movie came out in 2010, it’s incredible to see just how much the CGI has changed in nine years alone between the first and third movies.