Subway

France

Gaumont

Madman

R4 and Australian Release Blu Ray

French with English subtitles

Subway is another film by French director Luc Besson and has the characteristic quirkiness of his earlier films. This one dates from 1985, one of his earlier films, and reflects the contrast in lifestyles between the rich and the younger people.

Fred, a happy go lucky young man with a hidden ability for opening safes, was invited to a party by Helena, the trophy wife of a wealthy gangster. Fred was unable to resist the temptation to open their safe and has made off with some compromising documents. The film opens with a car chase through Paris with the gangster’s men in hot pursuit. Fred takes refuge in the Paris Underground stations where he finds a curious range of individuals also living in the old tunnels and offices of the disused parts of the Metro.

There is Big Bill, a massively strong man who works on the underground as a railway ganger and apparently just likes to live near his work. Roller is a bag-snatcher who makes rapid escapes on his roller skates. They are even fitted with small headlights so he can see where he is going in the darker old tunnels. Fred finds shelter with these two. There is the Florist who is waiting for a chance to run a major holdup. There are also a number of underground musicians who are waiting for some sort of a break in a band. Fred offers to form a band and get them a gig.

As well as the gangster’s men, Helena is searching for Fred hoping to ransom the papers back from him. The Police are also looking for the group as they are concerned at the number of the Roller’s bag-snatches. Fortunately Helena finds him first and spends the night in their unlikely accommodation. Helena finds the underground life more to her liking and starts to rebel against her gilded cage lifestyle Although nothing happened between her and Fred her husband believes otherwise and orders his men to find and kill Fred.

Fred keeps faith with the members of the new band and pulls off a holdup, then sets them up on an unused stage in the underground complex for their first gig. They are a success with the commuters. The gunmen, however, have also tracked down Fred.

The story finishes abruptly in Besson style with a lot of questions unanswered and a lot left to the imagination. There are the usual moments of humour, Besson’s typically odd characters and a plot that keeps the action coming with very few breaks. You may not follow all of it at first, but it is worth watching.

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No. 4 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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