Film for a Winter's Day

It was a cold day in upstate New York when I found this VHS tape of "Diva" on the library shelf. It was one of those winter days when the sun refused to shine and the day was in that traditional dim light of winter when the piles of snow had lost their brilliance. I pushed the tape into the slot in the VHS player came to life in my minuscule studio apartment after turning on the tea kettle.

The film consumed me completely. The tea kettle boiled over. I hurried back to the small screen with my cup of tea to resume my adventure into foreign films and look for the 1951 Studebaker pictured on the VHS box. This film had many features that made me a fan. The contrast of opera to the quirky jazz background music. Mini-skirted roller skaters, Orientals in dark glasses, classic cars and chase scenes all add to the charm of this film. This was one of the first foreign films I had seen and subsequently became a fan. I continue to watch this film today, it still has charm.

From the Rotten Tomatoes website:

Director Jean-Jacques Beineix launched the Cinema Du Look movement with this stylish cult thriller that remains as innovative today as when it premiered in 1981. Jules (Frederic Andrei), a young postal carrier, illegally tapes a concert of a... Director Jean-Jacques Beineix launched the Cinema Du Look movement with this stylish cult thriller that remains as innovative today as when it premiered in 1981. Jules (Frederic Andrei), a young postal carrier, illegally tapes a concert of a reclusive opera singer (American soprano Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez). Jules' attempts to woo the diva are interrupted when Taiwanese bootleggers come after the recording. His problems worsen when a prostitute slips another tape, one that incriminates a police chief, into his bag. Jules must escape the police chief, the cop's henchmen and the bootleggers to keep both precious tapes safe - and to stay alive. Featuring critically acclaimed cinematography and a celebrated chase through the Paris Metro, Diva earned Cesar Awards for Best Music, Best Cinematography and Best Directorial Debut.

But, there is no 1951 Studebaker in the film.

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