I dont know why but this movie is not understood by americans. In general of course. Everyone is used to think that Besson's best is "Leon". "Leon" is a good film, I dont argue. But "Subway" is one of those stylish movies that determine future of the cinema. Hollywood just watches how they do it in Europe and then makes it's simple versions.
shareim an american and i actually liked this movie, and Christopher Lambert's hair was frigging awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the film idea is very original, VERY GOOD MOVIE!!!!
sharePerhaps it's because actors don't speak in English inthis film. You know, English-speakers don't like films with subtitles in general. It's a real shame!
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i have to find this one dvd somewhere and find the soundtrack im still looking for the songs Speedway, and Guns and People and i cant find them anywhere, well i guess i have to still keep looking, anyone know where i might find them? and i actually bought the video of the movie at Family Video for $2.95 which was a great price, i really love this movie, and Christopher Lambert was really very good looking in it, i loved his hair in this movie.
shareYou can listen to some of the songs on Eric Serra's website (can't remember the URL) never seen them available anywhere else though.
Wild! I was absolutely Livid!
The soundtrack actually came out on vinyl back in the day. I know this because I bought it.
Amazon has it on CD. It´s not that rare.
http://www.amazon.com/Subway-Original-Score-Eric-Serra/dp/B00004S6BU/ref=pd_bbs_6?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1207400183&sr=8-6
They also have the dvd.
You might also be able to find it on ebay. :)
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I prefer movies with subtitles and I'm an American. Everyone thinks it's wierd, but I always have the subtitles on. I haven't watched this film yet, but intend to. Subtitles help me to pick up on small pieces of often missed dialogue in many films (inlcuding ones in english). I think I'll enjoy this film. Besides, I find European cinema so much more original than American cinema.
Matt Surprenant
I think I agree with you. Only thing is I'm a horridly slow reader so it can be hard sometimes but you can always get the idea. With Subway I only now have the dubbed version (a gift from a friend) but I do intend to buy the one with Subtitles. And yes, the movies made in America usually are really unoriginal. Blow things up, girl gets boy. I don't know how many basic plots have been repeated and repeated but it so horrib.
shareI think the problem with the movie industry is that they have too much money. Some of the most beloved films were made on tight budgets. Look at early Tarantino work. Even James Cameron made The Terminator an awesome movie with a simple time travel plot. All he needed to do was actually work on a story line that meant something to him and he was willing to embelish upon to make something he could be proud of. Hollywood seems to just make a basic script and leave out nice little subplots and motifs. That's what makes Besson's work neat to me. He takes his time and works on details often overlooked by directors/producers. If it weren't for some people actually looking to express emotions in film and treat it as an art we wouldn't have the few quality films that exist today. All we'd have is a million chick flicks, basic action movies, and gore-based horror films and nothing else to turn to. If the industries had tight budgets and had to rely on a great plot instead of special effects to wow and audience we would have so many more good films.
--Money can't buy happiness? Well, I guess I'll have to rent it.--
Matt S.
Thank you, I completely agree with that. I really like many low-budget films because they often have to be more creative.
shareThe grass is always greener. Don't complain too much about predictable, devicey flicks. Without them, more drones would be in our theatres with their phone calls, text messages clicking away, small bladders, and late arrivals.
Plus, the more cash dumped into celluloid, the better the chance that a decent story will get told well. im willing to bet uma thurman's bloody pair of puma's paid for grindhouse.
but restricting art would never work. opinions and taste differ too much. Also, it's pretty cool to see stuff blow up now and then.
Well, ya got a point...at least the kids who go to Hitch aren't going to be sitting in the same theatre as me
--Money can't buy happiness? Well, I guess I'll have to rent it.--
Matt S.
Did you do research and *beep* to find out those statistics? Or did you just pull them out of your ass? I'm from the U.S. and have a great appreciation for foreign films, hell, I think that many foreign film studios are more creative in some aspects than some American studios. One of my favorite movies of all time is " El Laberinto del fauno", and uh... it's all sub-titled. I also enjoyed "Shinobi: Heart Under Blade", "Leon the Professional", "Das Lieben der Anderen", and I'll admit, "Bella Martha" was a pretty decent German chick flick. So... you know, *beep* off.
sharei like it
shareThis is a bad, bad film. Besson is really a disgrace to French cinema. Subway has all the depth and passion of a pop video - and frankly Besson owes as much to Walter Hill as to any French director so pointing the finger at Americans is a bit of a non-starter. Beiniex does the style-over-substance thing infinitely better anyway. Besson makes juvenile films and would be better off drawing comics.
shareYou're right only in your comparing Besson to comics - but try and catch up on your comics history and you'll see how the French did groundbreaking work in comics in the eighties; people like Moebius and Bilal, for instance. Subway is very much like a comic book put to movie and I don't see anything bad in that. Most movies - especially mainstream American ones - but also a lot of so-called art movies - could just as easily have been written as books; Subway is different, Subway is pictures. It's a movie which actually dares to rely on pictures. As simple as that.
shareBuster Keaton and David Lynch make films which rely on pictures. That's not my problem with Besson, my problem is that he 'can't draw people' - his characterisation is about as deep as that of an adolescent. Possibly I was unfair on comic book artists to compare Besson's work with theirs.
People often think that comics should translate well to the big screen, presumably because a storyboard looks like a comic, however I can think of very few comic-based movies which are worth the price of the ticket.
great point. thats exactly why his movies are so appealing. is because they actually use film as film, relying on images and sound instead of words or abstract ideas such as books do.
shareOnly if you assume all French cinema should be high art. What's wrong with a bit of escapist, nonsensical fun sometimes?
shareBesson's best is 'Le Grand Bleu'.
I've just seen 'Subway' and.. it.. I don't know. The guy is a genius. The characters have these strange dialogues and are very strange themselves, the setting is off-beat, the plot is something you would not expect, the music is fantastic and the outcome is hah. I think he did that just to mess with us.
It's crazy good.
That's like the only one of his I've never seen.
Kentoc'h mervel eget bezañ saotret
Leon is also French film, not American, even if it´s shot in USA and in English langueage. Just making it sure cos some has difficulties to understand it.
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I liked it. I enjoyed the subplot involving the roller skate bandit.
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