Nowadays, Cinéma du look has become a topic of great relevance and interest to a wide variety of people. From its impact on daily life to its influence on society in general, Cinéma du look has been the subject of constant debate, analysis and reflection. Its relevance ranges from the field of technology to culture, including economics and politics. Cinéma du look has captured the attention of people of all ages and from different professional fields, awakening an interest that goes beyond geographical and cultural borders. In this article, we will explore in depth the impact of Cinéma du look on our lives and the world around us, offering a comprehensive analysis that will encompass various perspectives and approaches.
These directors were said to favor style over substance, spectacle over narrative. It referred to films that had a slick, gorgeous visual style and a focus on young, alienated characters who were said to represent the marginalized youth of François Mitterrand's France. Themes that run through many of their films include doomed love affairs, young people more affiliated to peer groups than families, a cynical view of the police, and the use of scenes in the Paris Métro to symbolise an alternative, underground society. The mixture of 'high' culture, such as the opera music of Diva and Les Amants du Pont-Neuf, and pop culture, for example the references to Batman in Subway, was another key feature.
^Translated into English: "The French Neo-baroques Directors: Beineix, Besson, Carax from Diva to le Grand Bleu" (pp. 11–23), in The Films of Luc Besson: Master of Spectacle (Under the direction of Susan Hayward and Phil Powrie) Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2007. ISBN0-7190-7028-7