Diva
Diva

Diva

1981
Movie
117 min
French

Jules, a young Parisian postman, secretly records a concert performance given by the opera singer Cynthia Hawkins, whom he idolises. The following day, Jules runs into a woman who is being pursued by armed thugs. Before she is killed, the woman slips an audio cassette into his mail bag...

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Insights

IMDb7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes84%
Metacritic78/100
Google Users87%
Director: Jean-Jacques BeineixGenres: Crime, Drama, Music, Mystery, Thriller

Plot Summary

A young Parisian postman, obsessed with a celebrated opera singer, becomes entangled in a dangerous conspiracy when he mistakenly receives a tape recording intended for her. He finds himself pursued by criminals and police alike, all while trying to protect the singer's identity and the compromising evidence.

Critical Reception

Diva was met with widespread critical acclaim, lauded for its unique visual style, innovative cinematography, and groundbreaking use of color and design. It became a cult classic, celebrated for its audacious aesthetic and thrilling narrative.

What Reviewers Say

  • Visually stunning and highly stylized, a feast for the eyes.
  • A thrilling neo-noir that masterfully blends opera, crime, and romance.
  • Praised for its distinctive aesthetic and unforgettable imagery.

Google audience: Viewers widely admire Diva for its breathtaking visuals and unique blend of genres, with many highlighting its artistic direction and captivating soundtrack as major strengths.

Awards & Accolades

Won 4 César Awards including Best First Work and Best Cinematography, nominated for Best Film. It also received the National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Fun Fact

The iconic white telephone, a central prop in the film, was designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

4 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

That fact that I could listen to the “Ebben? Ne andrò lontana” aria from “La Wally” all day helps gets this off to a cracking start, and then we have a young fan in the form of moped postie “Jules” (Frédéric Andréi) - a lad with a distinctl...
Filipe Manuel Neto

Filipe Manuel Ne...

**A very experimental film in terms of visuals and aesthetics, but one that disappoints us due to the poor conception of the characters and the lack of harmonization of the plot.** This film harmoniously brings together two arts that I g...
JPV852

JPV852

Despite the ridiculous premise, namely the idea of Taiwanese gangster trying to get a hold of a bootleg recording of an opera singer (to blackmail her to signing a contract with them), the movie is better than I thought it would be going in...
talisencrw

talisencrw

This was outstanding. Opera could very much be a metaphor for film to me, and the great way that opera dominates the life of addict Jules here could easily apply to me in my approach to film, and ANY remarkable actress of today. For exam...