We watch in the opening of the film a detective named Vidocq(Gérard Depardieu)in battle with what appears to be a supernatural being with a glass framed face buried within a black cloak. It looks as if Vidocq fell to his doom in a fire-pit in the guts of a glassworks factory. His "biographer" Etienne(Guillaume Canet)wishes to pursue his hero's case and the film follows him from lead to lead learning about the killer called The Alchemist who is a mythic ghost whose glass face is said to steal the souls of victims. How Vidocq took the case was through a Chief of Police trying to figure out how three prominent members of Paris society wound up dead, two of them being burnt by lightning(the two who are actually burnt are an arms dealer and chemist). We find as Etienne dig deeper and deeper that these three only had love in their hearts for themselves and would do anything to preserve their youth..even making a deal with The Alchemist by supplying him pure virgins from poor families they pay so that they can receive a serum for not aging. All this revolves around a tumultuous political climate(..which might become an upheaval)as King Charles is threatening the suppression of the press and dissolving of parliament. Also, Paris in 1830 is quite a lurid, perverse place where any vice of anyone with wealthy means could be satisfied. We see this as Etienne continues on his journey to find answers to Vidocq's demise.
Director Pitof's in-your-face style may be jarring or unnerving for some viewers because the camera suffocatingly closes in on the actors faces. We get all close and personal even with the ugly sorts with rotted teeth or vile expressions. The film's special effects almost look purposely unrealistic and surreal creating a Paris so bizarre it's almost otherworldly. The Alchemist is quite a creation as he can do so many acrobatic and supernatural things. Another thing I found stunning was how Pitof's camera moves. It rotates around, following the characters and action. Pitof also likes his camera shooting upward from the ground. We rarely see a simply, ordinary shot of characters..everything seems unorthodox and unusual. And, the twist that comes at the end turns your usual detective story on it's head. I certainly didn't see it coming.
Director Pitof's in-your-face style may be jarring or unnerving for some viewers because the camera suffocatingly closes in on the actors faces. We get all close and personal even with the ugly sorts with rotted teeth or vile expressions. The film's special effects almost look purposely unrealistic and surreal creating a Paris so bizarre it's almost otherworldly. The Alchemist is quite a creation as he can do so many acrobatic and supernatural things. Another thing I found stunning was how Pitof's camera moves. It rotates around, following the characters and action. Pitof also likes his camera shooting upward from the ground. We rarely see a simply, ordinary shot of characters..everything seems unorthodox and unusual. And, the twist that comes at the end turns your usual detective story on it's head. I certainly didn't see it coming.