Diva 1981

“But… I’ve never heard myself sing!” Wonderful movie.

Most DLers hate it because it features a black woman and an Asian woman.

Saw it when it came out, and some of its images have stayed with me.

I saw it in the movie theater and loved it. Very striking visuals and score!

I saw it 40 years ago and loved it, but haven't seen it again. The director died in January.

I'm a gay man, & its one of my favs of all time. La Wally aria in the film, not as great as Callas of course, but what Callas was a unicorn, FFS.

Is this the one loosely based on Jessye Norman?

Whatever happened to Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez? She wasn't much of an actress, but she was a brilliant soprano.

There was talk for a long time that Diana Ross would do an American version but it never happened.

If they did an American version, they would get someone like Beyonce to play Fernandez's role.

It was one of the films that got me hooked on French cinema as a teenager (along with Au Revoir Les Enfants and Day for Night). Stylish, quirky, romantic, and funny, with one of the all time great chase scenes. I love this piece from the soundtrack.

good looking guy

I saw this film on my first date with the guy I eventually lost my virginity to. Weird film -wonderful score.

The novel was quite fun too

I saw this with a friend from college in the summer of '82 at some Art house cinema on North State Parkway in Chicago's Gold Coast. It was ok but i found it a bit pretentious. It was a matinee showing on a beautiful summer day so the theatre was almost completely empty.

I saw it on cable a long time ago, then rented it again after watching that Mark Cousins miniseries on the history of movies, where he mentions it. I liked it quite a bit but also laughed at the ridiculous baguette scene, which is about as insufferably French as you can get.

Love this film. Great soundtrack, great visuals. Movie script is infinitely better plotted and more complex than the novel. Sadly, the director’s next film (Betty Blue) was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. Tiresome screechfest.

excellent movie. still listen to the soundtrack.

Liked it very much when it came out. I still have the vinyl soundtrack.

Exactly, r17. I was so disappointed by Betty Blue, because Diva is one of my desert island films.

I saw it as a teenager, must have been 1982, and the film was my introduction to postmodernism. Jules's apartment alone!

Loved Diva. Then loved Betty Blue until I watched the director's cut and hated it, don't know why it changed so much for me.

Yes, R7. Jessye spoke about it on an interview I once read. All I can remember about it, was her mentioning that the young man (the postal carrier in the movie) had died, presumably of aids.

The actor who played Jules the postman in “Diva” is still very much alive.

I saw Diva when it first came out at the Inwood Theater in Dallas. Absolutely loved every frame, still do. My favorite line - comical is "Funny, you never think about a Rolls Royce being in a wreck"

I loved this movie so much that once I was in Paris and went to the theatre to see one of the actors (Richard Boeringer who played Gorodish) in a play. I can speak enough French to get by but I didn’t understand a word that night.

Why was the movie rejected for best foreign film nomination ?

Did I do that?

For "some reason" I can't remember.

I saw this movie in SF when it first came out (at the Balboa Theater I think). I loved it then and now. I was going through a break-up at that time and so my memories of it are tied to that sadness. Rewatch it periodically. Love La Wally no matter who is singing it.

R23, I am referring to the man who was the fan that persued Jessye, in real life, not the actor.

The first foreign language film I ever saw. Loved it!

I never heard it was based on a real incident, besides Jessye Norman makes recordings. Or did this guy drive from Paris to Geneve(?) on a moped?

[R31] It had a minor connection to Norman.