The Best Cinema Du Look Movies Of All-Time
“What are the best Cinema Du Look Movies?” We looked at 19 of the top Cinema Du Look films, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!
The top 11 films, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Cinema Du Look” movie lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 6 movies, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.
Happy Scrolling!
Top 11 Best Cinema Du Look Movies Ever Made
11 .) Roselyne and the Lions (1989) directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Taste Of Cinema
Thierry drops out of school to apprentice as a lion tamer at the zoo where he meets Roselyne, who shares his passion. They fall in love and when he loses his job, the young lovers journey across France finding odd jobs at several circuses. In Germany, they fall under the tutelage of ageing big cat trainer, Klint, and while they are closer to realising their dreams, they find that their success drivers them part.
10 .) The Lovers on the Bridge (1991) directed by Leos Carax
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Letterboxd
Set against Paris’ oldest bridge, the Pont Neuf, while it was closed for repairs, this film is a love story between two young vagrants: Alex, a would be circus performer addicted to alcohol and sedatives and Michele, a painter driven to a life on the streets because of a failed relationship and an affliction which is slowly turning her blind.
9 .) 37°2 le matin (English: Betty Blue) (1986) directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix
Lists It Appears On:
- Christina D Spillman Film
- IMDB
- Letterboxd
- Revolvy
- Taste Of Cinema
Betty Blue, a mentally unbalanced and sexually aggressive free spirit who becomes involved with Zorg, a repairman moonlighting as a writer. The two engage in a variety of sexual encounters, and grow more passionate toward each other. Betty finds Zorg’s book and is aggressively supportive; over time, her instability begin to catch up with her, leading to a grisly and shocking conclusion.
8 .) Le Grand bleu (English: The Big Blue) (1988) directed by Luc Besson
Lists It Appears On:
- Christina D Spillman Film
- IMDB
- Letterboxd
- Revolvy
- Taste Of Cinema
Two men answer the call of the ocean in this romantic fantasy-adventure. Jacques and Enzo are a pair of friends who have been close since childhood, and who share a passion for the dangerous sport of free diving. Professional diver Jacques opted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who died at sea when Jacques was a boy; to the bewilderment of scientists, Jacques harbors a remarkable ability to adjust his heart rate and breathing pattern in the water, so that his vital signs more closely resemble that of dolphins than men (he even considers a school of dolphins as his extended family). As Enzo persuades a reluctant Jacques to compete against him in a free diving contest – determining who can dive deeper and longer without scuba gear – Jacques meets Johana, a beautiful insurance investigator from America, and he finds that he must choose between his love for her and his love of the sea. ×
7 .) Léon: The Professional (1994) directed by Luc Besson
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Letterboxd
- Liz Davis Cinema Du Look
- Revolvy
- Taste Of Cinema
Léon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective “cleaner”. But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda’s thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon’s footsteps.
6 .) Les Amants du Pont-Neuf (1991) directed by Leos Carax
Lists It Appears On:
- Christina D Spillman Film
- Empire Online
- Revolvy
- Taste Of Cinema
- UP 689387
Leos Carax s The Lovers on the Bridge, presented by Martin Scorsese, is one of the most spectacularly romantic films of the 1990s. It follows the intense, convulsive relationship between one-eyed artist Michele (Juliette Binoche) and alcoholic street performer Alex (Denis Lavant).
5 .) La Femme Nikita (1990) directed by Luc Besson
Lists It Appears On:
- Christina D Spillman Film
- Empire Online
- IMDB
- Letterboxd
- Revolvy
- Taste Of Cinema
A beautiful felon, sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a policeman, is given a second chance – as a secret political assassin controlled by the government.
4 .) Mauvais Sang (1986) directed by Leos Carax
Lists It Appears On:
- Christina D Spillman Film
- Empire Online
- IMDB
- Letterboxd
- Revolvy
- Taste Of Cinema
A sexually transmitted disease called STBO is sweeping the country; it’s spread by having sex without emotional involvement, and most of its victims are teenagers who make love out of curiosity rather than commitment. While a serum that can treat the disease has been formulated, it’s been locked away in an inaccessible government building. A woman hires a man to steal the serum.
3 .) Subway (1985) directed by Luc Besson
Lists It Appears On:
- Christina D Spillman Film
- Empire Online
- IMDB
- Letterboxd
- Revolvy
- Taste Of Cinema
Fred, a raffish safe blower, takes refuge in the Paris Metro after being chased by the henchmen of a shady businessman from whom he has just stolen some documents. While hiding out in the back rooms and conduits of the Metro, Fred encounters a subterranean society of eccentric characters and petty criminals. Despite being pursued by the henchmen, Fred finds the time to flirt with Héléna, blow a safe, rob a train, evade the hapless Metro police, and start a rock band
2 .) Boy Meets Girl (1984) directed by Leos Carax
Lists It Appears On:
- Christina D Spillman Film
- Empire Online
- IMDB
- Letterboxd
- Liz Davis Cinema Du Look
- Revolvy
- Taste Of Cinema
Paris by night. Alex, 22, wants to become a filmmaker. He is fascinated by first times and his girlfriend, Florence, has just left him for his best friend, Thomas. First break-up, first attempted murder: Alex tries to strangle Thomas, but gives up and wanders the streets. That evening, Mireille, a girl from provincial France who has come up to Paris to make commercials, is left by her boyfriend. Alex witnesses this separation. These two tormented souls run into each other at a party… ×
1 .) Diva (1981) directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix
Lists It Appears On:
- Christina D Spillman Film
- Empire Online
- IMDB
- Letterboxd
- Liz Davis Cinema Du Look
- Revolvy
- Taste Of Cinema
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…
The 6 Additional Best Cinema Du Look Films
| # | Movies | Directors | Lists |
| 12 | King Lear | UP 689387 | |
| 13 | La Lune dans le caniveau (English: Moon in the Gutter) (1983) | Jean-Jacques Beineix | Revolvy |
| 14 | Leos Carax | UP 689387 | |
| 15 | Paradise Alley | UP 689387 | |
| 16 | pictured top | Empire Online | |
| 17 | The Cinema of France | UP 689387 | |
| 18 | The Last Battle | Empire Online | |
| 19 | The Moon in the Gutter | Letterboxd |
8 Best Cinema Du Look Film Sources/Lists
| Source | Article |
| Christina D Spillman Film | Cinema Du Look – IB Senior Film Assignments |
| Empire Online | Movie movements that defined cinema: Cinéma du look |
| IMDB | 10 Essential Films For An Introduction To Cinema du Look |
| Letterboxd | CINEMA DU LOOK: TOP 10, a list of films by Ziad Boulahsen |
| Liz Davis Cinema Du Look | Cinema Du Look |
| Revolvy | Cinéma du look |
| Taste Of Cinema | 10 Essential Films For An Introduction To Cinema du Look |
| UP 689387 | Cinema Du Look: Spectacle over substance? |
