I’d never seen Diva before this new 4K release, and I’m glad I waited. Powered by exquisite cinematography punctuated by stunning color design, the film makes superb use of HDR capabilities to deliver a transformative viewing experience. While many older films find only marginal improvements via 4K, Diva appears to be entirely worth the upgrade.
Buy Diva 4K UHDWriter/director Jean-Jacques Beineix’s languorous, dreamy tale follows a hapless young postman named Jules (Frederic Andrei) as he gets involved in not one but two high-stakes chases for tapes containing valuable audio recordings. The first is a bootleg tape of his own making: a secret high-quality concert recording of a reclusive opera diva. The second is a tape incriminating the corrupt chief of police as the head of the Parisian prostitution ring. With shady Taiwanese music industry thugs on one side and the chief’s hitmen on the other, Jules is on the run fairly often. He somehow also finds time to develop an unlikely friendship with the diva, as well as hide out with a comely young art student and her middle-aged benefactor.
Beineix’s assured direction allows ample space for the characters to develop and simply exist, with none of the principals seeming to have any pressing time commitments in spite of the looming danger. Jules chills at the artsy loft hideout while the girl lazily rollerskates around it, and moons over the diva at her hotel and elsewhere, whiling away the time with simple human interactions celebrating the joy of simply being alive. Sure, there’s a primary thriller plotline to resolve via sporadic chases, and Beineix handles those tense moments with aplomb, but the bulk of the film is surprisingly tranquil.
The new 4K/Blu-ray combo pack boasts a brand new HDR/Dolby Vision master from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. The DTS-HD Master Audio sound does its best with the original bland, 2.0 stereo mix, but the visuals are where this film excels. It’s almost as if Beineix’s full vision is only now revealed, with HDR bumping up the vibrancy of his meticulous attention to color theory.
His principal hue is blue, utilized in lighting that pops off the screen with electric intensity, as well as in more muted, coordinating tones in the loft, representing serenity and calmness. He accents with red, primarily via Jules’ postman jacket worn as he dashes away from pursuers, as well as his red moped in chase scenes and the overall bloody effects of violence. The diva coloring is neutral, balancing out the chaos threatening to engulf Jules, with her hotel suite bathed in white and cream tones, as well as her white performing gown which Jules temporarily steals. Breathtaking shot compositions further enhance the film, with some particularly artful selections during a coastal jaunt near the conclusion.
The package is stacked with bonus features, including scene-specific commentary by Beineix, a full commentary track by a film critic, two features with the director, and seven different interview features with assorted members of the cast and crew. It’s a full-featured presentation of this groundbreaking classic, reaffirming its place as one of the all-time greats.
