Like their bullet-proof protagonists, nothing seems to stop the rise in popularity of comic book-based movies. With a built-in fanbase and opportunities aplenty for big explosions and cool costumes, it’s little surprise that some of the world’s most talented film-makers are diving into the genre – this year sees the likes of Kenneth Branagh (Thor), Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class), Martin Campbell (Green Lantern) and Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger) making movies based on comic characters.
Luc Besson, the great director of such classics as Leon, The Fifth Element and Le Grand Bleu (The Big Blue), is another who has been drawn to breathing life into a much-loved icon with his new film The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec. Based on the graphic novels of Jacques Tardi, it stars newcomer Louise Bourgoin as a proto-Lara Croft who faces off against extinct dinosaurs, telepathic powers and mummies as she attempts to save the life of her beloved sister.
Set in 1912 Paris, it’s a fun tale which delights in its source material. As Besson says, “For me it’s like skipping the main course and going straight to dessert, you know like a big ice cream, Chantilly, nuts, fudge and an umbrella and a cherry. I wanted to do something light and smiling and just fun.”
So here Besson gives us the vital ingredients for making the perfect comic-book movie…
Don’t get overwhelmed by the source material…
“It’s not so difficult to make a film at the best of times, but it’s even easier making a film from a comic book because you already have the storyboards drawn for you. It’s about the character of Adele and her crazy journey, that’s what I wanted to show. You basically have a lot of elements in the nine different books, so all you have to do is open the fridge which is full of all the ingredients you need to start cooking. Except in my case, the fridge is filled with pterodactyls, mummies and a couple of cops.”
Make sure you’ve got a strong central character – male or female…
I care for characters whether they are male or female. In the 80s, you would have Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Harrison Ford and Bruce Willis, they’d be all men and very testosterone driven and the women would just be in the back crying ‘When are you coming back?’. Obviously, that’s not fair. I enjoy this type of film but I’m always thinking, ‘Where are the women?’ They’re a big part of life. So I love strong characters, male or female.”
Don’t worry (too much) about pleasing the fans…
“The only one you have to care about is the creator [Jacques Tardi] because Adele is basically his daughter. We talked for months before I wrote one line. I told him what I like about her and he told me if he agreed with the direction I was going in. Then he read the script and he loved it. If you can make the creator happy, the person who brought this character to life, then the fans will be happy. If you start to care about the fan club, you just open a can of worms. If the creator’s on side, then everyone else must fall in. Happily, the only real complaint I got from the fans is we made Adele too beautiful.”
© Optimum Releasing
Choose the right story…
“We chose to adapt two stories from the original comics (Adele And The Beast and Mummies On Parade) because when you read a story it only takes you 30 minutes to finish it. That’s what I said to Tardi. I said ‘Jacques, I’m going to take some liberties with the story’ and he greed to let me do it. You need the basic story, which is Adele trying to save he sister’s life – which I love because any male hero has to fight to save the world, the country, capitalism… she doesn’t care at all about saving the world, she just wants to save her sister. So that’s the plot of the film and the rest, the pterodactyls and the mummies, is just colour.
Cast the right actors…
“For Adele, for sure you’ve got to get the right person. I saw a couple of very well-known actresses, but Louise, who is brand-new, was perfect for the role. She’s a new face so you don’t have to forget that she was great in this or in that and you can associate her straight away as being the real Adele Blanc-Sec. She has the face, the elegance, the voice fits well with the time and she’s just a very wonderful person.”
Leave things open for a sequel…?
“It’s funny that people have read the ending as a way of setting up a sequel. For me, it was just a way of saying that with Adele when you think it’s finished, it’s never finished. She always puts her feet in the shit somehow. Even when she goes on holiday it’s going to be a nightmare. If the first film is successful in a couple of countries, I’d love to do a sequel but it’s up to the audience to tell me if they want one first.”
Want more?
- Check out the official Adele Blanc-Sec movie web site
- More about Luc Besson -
- Visit RedBull.com’s film pages
- Popcorn Diaries: Stick to your Guns
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