Blu-ray:
DVD:

Cert:

Running time: 102 minutes

Year: 1985

Cat no: OPTBD1638

Released: September 2009

Region(s): 2, PAL

Chapters: 12 plus extras

Picture: 1080p High Definition

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Technovision)

16:9-Enhanced: Yes

Macrovision: Yes

Disc Format: BD50

Price: £24.99 (Blu-ray); £15.99 (DVD)

Extras: Trailer

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Director:

Luc Besson (Angel-A, Arthur and the Invisibles, Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard, Arthur and the Two Worlds War, Atlantis, The Big Blue, The Fifth Element, The Last Combat, Leon, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, Nikita, Subway)

Producers:

Luc Besson and François Ruggieri

Screenplay:

Luc Besson, Pierre Jolivet, Alain Le Henry, Marc Perrier and Sophie Schmit

Music:

Eric Serra

Cast :

Fred: Christopher Lambert
Héléna: Isabelle Adjani
The Florist: Richard Bohringer
Inspector Gesberg: Michel Galabru
The Roller Skater: Jean-Hugues Anglade
The Station Master: Jean Bouise
Inspector Batman: Jean-Pierre Bacri
Robin: Jean-Claude Lecas
Jean: Pierre-Ange Le Pogam
The Drummer: Jean Reno
The Bassist: Eric Serra
The Singer: Arthur Simms
The Guitarist: Michel D'Oz
The Saxophonist: Alain Guillard
The Percussionist: Jimmy Blanche
The Salesman: Benoît Régent
Big Bill: Christian Gomba
The Subway Driver (uncredited): Luc Besson

As the tagline to the film suggests, everything that matters takes place underground and we begin by seeing Fred (Christopher Lambert) take cover from some dinner-suited men which were after him in the car chase that opens the story. We learn that he's broken into the safe of Héléna (Isabelle Adjani) and is demanding 10,000 Francs in return for what he stole, and she's playing hardball. He meets up with The Roller (Jean-Hugues Anglade), who snatches handbags and other items, around 11 times a week according to the police, because it's easy to do so on rollerskates, and the film takes in some other characters who frequent the underground: The Florist (Richard Bohringer), The Drummer (Jean Reno), a black weightlifter called Big Bill (Christian Gomba and the man who wants to track down both Fred and The Roller, Inspector Gesberg (Michel Galabru). As time goes on in Subway, we see the events of what goes on down there between the characters, and also of Héléna, who stumbles upon the underground network of tunnels whilst still in pursuit of Fred and the papers she wants him to give back. Fred, himself, starts to organise a band made up of all the musicians he comes across. Subway was the only one of four films that I'm reviewing in a collection of Luc Besson films getting the Blu-ray treatment that I hadn't seen before, but while I was initially gripped by the wonderful '80s electropop soundtrack, as it all progressed, it just didn't seem to have any direction and there was nothing to make you particularly care about any of the characters. A shame as I'm a massive fan of the other three movies, Leon, The Big Blue and Nikita, but this one just fell flat.

The picture is nicely detailed at times in close-ups, but the print has some shimmering that's mostly notable in the black sections of the image, while at other times it just looks like a very hazy print. Not good and not what you'd expect from Blu-ray. The film is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen frame with Luc Besson's usual style and touch, and I'm watching on a Panasonic 37" Plasma screen via a Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-ray player. The sound is in Dolby Digital 2.0 and sounds great for the '80s soundtrack, but it's a shame there's no DTS 5.1 mix to give us split-surround effects, but then again it just tells a story from start to finish without the need for SFX. The only extra is a Trailer (1:57) in anamorphic 2.35:1, which is disappointing for such a trumpeted release. The menu mixes in images of the subway to a glittering lights effect, with a small segment of music playing behind it - the only performed by the band at the end. There are English subtitles but the Chaptering is, again for Optimum, appalling with just 12 over the 102-minute running time.

FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS
OVERALL

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2009.

DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.

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