Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre
| Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jean-Paul Salomé |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by |
Jean-Paul Salomé Danièle Thompson Jérôme Tonnerre |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Bruno Coulais |
| Cinematography | Jean-François Robin |
| Edited by | Suzy Elmiger |
| Distributed by | Bac Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Budget | € 16,000,000[1] |
Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre (French: Belphégor – Le fantôme du Louvre) is a 2001 French fantasy film directed by Jean-Paul Salomé and starring Sophie Marceau, Michel Serrault, Frédéric Diefenthal, and Julie Christie.[1] Written by Salomé, Danièle Thompson, and Jérôme Tonnerre, the film is about a mummy's spirit that possesses a woman (Sophie Marceau) in the Paris museum. Loosely based on the 1927 horror novel Belphégor by Arthur Bernède, this film is the third dramatized adaptation, following the first film in 1927, and a TV miniseries in 1965. Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre was filmed on location at the Musée du Louvre, the first feature film to be shot in part inside the world-famous museum.[2]
Plot
A rare collection of artifacts from an archeological dig in Egypt are brought to the famous Musée du Louvre in Paris. While experts are using a laser scanning device to determine the age of a sarcophagus, a spirit escapes and makes its way into the museum's electrical system. Museum curator Faussier (Jean-Francois Balmer) brings in noted Egyptologist, Glenda Spencer (Julie Christie), to examine the findings, and she announces that the mummy inside the coffin was actually the evil spirit Belphegor.
Meanwhile, Lisa (Sophie Marceau), a young woman who lives across the street from the museum, follows her runaway cat into the Louvre after closing time. She accidentally receives an electrical shock that transfers the stray spirit into her body. Soon Lisa is disguising herself as Belphegor and making off with the rare Egyptian treasures on display at the museum, convinced that they are rightfully hers. When Belphegor proves more than a match for the Louvre's security forces, renowned detective Verlac (Michel Serrault) is brought out of retirement to find out why the museum's Egyptian collection has been shrinking.
Cast
- Sophie Marceau as Lisa
- Michel Serrault as Verlac
- Frédéric Diefenthal as Martin
- Julie Christie as Glenda Spender
- Jean-François Balmer as Bertrand Faussier
- Patachou as Geneviève
- Lionel Abelanski as Simonnet
- Françoise Lépine as Suzanne Dupré
- François Levantal as Mangin
- Jacques Martial as Félix
- Philippe Maymat as Bob
- Pierre Aussedat as Pierre Desfontaines
- Matteo Vallon as Cemetery employee
- Jean-Claude Bolle-Reddat as Cemetery warden
- Juliette Gréco as Woman in the cemetery[3]
Reception
Box office
The film earned €1,958,978 in box office receipts.
Critical response
The film received generally negative reviews.
References
- 1 2 "Belphégor – Le fantôme du Louvre". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ↑ Deming, Mark. "Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre". Allmovie. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ↑ "Full cast and crew for Belphégor – Le fantôme du Louvre". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
External links
- Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre at the Internet Movie Database
- Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre at AllMovie