AfamousdirectorONtheslidingscaleofFrenchness,“Angel-A”—alow-budgetblack-and-whiteromanceinwhichadesperatecoupletravelthestreetsofParis,alternatelyrunningfromandchasingafteragangsterastheydebatethenatureandmeaningofexistence—wouldseematfirstglancetoregisterprettyhigh.UnlessyouwereamemberoftheFrenchcinematicelite,inwhichcaseyouranimustowardthewriter-director,LucBesson,longthemostHollywoodofFrenchfilmmakers,mightmakeyoususpectitsauthenticity.WhenitopenedinParisinDecember2005,criticswerepredictablyhostile:Undertheheadline“BessonStupidandTalkative,”thereviewerforthenewspaperLibérationsneeringlywrote,“Bessonthinkshecanbuyhimselfthetitleofauteur,butallheattainsisaparvenu’svulgarity.”IntheUnitedStates,Mr.Bessonisprimarilyknownasasuperiordirectorofstylish,mayhemic,evensoulfulfilmslike“LaFemmeNikita”and“Léon:TheProfessional.”ButinFrance,acrossEuropeandthroughoutAsiaheisabonafidecelebrity:auteurandentrepreneur,starmakerandmogul,andafirst-classpurveyorofblockbusterescapistfantasy.Overa30-yearcareerhehasnotonlydirected10features(SonyPicturesClassicswillrelease“Angel-A”hereonMay25)buthasalsowrittenandproduceddozensmore,includingahandfulofthemostcommerciallysuccessfulFrenchmoviesever.Intheprocesshehasalmostsingle-handedlydraggedFrenchcinema,kickingandscreaming,fromthearthouseintothemultiplex.TothechagrinofFrenchcriticsandcinephiles,thescaleofthissuccesshasreorientedFrenchfilmmakingawayfromtheliterary-intellectualtraditionforwhichitisfamed.Jean-PierreJeunet’s“Amelie,”asentimentalcrowdpleaserthatstraddledHollywoodandFrenchromanticcomedyconventions,wouldbeunthinkablewithoutMr.Besson;sotootheslick,explosivebig-budgetgenrefilmslike“TheCrimsonRivers”and“BrotherhoodoftheWolf”thathaveplayedaroundtheworld.AsaresultMr.Bessonhasroutinelyfoundhimselfunderattackbycriticalessayswithtitleslike“BessonMurderedMyCinema.”Mr.Besson,nothingifnotobstinate,makesnoapologiesforhiswork.“InFrancewehavethisproblem,”hesaid.“Wecannotadmitthatmoviesarealsoanindustry,thatamovieisalsofun.”At48thebroad-shouldered,huskyMr.Bessonexhibitsfewofthequalitiesoftheauteur,beginningwithhisunprepossessingappearance(rarelywillyouencounterhiminanythingmoreformalthanapairofblackLevi’sandadark-coloredthermalT-shirt)andextendingtoanaversiontotypicalFrench-artistehabitslikecigarettesmoking,orcoffeeorwineconsumption.PerhapsthingswouldbedifferentifhehadgonetoLaFémis,theFrenchNationalFilmSchool.ButasMr.Bessontellsit,whenhewas18,in1977,heapplied,andinapreliminaryinterview,anadministratoraskedhimwhichdirectorshemostadmired.Mr.BessonnamedStevenSpielberg,MartinScorseseandMilosForman,beforetheinterviewercuthimoff,saying:“That’senough.Idon’tthinkyoubelonghere.”ThroughouthislifeMr.Bessonhasneverquitebelonged.HewasborninParis,toparentswholedanomadiclifeasClubMedscubainstructorsinItaly,GreeceandYugoslavia.Anaturalswimmer,diverandstudentofsealife,hewasalsoasolitarychild.Whenhewas10,hisparentsmovedbacktoFrance,divorcedandmarriedothers.“Herethereistwofamilies,andIamtheonlybadsouvenirofsomethingthatdoesn’twork,”hesaid.“AndifIdisappear,theneverythingisperfect.Theragetoexistcomesfromhere.Ihavetodosomething!OtherwiseIamgoingtodie.”Heescapedbydivingdeepinsidehimself,writinglong,fantasticadventurestories,whichhedidn’tshowanyone.Afewmonthsbeforehighschoolgraduation,Mr.Besson’sstepfatherarrangedforhimtoassistthecre...
