IRMA VEP Criterion Review: Olivier Assayas’ International Breakthrough, Remastered

Ever since his 1986 debut Disorder, Olivier Assayas has proven himself as one of the world’s most fascinating and innovative filmmakers currently working. His decades-spanning career has taken audiences to places no other director could ever dream of, tracing the journeys of various characters through love, life, death, age, and intrigue. From the timeless romance Cold Water to the early 21st-century espionage thriller Demonlover, to the haunting ghost story Personal Shopper, Assayas’ filmography is one of a fascinatingly unique and unpredictable caliber.

Regardless of what Assayas connoisseurs consider their respective favorite out of his entire body of work, it’s irrefutable that his most iconic film remains his 1996 breakthrough, Irma Vep. Starring the electrifying Maggie Cheung in the lead role (portraying a version of herself), Assayas’ film follows Cheung as she embarks on a tumultuous filmmaking journey throughout Paris after being cast in a remake of Louis Feuillade‘s 1915 ten-part crime serial Les Vampires. While on set, she encounters clashing artistic visions and has trouble making sense of the project itself, helmed by a long-in-the-tooth French filmmaker played by New Wave veteran Jean-Pierre Léaud.

To call Assayas a staple of Criterion’s catalog would be a pretty grand understatement, with five of his films (Cold Water, Summer Hours, Carlos, Clouds of Sils Maria, and Personal Shopper) having received editions from the heralded distribution company in the past. As such, a Criterion edition of Irma Vep was practically inevitable, and the film has finally been prepared for release as part of their March 2021 lineup. Inside the traditional Criterion jewel case (complete with a beautiful cover and an equally stunning interior), a leaflet is stored, housing information about the film and its transfer in addition to an essay by critic Aliza Ma, titled “Film in Flux”.

Video: 5/5

As noted in the “About the Transfer” section, Irma Vep is presented on Blu-Ray in its original aspect ratio of 1:66:1, in a new 2K digital restoration. It’s stated that this new restoration was undertaken from the original 16mm and 35mm camera negatives at Éclair in Vanves, France, with the support of the CNC. The new restoration was approved by Olivier Assayas himself, and unsurprisingly, it looks fantastic.

Describing the style of Irma Vep is a fairly difficult task as the visual approach Assayas brings to the narrative is a blend of contemporary and older techniques. Likewise, the film’s atmosphere reflects this, fluctuating between a clearly composed approach and a visibly abrasive one. Overall, it’s one of the most visually unique films of the ’90s and the Criterion disc is quite possibly the best it has ever looked, pulsating with a radiant ambiance that is simultaneously both welcoming and disconcerting. While watching Cheung take in the city of Paris, the viewer is essentially exposed to two sides of the same coin as every environment is surrounded by a mixture of amiable filmmakers and the clashing egos that arise between them.

Shot on 16mm film by cinematographer Éric Gautier (who further collaborated with Assayas on Clean, Summer Hours, and Something in the Air), every frame is permeated by a distinguishable grainy structure, heightening the already gorgeous aura with an immersive textural clarity that exudes vibrancy at every turn. This is sourced from the same negative as the 2018 UK Arrow Academy release of the film and as a whole, this is irrefutably the superior version. Grain is more stable, surrounding environments and characters in a noticeably precise and discernible manner. Frankly, this is one of the best-looking Blu-Rays Criterion has ever released.

Audio: 5/5

There’s only one audio track included on this release of Irma Vep (French DTS-HD 5.1). As noted in the “About the Transfer” section, this 5.1 surround soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm magnetic tracks and restored by L.E. Diapason in Paris. It’s a terrific-sounding track that provides a relatively substantial auditory envelope to the gorgeous visual flair of the scenery and cinematography. Dialogue is crisp and is often easy enough to hear, while both English and English SDH subtitles are provided on the disc.

Not unlike other Assayas films, Irma Vep often utilizes music to its advantage in brilliant ways that function well with the dynamic atmosphere of certain scenes, and Criterion’s edition of the film doesn’t falter at all here. Luna’s “Bonnie and Clyde” plays in the background of a sequence near the film’s midpoint but the variation of the music never overtakes any dialogue outside of when it’s gradually built up to a transition into the next sequence. Sonic Youth’s “Tunic (Song for Karen)” also makes an appearance and serves as a perfect example of how music blends with what’s onscreen to create a singularly striking sensation.

Special Features: 5/5

In regards to special features, Criterion has really gone all out for their edition of Irma Vep. Similar to their recent edition of Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder (also out this month), the supplements are spread over two discs. All descriptions below are taken directly from the discs themselves.

Disc One includes:

• Olivier Assayas: The following interview with director Olivier Assayas was recorded by the Criterion Collection in January 2021.
• Olivier Assayas and Charles Tesson: In the following interview, recorded in 2003, director Olivier Assayas and critic Charles Tesson discuss their love of Asian cinema, their visit to Hong Kong in 1984, and how Maggie Cheung came to star in Irma Vep.
• Maggie Cheung and Nathalie Richard: In this 2003 interview, actors Maggie Cheung and Nathalie Richard recall the making of Irma Vep.
• On the Set of Irma Vep: Presented here are thirty minutes of behind-the-scenes footage from the making of Irma Vep.

Disc Two includes:

• Les Vampires: Hypnotic Eyes: Les vampires, a ten-part 1915-16 film serial by Louis Feuillade, follows a gang of jewel thieves known as the Vampires; their criminal rival, Moreno; the journalist on their tails, Philipe; and Philipe’s sidekick, Mazamette. The following fifty-eight-minute episode, Hypnotic Eyes, was sixth in the series and features the leader of the Vampires gang, Irma Vep, who helped inspire the eponymous film by Olivier Assayas.
• Musidora, the Tenth Muse: This 2013 documentary by Patrick Cazals features family and friends of Musidora, as well as scholars, looking back on the life of the actor, musical-hall performer, and pioneering filmmaker, who originated the role of Irma Vep in Louis Feuillade’s serial Les vampires.
• State of Cinema, 2020: Invited by the Belgian publisher Sabzian to discuss the state of cinema, director Olivier Assayas gave the following address, titled “Cinema in the Present Tense,” in June 2020.
• Man Yuk: A Portrait of Maggie Cheung: Olivier Assayas made the following short film in 1997 as a commission for the Foundation Cartier pour l’art contemporian in Paris.
• Black-and-White Rushes

Overall Score: 5/5

Olivier Assayas is a director whose films are all wildly different from one another, yet their rich thematic texture remains intact across his entire filmography. While his earlier outings certainly showed signs of the filmmaker he would evolve into, I find it was with Irma Vep that he really hit his stride. A staggeringly confident work, Assayas’ analysis of self-actualization’s flexibility and frailty amongst a cinematic backdrop is fronted by Maggie Cheung in one of her greatest performances. Irma Vep observes multiple facets of the filmmaking process and explores the identities of those both in front of and behind the camera, offering unique musings on cinema while combining an imagery merge of realism and fantasy.

The film’s new transfer, restored from the original camera negative and slated to be released on Blu-Ray at the end of the month, is stunning on every level and stands as the definitive way to experience this masterpiece. One of the best films of the ’90s, Irma Vep remains essential viewing, and Criterion’s new remaster of the film and sizable supplemental material are sure to draw in both new and returning viewers.

Irma Vep will be released on April 27, courtesy of Criterion.