Irma Vep (1996): A Satirical Take on Filmmaking

Before you stream the new HBO series 'Irma Vep' (Starring Alicia Vikander), you might need to go back in time and watch this french cult classic starring Maggie Cheung.

Quick Synopsis: In hopes of making a comeback in the movie industry, Réne Vidal decides to revisit the french silent film 'Les vampires' about a group of thieves led by a notorious female 'Irma Vep', Réne invites Chinese star Maggie Cheung to play the role of Irma Vep, but things soon start unfolding as misunderstandings arise on the sets of the movie. Maggie starts behaving like Irma Vep in real life.

The movie begins with an agency, people bustling around answering calls and getting their work done. Soon enough we're introduced to our main lead Maggie who flew from China to start her shoot for Irma Vep. The moment she arrives we notice that she doesn't know the language which bars her from interacting with the staff. The language barrier is quite evident throughout the film, how due to her inability to speak their language she is almost left out of conversations and is sometimes left uninformed about shooting schedules. The myth of how a 'star' is treated on set is busted when you see how Maggie is treated on the sets, the staff is ignorant towards her except for Zoe.

Zoe is introduced to Maggie and the audience as her costume designer. Zoe is instantly attracted to Maggie and accompanies her everywhere. Zoe's attraction toward Maggie is obvious from the get-go. Maggie gradually becomes an object of desire to Zoe. Her obsession with Maggie goes beyond the skintight latex catsuit. But Zoe isn't the only one expressing her desire for Maggie. Réne, on the other hand, is fascinated by Maggie's 'movements' making her a subject of the male gaze, also hiding their fetishes in the name of professionalism. The Artist-Muse relationship leads to Maggie disassociating herself to be Irma Vep. Réne's obsession leads to his destruction, eventually, he is replaced by another director.

Olivier gives a clear image of how filmmaking works, there's no magic to it. Instead, it's people on the verge of breaking into fights, an immense amount of misunderstandings leading to a chaotic mess, and the staff being overworked. Réne's fickle-mindedness is the sole cause of miscoordination. But when the other director takes the reigns, he questions the need for a Chinese actress in a French film. A French cult classic with a Chinese main lead? He demands Maggie be removed and wants her stunt double as the main lead, who is a white woman. This further shows how people essentially have their own fetishes and incorporate that into their work. This also boosts the male gaze narrative.

To conclude, Olivier in a satirical way deconstructs the myths of filmmaking and unearths the already confusing Artist-Muse relationship. Maggie Cheung despite having minimal dialogue does a tremendous job at showing her character's slow slip into someone else. She manages to captivate the audience. So, before you watch the new HBO series (also directed by Assayas) watch this classic and absorb the madness of Irma Vep.

You can watch the movie on MUBI

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