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. 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.
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
Reception
Box office
The film earned €1,958,978 in box office receipts.
Critical response
The film received generally negative reviews.
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
Reception
Box office
The film earned €1,958,978 in box office receipts.
Critical response
The film received generally negative reviews.
Post a Comment