History Film / Vidocq

''Vidocq'' is a French supernatural thriller from 2001, featuring Creator/GerardDepardieu as the title character. It is notable for being the very first film shot entirely with a digital camera.

* AmbiguousGender: The Alchemist's gender is left ambiguous for a good part of the film. His fighting style reminds of SheFu, and he even utteres female sighs and giggles during the fights. [[spoiler:At the end, however, he is proved to be a man.]]

* {{Acrofatic}}: The title character is quite agile, in spite of his thick belly.
* AmbiguousGender: The Alchemist's gender is left ambiguous for a good part of the film, given uttered female sighs and giggles while fighting.

* BadassNormal: Although he is not at the physical level of the eternally young Alchemist, Vidocq is able to hold his own quite well against him.
** Of course [[spoiler: once the Alchemist is BroughtDownToNormal]] Vidocq [[spoiler: [[CurbStompBattle hands him his ass on a platter.]]]]

* ConfusionFu: Due to his flowing robe and strange movements, it's not easy at all to distinguish The Alchemist's movements during a fight, something which he capitalizes to land hits on Vidocq in sucession.
* DanceBattler: The Alchemist's fighting style resembles late UsefulNotes/{{capoeira}} at some points, in contrast with the more stern savate practised by Vidocq.

* TheEndOrIsIt: [[spoiler:As the characters are walking away from the graveyard at the end of the film, someone is shown spying on them from inside a crypt, with light reflecting from a mirrored surface.]]

* ImpaledWithExtreMePrejudice: [[spoiler:Vidocq impales the Alchemist with a huge mirror shard, and sends him [[DestinationDefenestration crashing through a window]]]].

For a more grounded and RealLife-based cinematic take on Vidocq, see ''Film/TheEmperorOfParis''.

* ScoobyDooHoax: Played with. At first it seems that the murders are this, but then it turns out that the Alchemist ''really is'' a supernatural killer. Said that, the murders themselves are a hoax played straight.

1830. As the July Revolution looms in the horizon, former Sûreté officer now working as private detective Eugène-François Vidocq disappears while searching a masked killer named The Alchemist. His biographer Etienne Boisset then starts tracking his movements, while The Alchemist tracks his.

1830. As the July Revolution looms in the horizon, private detective [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Fran%C3%A7ois_Vidocq Eugène-François Vidocq]] disappears while searching a masked killer named The Alchemist. His biographer Etienne Boisset then starts tracking his movements, while The Alchemist tracks his.

1830. As the July Revolution looms in the horizon, private detective Vidocq disappears while searching a masked killer named The Alchemist. His biographer Etienne Boisset then starts tracking his movements, while The Alchemist tracks his.

For a more realistic cinematic take on the namesake HistoricalDomainCharacter, see ''Film/TheEmperorOfParis''.

* AmbiguousGender: The Alchemist's gender is left ambiguous for a good part of the film, given that he utters female sighs and giggles while fighting.

* TheEndOrIsIt: [[spoiler:As the characters are walking away from the graveyard at the end of the film, someone is shown spying on them from inside a crypt.]]

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Happens quite literally to [[spoiler:Vidocq's partner Nimier]] in the climactic fight. [[spoiler: He shoots the Alchemist in the face with his shot pistol - cue the Alchemist's mask absorbing the shot balls like it was made from mercury, [[AttackReflector then sending them back]] out in the opposite direction as fast as they were going, resulting in Nimier catching the full brunt of the blast in the chest and dying soon afterwards.]]

* MightyWhiteyAndMellowYellow: {{Subverted|Trope}}. Vidocq's lover Preah is an entertainer whose act is about [[{{Yellowface}} passing herself off as an exotic southeast asian]] dancer, but she's actually a frenchwoman. It's implied they're together because he saw the real her through the disguise.

* ReformedCriminal: Vidocq was this, both in the film and in RealLife.

* ScoobyDooHoax: Played with. At first it seems that the murders are this, but then it turns out that the Alchemist ''really is'' a supernatural killer.

''Vidocq'' is a French supernatural thriller from 2001, featuring Creator/GerardDepardieu as the title character. It is notable for being the very first film shot entirely with a numerical camera.

''Vidocq'' is a French supernatural thriller from 2001, featuring Creator/GerardDepardieu as the title character.

* ImpaledWithExtreMePrejudice: [[spoiler:Vidocq impales the Alchemist with a huge mirror shard, and sends him [[DestinationDefenestration crashing through a window]].

1830. As the July Revolution looms in the horizon, private detective Vidocq (the very first one in France) disappears while searching a masked killer named The Alchemist. His biographer Etienne Boisset then starts tracking his movements, while The Alchemist tracks his.

* GigglingVillain: The Alchemist.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Fran%C3%A7ois_Vidocq Vidocq again]].

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Happens quite literally to [[spoiler:Vidocq's partner Nimier]] in the climactic fight. [[spoiler: He shoots the Alchemist in the face with his shot pistol - cue the Alchemist's mask absorbing the shot balls like it was made from mercury, then sending them back out in the opposite direction as fast as they were going, resulting in Nimier catching the full brunt of the blast in the chest and dying soon afterwards.]]

* TheKillerInMe: [[spoiler:It turns out that Etienne is the Alchemist himself, who tries to find and eliminate all clues leading to him that Vidocq left.]]
* MaskOfPower: The Alchemist's mask is made out of [[MagicMirror mirror]] that he uses to [[YourSoulIsMine eat the souls of his victims]]. For extra creepiness, it also makes the victim see their own dying face while looking at him.
* MightyWhiteyAndMellowYellow: {{Subverted|Trope}}. Vidocq's lover Preah is an entertainer whose act is about passing herself off as an exotic southeast asian dancer, but she's actually a frenchwoman. It's implied they're together because he saw the real her through the disguise.

* ProtagonistTitle

* TheReveal: [[spoiler:Vidocq has been FakingTheDead to trap the Alchemist, who turns out to be Etienne]].
* SerialKiller: The Alchemist.
* SequelHook: At the end of the film, [[spoiler:The Alchemist is shown to be quite alive.]]

* SoftGlass: Made into [[{{Foreshadowing}} a subtle hint]] of future plot development, as the Alchemist (a walking defiance of physics) jumps through a large window and several stories to the ground, walking away unharmed. [[spoiler:Later on, Etienne does the same thing]].

* CharacterTitle

* AmbiguousGender: The Alchemist's gender is left ambiguous for a good part of the film, given that he utters female sighs and giggling while fighting.

* DanceBattler: The Alchemist's fighting style resembles UsefulNotes/{{capoeira}} at some points, in contrast with the more stern savate practised by Vidocq.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Happens quite literally [[spoiler: to Vidocq's partner Nimier]] in the climactic fight. [[spoiler: He shoots the Alchemist in the face with his shot pistol - cue the Alchemist's mask absorbing the shot balls like it was made from mercury, then sending them back out in the opposite direction as fast as they were going, resulting in Nimier catching the full brunt of the blast in the chest and dying soon afterwards.]]

* PosthumousCharacter: Vidocq himself.

* GeniusBruiser: Vidocq. Large, strong, surprisingly fast, manages to hold his own in fights against supernaturally-empowered foe, has a crime lab {{Batman}} would be proud of had he lived in the 1830's, and is the father of modern criminal science.

* [[spoiler:TheKillerInMe: It turns out that Etienne is the Alchemist himself, who tries to find and eliminate all clues leading to him that Vidocq left.]]

* GeniusBruiser: Vidocq. Large, strong, surprisingly fast, manages to hold his own in fights against supernaturally-empowered foe, has a crime lab {{Batman}}

* GeniusBruiser: Vidocq.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter
* ImmortalityImmorality: Alchemist's mask grants him immortality and eternal youth by storing and slowly draining the souls of people who died staring into his mask. Said mask must be tempered in the blood of about 100 virgins as part of its construction and periodic reforging.

* MaskOfPower: The Alchemist's mask is made out of [[MagicMirror mirror]] that he uses to [[YourSoulIsMine eat the souls of his victims]]. For extra creepiness, it also makes the victim see their own dying face while looking at him.
* OffscreenTeleportation: The Alchemist not only teleports offscreen but also manages to change his position in absolutely impossible movements. However, this is consistent with the villains' impossible nature, who even manages to have two left arms in one scene.

* ImmortalityImmorality: Alchemist's mask grants him immortality and eternal youth by storing and slowly draining the souls of people who died staring into his mask.

* ScoobyDooHoax: Played with. At first it seems that the murders are this, but then it turns out that the Alchemist is ''really'' a supernatural killer.

* SoftGlass: Made into [[{{Foreshadowing}} a subtle hint]] of future plot development, as Alchemist (a walking defiance of physics) jumps through a large window and several stories to the ground, walking away unharmed. [[spoiler:Later on, Etienne does the same thing]].
* VirginSacrifice: The Alchemist requires the blood of young female virgins to keep the mask that gives him his powers in the mend. The details are unclear, but one escaped subject seemed to have had her tongue cut out, and his laboratory contained mutilated human remains and rags that may have started out as human skins.

* ScoobyDooHoax: Played with. At first it seems that the murders are this, but then it turns out that Alchemist ''is'' a supernatural killer.

1830. As the July Revolution looms in the horizon, private detective Vidocq (the very first one) disappears while searching a masked killer named The Alchemist. His biographer Etienne Boisset then starts tracking his movements, while The Alchemist tracks his.

''Vidocq'' is a supernatural thriller from 2001, featuring Creator/GerardDepardieu as the title character.

As TheFrenchRevolution looms in the horizon, private detective Vidocq (the very first one) disappears while searching a masked killer named The Alchemist. His biographer Etienne Boisset then starts tracking his movements, while The Alchemist tracks his.