Clubbed to Death (Lola) (1996)

Director:

Yolande Zauberman

Writers:

Noémie Lvovsky (writer)
Yolande Zauberman (writer)

Release Date:

25 June 1997 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Élodie Bouchez	...	Lola
Roschdy Zem	...	Emir
Béatrice Dalle	...	Saida
Richard Courcet	...	Ismael
Gérald Thomassin	...	Paul
Luc Lavandier	...	Pierre
Alex Descas	...	Mambo
Julie Bataille	...	Johanna
Philippe Roux	...	Bus Driver

Also Known As:

Dançar Até Morrer (Portugal)
Petite Lola, La (France) (working title)

Runtime:

France:90 min | UK:89 min

Country:

France | Portugal | Netherlands

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Germany:16 | France:-16 | Portugal:M/12 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Lisbon, Portugal

Company:

La Sept Cinéma

Trivia:

The film was inspired by the Rob Dougan techno song Clubbed to Death

Soundtrack:

Furious Angels

Delightful

This film is one of my personal favourites, although I doubt many people would call it a classic. It has a very luscious, stylish feel to it that isn't particularly common. There is something very French about it - while depressing in one sense, it is very warm and satisfying in another. The story is a fairly empty one about a young girl turned neophyte clubber on the outskirts of Paris, but it isn't really trying to convey a story so much as a feeling. The main characters - the pretty, upbeat, confused little girl and the faintly hopeless, depressed, drug-dependent boxer have very unique qualities that counteract each other in a compelling way, and the film ultimately deals with such issues as the pointlessness of life. What really elevates this film, though, is the soundtrack. Each track was carefully handpicked, and the dream-like club scenes are a sheer joy to watch. As the director Yolande Zauberman said (I think), the soundtrack is one of the main actors in this film. Although Rob D's 'Clubbed To Death' is the central pinnacle, there are many other exquisite offerings such as the more commercial 'Leave Home' by the Chemical Brothers, or Gavin Bryars' short orchestral 'Farewell To Philosophy Bar'. Certain tracks such as 'Rollin' & Scratchin' by the pop-status Daft Punk were in the film but failed to make it to the disc. It is also worth noting that all of the tracks used in this film were pretty obscure at the time - Daft Punk didn't make their breakthrough until about a year later.