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Diva (1981)

Cynthia Hawkins

Jules, a postman, is in love with a Diva and he loves opera. Jules secretly and illegally records a concert by Cynthia Hawkins, (The Diva). Cynthia Hawkins has never consented to have her performances recorded. Jules also manages to steal her dress. Jules hires a Black street prostitute to wear the dress and he makes love to her, an obvious Cynthia Hawkins substitute. He also happens, unbeknown to him, to be in possession of another recording of a young prostitute exposing the whereabouts of a gang of criminals and their accomplices in the police. The prostitute drops the recording in the bag of the postman’s moped moments before she is assassinated. Jules is then pursued by several parties: honest policemen, corrupted policemen and local gangsters, who want the prostitute recording, and Taiwanese gangsters who want the Diva recording. He manages to escape them thanks to a couple of his friends who save him. The street prostitute that Jules uses as a Cynthia Hawkins substitute, is somehow connected to the murdered prostitute. A thrilling (and brilliantly photographed) chase through the Paris Metro makes DIVA a International Classic, and one of my very favorite movies. When I saw this on the Big Screen, I was mesmerized by the beautiful photography, and the love story that evolves between Jules and the Diva. The films’ sound track is fantastic, it helps to keep you on the edge of your seat. 5*****Stars.