I’m sorry about the death of Diva helmer Jean-Jacques_Beineix, who was 75. And I can’t quite believe it opened in France 41 years ago (March ’81) and in the States 13 months later. Rave reviews led to Diva becoming the hottest big-city film anywhere (did it even play in rural areas?). I remember with absolute clarity that it was essential to see Diva as soon as possible after it caught on. Color, design, black humor, wonderful Parisian atmosphere. One of the images that has lingered over the decades is the stressed interior of the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord (37 bis, boulevard de la Chappelle, 18th arrondissement, near Gare du Nord).
