Customer Reviews
Historical thriller - By: Ogun Eratalay, 05 Jul 2008 
Vidocq is a famous criminal in the 1830's France. But he spurns his murderous actions one day & turns himself in to the police. Then he informs about alll his accomplices to the law eventuallly becoming a detective from an informer. He climbs the ladders of lawful life establishing his own agency with a friend. One day he is disappeared & rumour has it that he has been murdered by demon like being with no face. An investigative journalist decides to investigate the case & the story unfolds. The film depicts an interesting time, France in the 1830's. Reign of Charles X is about to cause an uprising among working class, a revolution is in the making. The misery of the common people, the helplessness of the poor families & the corruption is showed very realisticallly. Also the luxury life of the rich & the elite is shockingly worlds away from the general misery. The scenery & the in-city shots are wonderful as the music of the film. The film revolves about a fantastic sequence of events so the historical background is not emphasized enough. The soul stealing aspects of the creature etc did not suit the level of the film. Depardieu acts brilliantly as the once criminal detective. Vidocq in real life is the first private detective Eugène François Vidocq whom Victor Hugo got his inspiration for Jean Valjean in The Miserables. As for me I only focused on the historical background of the film & quite frankly was not interested in the fantastic thriller part which I must say lacks plausibility.
One of my all time faves! - By: insert name here, 15 Jun 2007 
Great, intriguing, very dark story & stunning fight scenes - can't wait until amazon stock it :( Watch it once if just for the experience, but my guess is you'll love as much as me!
This is not a sequel! - By: Mr. S. Jenkinson, 09 May 2007 The 2001 French movie 'Vidocq' is an excellent gothic fantasy about the battle of wits between murderer turned police chief / detective Vidocq, & the sinister, supernatural Alchemist.
If, as I did, you see this title & think it's a sequel then you are mistaken... it's the exact same movie, although there's nothing in the info given here that would alert you to the fact. They even gave it a different name.
Vidocq is a great movie & well worth a viewing but don't buy this title thinking you're in for a sequel treat.
