This wildly artificial horror thriller marks the directing debut of French special-effects artist Jean-Christophe Comar, and pits real-life historical figure Francois Vidocq against a mysterious phantom dubbed "The Alchemist." Paris, 1830: As the city teeters on the brink of revolution against King Charles X, Vidocq (Gerard Depardieu), a reformed rogue who betrayed his criminal cohorts to join and overhaul the French police force, only to be forced out by jealous associates, fights for his life with a black-clad figure in a glass mask. Their battle, played out in a hellish glass-blowing factory, ends when Vidoq plunges into a pit of fire. His death is front-page news...
Released:
2001
Rated:
NR
Length:
98 mins