Cinema in Louisiana: from the origins to the New Hollywood
It was in 1898 that cinema arrived in Louisiana, brought by the filmmakers and operators of the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company. With their cameras, these directors filmed the loading of a Steamboat and of course the Mardi Gras, which remains one of the favorite subjects of these early years of local cinema. In 1918, the film Tarzan in the Apes was the first major filming to take place between Louisiana and California. It wasn't until the 1930s that other Hollywood forays into Louisiana brought collaborations, such as William Wyler's Jezebel (1938). A period film telling the story of a Southern woman (Bette Davis) who loses her fiancé (played by the young Henry Fonda) and vows to win him back. The golden period before the Civil War was also the setting for Frenchman René Clair's La belle ensorceleuse (1941), starring Marlene Dietrich. But perhaps the most famous film featuring New Orleans is A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). Adapted by Elia Kazan from the eponymous play by Tennessee Williams, this film revealed Marlon Brando and iconized his famous white shirt and jeans, while bringing a small revolution in Hollywood acting. Walking around the Vieux Carré, you will feel the sweaty atmosphere of the film, but you will not be able to visit the sets created in California. Streetcar 922, a vehicle restored for the film, still operates today with other machines from the same period on the St. Charles Streetcar Line, which has been in operation since 1835. Also stop in front of the L&N Station, where Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) arrives at the beginning of the film, today a hotel that can boast of having hosted two American presidents, including Barack Obama. Finally, check out the comical New Orleans Literary Festival
, held every March, and give you a chance to shout out the famous scene where Stanley and Stella exchange flowery words. Another film that stands out in many ways is Easy Rider (1969), which stopped at Melançon's Cafe in Morganza for an iconic scene where Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper are met with a frosty reception from the locals. The restaurant has since been destroyed, but a plaque commemorates the film's visit to the town.A more scattered end of the century
Of course, a filmic overview of the region would not be complete without mentioning Live and Let Die (1973), the eighth installment of the James Bond saga. Roger Moore walks around the corner of Chatres and Dumaine Street, before finding himself in a frantic chase from the Southern Yacht Club on Lake Pontchartrain, then through the Bayou. In a completely different vein, but at an equally steady tempo, Gossip (1989) is shot in The Steel Magnolia House
in Natchitoches. This choral portrait of six women of different ages and characters features Dolly Parton, Sally Field and Julia Roberts in a whirlwind of scathing and funny lines, to be discovered without delay. The house where the filming took place is now a cute B&B, so be sure to stop by and explore the quaint old town as you continue along the Louisiana Film Trail, looking for iconic filming in the state. The last major production that can be seen here is the well known Interview with the Vampire (1994), where Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise go head to head in the corridors of the Oak Alley Plantation, which is open to the public. A film that contributed to the revival of vampires on the screen, a field in which Louisiana defends itself rather well.The new cinema of Louisiana
In 2002, Louisiana suddenly became one of the most interesting American states for filmmakers, thanks to a new law supporting the local industry. This financial windfall attracts filming and projects, many of which cross borders. In this "gold rush", the city of Shreveport is becoming a real film hub. Since 2006, in addition to numerous studios and production companies, it has been home to the Louisiana Wave Studio, a 750-square-meter wave basin where the storm scenes of the film The Guardian (2006), starring Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner, were shot. As for the series, it is the HBO channel that is at the top of its game with True Blood (2008-2014), which tells the story of the romance between a vampire and a young innocent girl from the region. Iconic moment of the series, the marriage proposal in the idyllic setting of The Stockade Bed and Breakfast, in Baton Rouge. A highly romantic atmosphere that has inspired many a fan of the series. Also produced by HBO, Treme (2010-2014) and True Detective (2014-2019) travel through Louisiana, in two very distinct atmospheres. As the stories unfold, you'll thrill to the trumpeting of Kermit Ruffins - truly a musician by trade - as you meet him in his fiefdom Kermit's Treme Mother in Law Lounge, or tremble in the basements of Fort Macomb and along the Creole Nature Trail, alongside detectives Rust Cohle and Marty Hart, in what is one of the best crime series of the decade. For fans of the genre, don't miss NCIS: New Orleans either, seven seasons with a remarkable cast. Finally, Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (2013) is also a must-see Louisiana film. The Magnolia, Destrehan and Bocage plantations, as well as the Edwin Epps House, are the main settings of this indispensable film.
What's next?
It's impossible to cover all the films and big names that have since stopped in what has become the "Hollywood of the South". Instead of trying to cover them all, get lost in the aisles of the many movie theaters in the region, and discover the festivals that punctuate the film year in Louisiana, such as the internationally renowned News Orleans Film Festival, or Cinema on the Bayou, an event that beats to the rhythm of this welcoming and always boisterous state that has become a cradle of cinema.
