Cinema in Louisiana: from the origins to the New Hollywood
Cinema arrived in Louisiana in 1898, 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, Mardi Gras, one of the favorite subjects of these early years of local cinema. In 1918, Tarzan with the Apes was the first major film shoot to take place between Louisiana and California. It wasn't until the 1930s that other Hollywood forays into Louisiana led to collaborations, as in William Wyler's Jezebel (1938). A period film about a Southern woman (Bette Davis) who loses her fiancé (played by a young Henry Fonda) and vows to win him back. French director René Clair's La belle ensorceleuse (1941), starring Marlene Dietrich, was also set in the heady days before the Civil War. But the most famous film featuring New Orleans is undoubtedly 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 T-shirt and jeans, while also bringing about a minor revolution in Hollywood acting. A stroll through the French Vieux Carré will take you back to the film's sweaty atmosphere, but you won't be able to visit the sets created in California. Streetcar 922, a vehicle restored for the film, still operates today alongside other machines from the same period on the St. Charles streetcar line, in operation since 1835. Also stop in front of L&N Station, where Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) arrives at the beginning of the film, today a hotel that can boast of having welcomed two American presidents, including Barack Obama. Last but not least, discover the comical initiative of the New Orleans Literary Festival, held every year in March, and give you the chance to shout at the top of your lungs the famous scene where Stanley and Stella exchange flowery words.
Another landmark film in more ways than one, Easy Rider (1969), made a stop at Morganza's Melançon's Cafe, for an iconic scene in which Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper face a frosty reception from the locals. The restaurant has since been demolished, but a plaque commemorates the film's visit to the town.
A more scattered end of the century
Of course, a filmic panorama of the region would not be complete without mentioning Live and Let Die (1973), the eighth opus in the James Bond saga. Roger Moore strolls around the corner of Chartres and Dumaine Street, before finding himself in a frantic chase from the Southern Yacht Club on Lake Pontchartrain, then across the Bayou. In a completely different register, but just as fast-paced, Potins de femmes (1989) is shot at 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, funny lines that are a must-see. The house where the film was shot is now a cute B&B, so don't hesitate to stop and discover the picturesque old town as you continue along the Louisiana Film Trail, in search of the state's iconic film shoots.
The latest landmark production to be tackled here is the acclaimed Interview with the Vampire (1994), in which Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise go head-to-head in the corridors of the publicly accessible Oak Alley Plantation. A film that contributed to the revival of vampires on screen, a field in which Louisiana holds its own.
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 attracted film shoots and projects, many of which crossed international borders. In this "gold rush", Shreveport has become a veritable 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 for The Guardian (2006), starring Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner, were shot. On the series front, the HBO network came out on top with True Blood (2008-2014), recounting the romance between a vampire and a young local innocent. The iconic moment of the series is 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) explore Louisiana in two very different moods. As the stories unfold, you'll thrill to the trumpeting of Kermit Ruffins - a real musician by trade - whom you can meet 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 detective 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 another must-see Louisiana film. The plantations of Magnolia, Destrehan and Bocage, as well as the Edwin Epps House, are the main settings for this indispensable film.
What's next?
It's impossible here to cover all the film shoots and big names that have since made a stop in what has become the "Hollywood of the South". Rather than try to cover them all, lose yourself in the aisles of the region's many cinemas, and discover the festivals that punctuate the Louisiana film year, such as the internationally renowned New Orleans Film Festival, or Cinema on the Bayou, an event that beats in tune with this welcoming and always boisterous state that has become the cradle of cinema.
