Denis Lavant: Four Incredible Dance Sequences
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Yesterday was Denis Lavant’s birthday, but it’s never too late to celebrate (we run On-This-Day Thursdays on Thursdays, naturally). I’ve said for years that the French actor is one of my favourite performers of my time, because of his incredible physical dedication to his performances. I wanted to cover a few key examples of this today, which include dance numbers, specifically. He has a number of performances linked to music (one great example is the “Rabbit In Your Headlights” music video by UNKLE and Thom Yorke), but I specifically want to single out dances. Spoiler alert: You will see a ton of his collaborations with Leos Carax here.
In the middle of Carax’s Mauvais sang, Lavant pulls off one of the great scenes of the ‘80s, appropriately attached to “Modern Love” by David Bowie. He begins to sprint down a street, jabbing himself along the way, until he turns his movements into a gymnastic dance of sorts; he’s full on flipping by the end of this sequence. Mostly shown in one shot, this number is everything: a huge dose of adrenaline. It would prove to be influential: Noah Baumbach would reference it in Frances Ha with Greta Gerwig dancing in public to “Modern Love” (what else?).
Another film by Carax that features Lavant and Juliette Binoche (who also starred in Mauvais sang) is Les Amants du Pont-Neuf. This time, Binoche is paired up with Lavant, and they dazzle underneath the firework riddled sky. Binoche is graceful, whilst Lavant carries all of the electricity his body can muster. Together, they are a yin and yang that floor me every time I watch this film. If Binoche captures the beauty of the sky, then Lavant encapsulates the power of the exploding fireworks.
Warning: The following clip features spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.
Let’s temporarily deviate from the works of Leos Carax, who got the most dancing out of Lavant. It’s almost ironic, because my personal favourite Lavant dance sequence isn’t even attached to a Carax film. It comes right at the end of Claire Denis’ Beau Travail. Set to Corona’s “The Rhythm of the Night”, Lavant does a frantic, spastic freakout that remains one of the great musical scenes of all time. Denis makes this finale ambiguous: you’re supposed to decide what this sequence is all about (death? flashback? flash forward? a final moment?). Nonetheless, it doesn’t matter what you decide, because Lavant suits each reality perfectly.
The most recognizable film Lavant has starred in is Carax’s Holy Motors: an arthouse film that took the 2010’s by storm. In it, Lavant partakes in a number of music based sequences (I shall never forget the army of accordions). My personal favourite is this beautiful number he does with another, both donning motion capture suits. It’s as beautiful as it is grotesque, and a bit of a different side to Lavant’s repertoire than what you may have seen already.
Note: the above clip doesn’t contain the original music from Holy Motors.
One final hurrah I can include is this documentary footage of Denis Lavant in his element: just moving in any way he sees fit. I think it’s a fitting way to wrap this bitesized list up.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.