The Most Assassinated Woman in the World

Set against the atmospheric, smoke-filled corners of 1930s Paris, The Most Assassinated Woman in the World is a captivating fusion of genres -- a noir thriller and a meta-drama revolving around the theatre and period cinema. Released in 2018 and directed by Franck Ribière, the film stars Anna Mouglalis, Niels Schneider, and Jean-Michel Balthazar.

The movie places us in the golden era of the French 'grand guignol,' the naturalistic horror shows that used to attract enthusiastic audiences to the theatre. Anna Mouglalis, acclaimed for her unique cinematic demeanor, plays the role of Paula Maxa, the famous Parisian actress known for her numerous staged deaths on the grand guignol stage of the Theatre du Grand-Guignol in Pigalle. She has been murdered more than 10,000 times in over 60 different ways and yet arises in every performance, effortlessly blending the boundaries of reality and fiction.

Niels Schneider portrays the character of Jean, an ambitious journalist from the Le Petit Journal, who starts investigating Maxa and becomes spellbound by her enigmatic persona. He becomes determined to unravel the truth behind a sequence of gruesome murders that share uncanny similarities with the horrific stage deaths portrayed by Maxa at Grand-Guignol. Jean-Michel Balthazar assumes the role of Eugène, Paula’s loyal fan.

The film remarkably captures the grim and eerie aura of the grand guignol, the essence of which lies in blood-curdling visuals that were celebrated by the bourgeoisie. The director, Ribière, aligns this period authenticity with contemporary storytelling, creating a dense universe where reality blurs into artifice and vice versa.

Anna Mouglalis embodies Paula Maxa with a performance layered with complexities and vulnerabilities, underlined with a beguiling allure. Her character, Paula, is considered the 'most assassinated woman,' not only due to her stage deaths, but also because she's an encapsulation of the misogyny and bloodlust directed towards women time and time again. Mouglalis’ sultry sophistication and theatrical versatility renders Paula Maxa as a tragic heroine that the audience can truly empathize with.

Niels Schneider as Jean gives a likable performance, walking the fine line between investigative journalist and obsessive admirer. His character comes across as the quintessential noir protagonist, traversing the labyrinth of plot, darkness, and deceit. Schneider's tenacious portrayal brings out the nuances of his character's insecurities and passions skillfully.

The screenplay of the film stands out for its intelligent intertwining of Paula's stage and real-life narratives. It's an intriguing study of the violence characters like Paula endure on-stage against the backdrop of real-life violence endured by women in a patriarchal society. The motifs of the film, the contradictions between theatrical illusion and reality, the cyclical nature of life and death, and the social commentary on violence against women, echo throughout the film, making it a layered and thought-provoking cinematic experience.

The cinematography by Jacques Bouquin bathes the scenes in deep, suffocating shadows and splashes of vibrant red, thus aptly capturing the glum atmosphere of the theatre and the disturbing beauty of the bloody grand guignol scenes. The costumes, the sets, the props, everything is meticulously designed to bring out the bloody beauty and the grotesque glamour of the grand guignol theatre.

Moreover, the film follows a nonlinear narrative structure, with the deadly acts on the stage mirroring the chilling reality, which adds an element of mystery to the plot, keeping the viewers glued to their seats.

The Most Assassinated Woman in the World is a thrilling ride through the shadowy streets of Paris to the bloody stage of the grand guignol. It's a highly atmospheric film that lures you in with its mystical charm and keeps you riveted with its layered performances, intricate plot, and unmistakable social commentary. It is, at once, a chilling thriller, a hypnotizing biopic, and a poignant feminist drama. Monstrous in its ideas yet tragically beautiful in its execution, the film is an homage to a forgotten era and a forgotten heroine, the most assassinated woman in the world.