Top ten films set in New Orleans
Down by Law
Until someone makes a brilliant adaption of the best book set in New Orleans (and one of the funniest novels ever) – obviously, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole – we will have to make do with these. But it’s a shame, considering New Orleans is such a unique city in the States, that there aren’t better movies about the place. In fact, what we mostly have are films with a few scenes shot in New Orleans, like Easy Rider, JFK and half of the films on the list below (A Streetcar Named Desire – apparently there’s not a streetcar named Desire in New Orleans; though it has trams and a district called Desire – though set in the city, only the opening was filmed there. Who cares? Not a single frame of Casablanca was shot in the Moroccan resort).
What we also usually have are a bunch of cliches about the city variously known as the Big Easy, the Crescent City, N’awlins and the Paris of the South: voodoo, vampires, jazz, gumbo, The French Quarter, swamps, alligators and Mardi Gras.
1. Down by Law (1986)
Jim Jarmusch’s noir-comedy features Tom Waits, John Lurie and Roberto Benigni as three cons on the run, plus gorgeous black and white photography by Robby Muller.
2. The Big Easy (1986)
All the cliches are present and correct yet it’s great fun with Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin (who also appears in Down by Law) sizzling in the sultry city, with a terrific soundtrack.
3. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Tennessee Williams’ classic play with Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh.
4. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)
Werner Herzog directs Nicolas Cage as a drug-addled cop in post-Katrina New Orleans.
5. When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006)
Spike Lee’s powerful and moving four-hour HBO documentary about the aftermath of Katrina.
6. Deja Vu (2006)
Tense time travelling drama with Denzel Washington as the cop trying to save the day, and the girl.
7. The Pelican Brief (1993)
Thriller based on the book by John Grisham, with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.
8. Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Gothic horror film based on the novel by Anne Rice, with vampire Brad Pitt telling a journalist how he met Tom Cruise in 18th century New Orleans.
9. Cat People (1982)
Not a patch on the original (1942), of course, but Paul Schrader’s erotic horror film has its merits.
10. The Princess and the Frog
Set in 1920s New Orleans, this Disney film was a return to traditional animation for the studio.
Previously on Barnflakes
Shot in N.O., L.A.
Notes on New Orleans, Louisiana
Desire, Hope & Bourbon: On the Streets of New Orleans
Life of a New Orleans Waitress [Extract]
Elsewhere on Barnflakes
Homeless Movies and below, a selection of videos I made in New Orleans in 1996.