New Orleans is a haven of multiculturalism and has a very distinctive personality, all of its own. So it stands to reason why filmmakers choose to shoot their films in the southern state of Louisiana, on the banks of the Mississippi River. Here is a list of films that have been shot mostly or partly in New Orleans.
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles
This 1994 film is based on the book by Anne Rice and stars Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Kirsten Dunst. The story follows the vampire life of Louis, a young plantation owner from New Orleans who laments the death of his wife due to illness. He eventually meets the vampire Lestat who convinces him to be turned into a vampire. From there, the story follows the two vampires as they travel around. The story was mainly filmed in England and New Orleans over six months and consisted mainly of night shoots
A Streetcar Named Desire
This a 1951 film adapted from the 1938 play of the same name and stars Marlon Brando, Vivian Lee, and Kim Hunter. Both the play and the film are set in New Orleans, with most of the movie filmed on location in the city. The main story of the film is based on the relationships between Blanche (Lee), her sister, Stella (Hunter), and Stella’s husband, Stanley (Brando). The film was a huge hit and shot Marlon Brando into super-stardom.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Another Brad Pitt-led film set in New Orleans, this time follows the life of Benjamin Button (Pitt) who was born an old man in 1918 and progresses backward in age until infancy and death in 2003. The film is told by Daisy (played by Cate Blanchett) to her daughter Caroline (Julia Ormond) on her deathbed in 2005. It is an interesting film if a bit slow, that shows off great visual effects and performances.
Hard Target
This 1993 action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme is about Cajun Chance Bordeaux being pursued by a group of armed men to hunt him for sport. He is unemployed and decides to take his chances, as he is given a belt full of money by organizer Emil Fouchon (Lance Henriksen) and will be let go if he makes it to the other side of the city. Though it is a fun premise for a film, it wouldn’t really measure up to the TJ Smith Stakes odds in a sport like horse racing in the real world. It has some intense action scenes and some great cinematography, showing off the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas.
The Mechanic
This 2011 high-paced action film stars Jason Statham as Arthur Bishop who is a professional hitman who makes his kills look like accidents. The film follows Bishop and his protégé Steve who is played by Ben Foster. Filming took place in October of 2010 in various locations in New Orleans including downtown New Orleans and the Algiers seafood market. The film was met with average reviews with a lot of people seeing it as just a run-of-the-mill noisy action thriller that didn’t bring anything particularly new to the table. It is a fun ride if you turn your brain off for a couple of hours and enjoy the film for what it is.
