Netflix released a five episode series called Lupin back in early January. Filmed in French and dubbed into English it might not seem like a show that would catch on with US viewers, but according to CNET it garnered 76 million views within the first two weeks.
The tale, a cross between Robinhood, James Bond, and Sherlock Holmes, is based on the popular book by French author Maurice Leblanc in 1905.
Much of the series’ success hinges on the strong performance of lead actor Omar Sy, who is being compared to Idris Elba for his talent, charisma, and flashing smile. His resume includes X-Men: Days of Future Past, Jurassic World, and other blockbusters.
In Lupin, Sy plays a master-of-disguise, sleuth, and gentleman thief, the son of a Senegalese chauffeur who was accused of stealing a priceless necklace from his wealthy employers. In jail, his father commits suicide, but as a grown man Assane learns it was a murder and sets out to uncover the truth.
So what makes this series unique and relevant? Is it smashing barriers or reinforcing stereotypes?
First of all Arsène Lupin in the original book was not Black, let alone an immigrant.
The Netflix series counters the standard idealized notion of the hero as a wealthy, white male.
Arsène’s father, Babakar, is a windowed Senegalese immigrant who is framed for a crime he did not commit and forced to make a false confession by corrupt, racist authorities and the white, elitist employers.
While in the eyes of the authorities Assane grows up to be a Black “criminal” from the lower class, the audience understands the stereotypes do not hold.
Lupin tugs the audience between the law and its victims. The justice system is shown as inherently racist.
The series begins with Assane planning and carrying out an elaborate heist at the famous museum, the Louvre, stealing back a necklace that has been lost and found, the very one his father was accused of stealing.
We first encounter Assane at work at the Louvre as a janitor, alongside primarily black and brown co-workers.
He later tells his accomplices that his employers see him “but they don’t really look at [me].”
There are also flashbacks from Assane’s childhood where he is bullied in school for being Black. His skin is called “a costume.”
However, as an adult, Assane anticipates the racist experiences of day to day life, using them to his advantage.
“Everyone on that side of town, everyone on the top while we’re on the bottom, they don’t look,” Assane says. “And thanks to that we’re going to be rich.”
While the series is a megahit, it has faced some criticism for its focus on the Parisien, primarily white elite class.
Director Louis Leterrier says it was intentional. “I liked the ‘gentleman thief’ aspect a lot but I wanted to subvert it and give it a social angle,” he told the New York Times.
“I found the idea of a 6-foot-2 Black man sneaking around in both high society and the underworld interesting.”
Netflix has promised a second season but hasn’t announced a release date. While fans wait impatiently, it’s clear there is a winning combination to Sy’s brilliant performance and the underlying themes of race, class, and immigration which are more relevant today than ever, in the US and worldwide.
