Ophélia – Olive Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1963
Director: Claude Chabrol
Writers: Claude Chabrol, Paul Gégauff
Cast: Alida Valli, Claude Cerval, André Jocelyn, Juliette Mayniel, Robert Burnier, Jean-Louis Maury, Sacha Briquet

Release Date: April 25th, 2017
Approximate Running Time: 103 Minutes 52 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"Ivan (Andre Jocelyn), a high-strung and intense young man of means, suspecting that his mother, Claudia (Alida Valli) and uncle Adrian (Claude Cerval) are responsible for the death of his father, sets out to reveal their foul deed." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Ophélia comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.8 GB

Feature: 22 GB

The source used for this transfer looks excellent. Image clarity and contrast are solid; black levels fare well; and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French, and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 40 seconds, DTS-HD mono mix in French, no subtitles).

Summary:

Though he’s not credited to William Shakespeare, Ophélia’s narrative is similar to that of his play Hamlet. That said, the result is a film that’s best described as a loose adaptation of Hamlet. Another connection to Hamlet is a scene where the protagonist walks by a poster for Laurence Olivier's adaptation of Hamlet.

Ophélia is not a thriller, the genre for which Claude Chabrol is best known. And yet, there are many elements in Ophélia that are synonymous with the thriller genre. Also, there are elements in Ophélia that Claude Chabrol would return to throughout his career. Most notably, stories related to the bourgeoisie.

Ophélia's narrative revolves around a young man named Yvan, who feels his father's death was not an accident. In fact, he blames his mother, her new husband, and his uncle for his father's death.

The cast delivers excellent performances, particularly André Jocelyn (A Double Tour) in the role of Yvan. He delivers a solid performance that perfectly captures his character's mental instability. Another performance of note is Alida Valli (The Third Man) in the role of Yvan’s mother.

From a production standpoint, Ophélia is an interesting adaptation that is arguably Claude Chabrol’s strangest film. And though there is symbolic imagery, Ophélia's visuals do a great job of letting the performances take center stage. Ultimately, Ophélia is a well-made melodrama that fans of Claude Chabrol are sure to appreciate.

Ophélia makes its way to Blu-ray via a solid audio/video presentation from Olive Films.

Written by Michael Den Boer