The Third Lover – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Italy, 1962
Director: Claude Chabrol
Writers: Claude Chabrol, Martial Matthieu, Paul Gégauff
Cast: Jacques Charrier, Stéphane Audran, Walther Reyer

Release Date: February 25th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 80 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French/German/English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"André Mercier, is a failed, embittered writer, working under the pen name Albin Mercier. On a journalism gig in Germany, his path crosses with that of Andreas Hartmann, another writer, who's managed to make a living for himself. The successful Andreas is married to Hélène, a beautiful Frenchwoman, who quickly becomes the apple of Mercier's eye. While Andreas is off on a business trip, Mercier tries to seduce Hélène to make her his lover and, eventually, take over Andreas' life." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand New 4K Restoration".

The Third Lover comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 25.8 GB

Feature: 23.3 GB

The source used for this transfer is in immaculate shape. Image clarity, shadow detail, and contrast are solid, and the grain looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French, German, and English, and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio is in excellent shape; the dialog is always clear and everything sounds balanced. It should be noted that there is some dialog in both German and English, and these lines of dialog are not given English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an audio commentary with film historian Kat Ellinger.

Other extras are trailers for The Champagne Murders, Touchez pas au grisbi, Bob le flambeur, and Léon Morin, Priest.

Summary:

I had seen most of Claude Chabrol’s films from his most celebrated era (1968–1975) before I ever saw his earliest films, like The Third Lover. I was not prepared for how drastically different The Third Lover is when compared to the suspense films that Claude Chabrol is most associated with.

From its opening moments, it becomes clear that The Third Lover is a film that's more concerned with mood and style than it is with conventional storytelling. The narrative revolves around a protagonist and his relationship with a couple, a husband and a wife. From there, the protagonist becomes fond of the wife, and when his attempt to seduce her fails, he then becomes convinced that she’s having an affair, and he then searches for her lover, the third lover.

What starts off as a story about three characters just enjoying each other's company. Then it becomes a story about unrequited love that evolves into a tale about obsession, which culminates with an act of betrayal that turns deadly.

Though there are peripheral characters, the main cast is essentially three characters; Jacques Charrier (Pigeon Shoot) in the role of a protagonist named Albin Mercier; Stéphane Audran (The Champagne Murders) in the role of Hélène, the wife; and Walther Reyer (The Indian Tomb) in the role of Andreas Hartman, the husband. All three of these actors are great in their respective roles. 

From a production standpoint, The Third Lover is a film that takes full advantage of its minimalism. Its basic narrative is briskly paced, and it features a spectacular ending that perfectly summarizes the events that preceded it. Another strength is its exquisite black-and-white cinematography, which does a superb job of creating atmosphere and reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, The Third Lover is a mesmerizing film that will keep you enthralled until its final frame.

The Third Lover gets a first-rate release from Kino Lorber that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer