La guerre est finie (The War is Over) – The Film Desk (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Sweden, 1966
Director: Alain Resnais
Writer: Jorge Semprún
Cast: Yves Montand, Ingrid Thulin, Geneviève Bujold, Jean Dasté, Dominique Rozan, Jean-François Rémi, Marie Mergey, Michel Piccoli, Anouk Ferjac 

Release Date: November 28th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 122 Minutes 8 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French/Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.98

"Three decades after the Spanish Civil War and Franco's fascist military coup, Communist operative Diego (Yves Montand) juggles multiple identities as he continues his dangerous missions, while reflecting on a life of political struggle. Though increasingly disillusioned, his determination to help a possibly captured comrade and chance encounter with impetuous student terrorist Geneviève Bujold, keep his commitment to the cause alive." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Restored and digitized in 2020 with support of the CNC."

La guerre est finie (The War is Over) comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 36.5 GB

Feature: 32.4 GB

The source is in excellent shape; image clarity and contrast are solid, black levels are strong, compression is very good, and the image looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French and Spanish. The audio is in great shape; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Included are non-removable English subtitles for the French dialog; the Spanish dialog is not translated. The bulk of the dialog is spoken in French, and in some instances, after someone speaks in Spanish, a character speaks in French, which explains some of what is being said.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a newly created theatrical trailer (1 minute 33 seconds, DTS-HD mono French with non-removable English subtitles), a short film by Alain Resnais and Robert Hessens titled Guernica (14 minutes 4 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono French with non-removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Cristina Álvarez López and Adrian Martin, a slipcover limited to 1,000 units, and a 32-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Nor Spanish, Nor Civil written by Soledad Fox Maura, an archival writing by Jorge Semprú titled Part 1: Working with Resnais, an archival writing by Jorge Semprú titled The Author Speaks, an archival writing by Michael Caen titled The Times Change, and an archival writing by Andrew Sarris titled Ode to the Old Left, an archival with Alain Resnais by Robert Benayoun.

Summary:

Directed by Alain Resnais, whose other notable films include Night and Fog, Hiroshima Mon Amour, Last Year at Marienbad and Je t'aime, je t'aime.

The narrative revolves around a Spanish communist exile living in Paris who becomes entangled with an extremist group organizing an armed attack in Spain.

La guerre est finie (The War is Over) is a tense political drama that relies heavily on dialog-driven moments. Though the narrative's main focus is on anti-government characters and the consequences of their actions, There is also a clash between the older and younger communist viewpoints.

Alain Resnais films are known for being challenging, especially when it comes to their narrative structure. La guerre est finie (The War is Over) is actually one of Alain Resnais’s most straightforward narratives. That said, what is a mundane story that has long stretches where little happens? The narrative's use of juxtapositions of images and flashbacks enhances the events that unfold.

When it comes to the performances, the cast is all great in their roles, especially Yves Montand's (The Wages of Fear) portrayal of Diego Mora, a Spaniard living in Paris. Geneviève Bujold's (Dead Ringers) portrayal of Nadine Sallanches, a young communist who becomes romantically entangled with Diego, is another memorable performance.

Once again, Alain Resnais delivers when it comes to the visuals. There are many visually arresting moments, which heighten the mood. That said, a stylized sex scene where the camera focuses on things that are not normally the focal point of this type of scene is the most striking moment. At just over 2 hours in length, La guerre est finie (The War is Over) is an endurance test that is deeply rewarding for those who remain engaged until the end.

La guerre est finie (The War is Over) gets a solid release from The Film Desk that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, recommended.

 Written by Michael Den Boer