Ozon's Transgressive Triple: Sitcom, Criminal Lovers, and Water Drops on Burning Rocks - Altered Innocence (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: France, 1998 (Sitcom), France, 1999 (Criminal Lovers), France, 2000 (Water Drops on Burning Rocks)
Director: François Ozon (All Films)
Cast: Évelyne Dandry, François Marthouret, Marina de Van, Adrien de Van, Stéphane Rideau, Lucia Sanchez, Jules-Emmanuel Eyoum Deido (Sitcom), Natacha Régnier, Jérémie Renier, Predrag 'Miki' Manojlovic, Salim Kechiouche, Yasmine Belmadi (Criminal Lovers), Bernard Giraudeau, Malik Zidi, Ludivine Sagnier, Anna Thomson (Water Drops on Burning Rocks)

Release Date: June 25th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 80 Minutes 23 Seconds (Sitcom), 96 Minutes 33 Seconds (Criminal Lovers), 86 Minutes 1 Second (Water Drops on Burning Rocks)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Sitcom, Water Drops on Burning Rocks), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Criminal Lovers)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo French (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

Sitcom: "An upper-middle-class nuclear family experiences upheaval when they adopt a laboratory mouse as their new pet. As each member interacts with the new addition to the household, the animal exerts a strange power that prompts them to explore their repressed psychosexual desires. A satire of bourgeois values - something of a cross between John Waters and Luis Buñuel - Ozon offers surreal delights and a rollercoaster of perversions in Sitcom." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Criminal Lovers: "An audacious queer take on Hansel and Gretel, Criminal Lovers starts with a thrill kill that sends its protagonists, Alice and Luc, down the rabbit hole. Like a wannabe Bonnie and Clyde, the couple flee their safe suburban lives before getting lost in the woods, only to find themselves trapped by a psychotic woodsman. What awaits in his cellar - from sexual enlightenment to karmic retribution - must be seen to be believed." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Water Drops on Burning Rocks: "Water Drops on Burning Rocks adapts an unproduced play by Rainer Werner Fassbinder - Ozon's favorite filmmaker - in which Franz, a naïve 19-year-old, is seduced by a smug-yet-alluring, 50-year-old businessman Leopold, quickly moving into his apartment. Domestic bliss is short-lived as a sadomasochistic relationship takes root and the power dynamics continue to shift upon the arrival of both men's ex-girlfriends: the spry Anna and mysterious Véra. This ménage à quatre leads to sex, despair, and, of course, a musical number." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Sitcom, Criminal Lovers, Water Drops on Burning Rocks)

Sitcom and Criminal Lovers come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.3 GB

Feature: 20.6 GB (Sitcom), 24.8 GB (Criminal Lovers)

Water Drops on Burning Rocks comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 23.2 GB

Feature: 21.6 GB

The sources for all three films look excellent; they are on par with their French Blu-ray releases. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity is solid, black levels are strong, compression is very good, and there are no issues related to digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.5/5 (Sitcom, Criminal Lovers, Water Drops on Burning Rocks)

Each film comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in French, and each film comes with removable English subtitles. All audio tracks are in excellent shape; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras on the second Blu-ray disc include a newly created trailer for Ozon's Transgressive Triple (1 minute 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Stéphane Rideau (13 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with non-removable English subtitles), a video essay by Kat Ellinger titled Little Deaths: Loss and Coming of Age in François Ozon's First Chapter (25 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Cerise Howard and Rohan Spong for Water Drops on Burning Rocks, a pull-out poster and on the opposite side of the poster an essay titled Transgress, Transform, Transcend written by Juan Barquin and Trae DeLellis, and trailers for The Wounded Man, Fogi is a Bastard, Wild Reeds, and The Strangler.

Summary:

Ozon's Transgressive Triple collects three films directed by François Ozon: Sitcom, Criminal Lovers, and Water Drops on Burning Rocks. Other notable films that he directed are 8 Women, Swimming Pool, and Time to Leave.

Sitcom: Turmoil disrupts the idyllic life of a family in a middle-class suburb.

Sitcom is an exaggerated black comedy version of the American sitcom. The narrative revolves around a family with traditional values facing challenges that are outside of their comfort zone. The first of these shocks occurs when the son announces at dinner that he is a homosexual. Unwilling to accept this revelation, the mother becomes distraught. The rest of the family seems to take this revelation in stride. The daughter is a sadomasochist whose fascination with death leaves her paralyzed after a failed suicide attempt. The mother, determined to cure her son, commits an act of incest by offering herself to him. And as if all of these things were not disturbing enough, the father becomes a rat after devouring one.

For a film that delves into taboo and other off-putting subject matter, the execution is flawless. The narrative constructs the story perfectly, allowing key moments to linger and building up to the shocking moment. The humor, albeit on the darker side, never misses the mark. When it comes to the performances, the entire cast is fully committed to their characters and the absurd story that unfolds. That said, even in this early part of his career, it is clear that François Ozon is a filmmaker who has mastered visually arresting moments. Ultimately, Sitcom is a highly entertaining film that overflows with piercing social commentary and subversive humor that might turn off some viewers.

Criminal Lovers: A boyfriend and girlfriend who killed a classmate cover up their crime by burying the body in the woods.

Criminal Lovers is a devious retelling of Hansel and Gretel in a modern setting. What starts off as a thrill kill shifts into the realm of fairy tales when the two killers find themselves hungry and lost in the woods. And when it appears that they have finally found sanctuary, things take a turn for the worse when the hermit who lives there returns home. Instead of turning them over to the police, the hermit locks them away in the cellar below his cabin. The boy captivates him; he ignores the girl, not allowing her to eat, leaving her confined in the cellar. Though there is a familiarity to the story that unfolds because of its connection to Hansel and Gretel, the result is a film that is never predictable and, at times, goes places that are not easy to watch.

From its opening moments, Criminal Lovers establishes an unnerving tone that enhances the story that unfolds. The well-constructed narrative does a superb job building momentum towards an exemplary ending. There is an abundance of tension, most of which comes from the hermit’s interactions with the boy, whom he keeps on a leash. The cast are all excellent in their roles, especially Miki Manojlović (Underground) in the role of the hermit. Once again, François Ozon delves into subversive subject matter like cannibalism and sadism. Ultimately, Criminal Lovers is a twisted fairy tale that you are either going to fully embrace or loathe by the time the initial setup makes it clear what kind of film it is.

Water Drops on Burning Rocks: A 50-year-old man falls in love with a man 30 years younger than him. Over the course of their relationship, the younger man decides to get back together with the fiancee that he walked away from. This action sets in motion a series of events that end tragically.

Adapted from Tropfen auf heiße Steinen, a play written by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. A theater production was the source of Water Drops on Burning Rocks, so it's not surprising that its staging exhibits a more theatrical feel than one would typically find in a film. The entirety of the narrative takes place inside an apartment where two lovers live. The narrative consists of four acts that follow the evolution and disintegration of the two lovers' relationship. Content-wise, Water Drops on Burning Rocks is equal parts melodrama and romantic comedy.

Water Drops on Burning Rocks is a dialog-driven film. The camera follows characters and lets their performances take center stage. Despite being filmed in one location, when it comes to the visuals, they are filled with interesting compositions that heighten the mood. The most memorable and bizarre moment is when the four characters break into an impromptu dance. When it comes to the performances, the cast is excellent. Ultimately, Water Drops on Burning Rocks is a very satisfying mix of Rainer Werner Fassbinder and François Ozon.

Ozon's Transgressive Triple gets an excellent release from Altered Innocence, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer