Mississippi Mermaid: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Italy, 1969
Director: François Truffaut
Writers: François Truffaut, Cornell Woolrich
Cast: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Catherine Deneuve, Nelly Borgeaud, Martine Ferrière, Marcel Berbert, Yves Drouhet, Michel Bouquet, Roland Thénot

Release Date: July 29th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 123 Minutes 18 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"Wealthy plantation tycoon Louis (Jean-Paul Belmondo, Breathless) puts up an ad for a bride and luminous beauty Julie (Catherine Deneuve, Belle de Jour) arrives in answer. More attractive than the photograph he received Louis is nevertheless enraptured despite some strange details in her story. Things get complicated when Julie disappears and Louis determines to find her, leading him on a trail of mystery and erotic obsession." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Mississippi Mermaid was restored by Metro-Golwyn-Mayer Studios and delivered to Radiance as a High Definition digital file."

Mississippi Mermaid comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44 GB

Feature: 33.7 GB

The source is in excellent shape; it is the best this film has ever looked on home media. Flesh tones look correct, color saturation, image clarity, and compression are solid, and black levels are strong. That said, this is another solid encode from Fidelity in Motion.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 35 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an interview with French cinema expert Ginette Vincendeau (17 minutes 58 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with filmmaker Jean Renoir who discusses the work of Truffaut (6 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Truffaut from 1969 (34 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic Glenn Kenny, reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 28-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) with cast & crew information, an archival writing titled William irish’s Slippers written by François Truffaut, Letters (1966-1968) written by François Truffaut, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

A wealthy plantation owner finds his bride through an ad he placed in the newspaper. Despite not resembling the woman in the picture, he proceeds with the relationship. And though something is not quite right about her, he deals with these new obstacles and throws himself into the relationship. At first their relationship blossoms, until one day when he discovers the truth about her. Will he be able to move on, or will his growing obsession for her lead to his demise?

With Mississippi Mermaid, François Truffaut would return to territory that he had previously explored in The Bride Wore Black. And once again, François Truffaut pays homage to Alfred Hitchcock and, more specifically, Vertigo. François Truffaut was also influenced by Jean Renoir; Mississippi Mermaid opens with footage from his film La Marseillaise. Also, Mississippi Mermaid is an adaptation of Cornell Woolrich’s novel Waltz into Darkness.

The two main characters are another area where this film excels: Jean-Paul Belmondo (Breathless) in the role of a wealthy plantation owner named Louis Mahé and Catherine Deneuve (Belle de Jour) in the role of the woman Louis falls in love with. Despite playing against type, Jean-Paul Belmondo is very good, while Catherine Deneuve portrays a quintessential Hitchcockian heroine. Also, their on-screen chemistry enhances their performance and the story that unfolds. Another performance of note is Michel Bouquet's (Malpertuis) portrayal of Comolli, a tenacious private detective who refuses to give up until he solves a case.

From a visual standpoint, Mississippi Mermaid is an exquisite film to look at, and nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to the locations. Another strength of the visuals is how Catherine Deneuve’s character is photographed; though some of these things are subtle, they offer incredible insight into her character's psyche. One scene in particular stands out: afraid of the dark, her character gets Louis to compromise by leaving the bathroom lit on. That said, her character is a facade, and just when you think you know her, she does something out of left field, which changes your perception of her.

The premise of a doomed love affair is well executed, and pacing is never an issue, with key moments given an ample amount of time to resonate. Mississippi Mermaid uses suspense genre staples, but not for their sake alone; instead, they advance the story. And yet, its ultimate power lies in its ability to express the emotions of its main characters. Another strength of Mississippi Mermaid is Antoine Duhamel's (Weekend) exemplary score, which perfectly reinforces the mood. Ultimately, Mississippi Mermaid is a solid suspense film cut from the same mold as the cinema of Alfred Hitchcock.

Radiance Films gives Mississippi Mermaid its best home video release to date, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer