Le Corbeau – The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1943
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Writers: Louis Chavance, Henri-Georges Clouzot
Cast: Pierre Fresnay, Ginette Leclerc, Micheline Francey, Héléna Manson, Jeanne Fusier-Gir, Sylvie, Liliane Maigné, Pierre Larquey, Noël Roquevert

Release Date: February 19th, 2019
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 43 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

"A mysterious writer of poison-pen letters, known only as Le Corbeau (the Raven), plagues a French provincial town, exposing the collective suspicion and rancor seething beneath the community’s calm surface." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "This 4K restoration was created by StudoCanal with support from the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée, from the 35mm original camera negative at Éclair in Vanves, France."

Le Corbeau comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.3 GB

Feature: 25.6 GB

The source looks excellent; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. Though there is some mild background hiss in the early part of the film, the bulk of the time the audio sounds great. That said, dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), an excerpt from The Story of French Cinema by Those Who Made It: Grand Illusions 1939–1942, a 1975 documentary featuring director Henri-Georges Clouzot (7 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier (21 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and a leaflet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Grasping for Light written by Alan Williams, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Henri-Georges Clouzot directed Le Corbeau. He is also known for directing Quai des Orfèvres, The Wages of Fear, Diabolique, La verité, and Woman in Chains.

Anonymous poison pen letters signed by the Raven accuse a doctor of having an affair and performing illegal abortions.

Le Corbeau is a brilliant examination of how accusations and lack of due process destroy someone's reputation. When Le Corbeau was made, it was during a time when Nazi Germany occupied France, and the act of anonymous letters denouncing someone was very real. Though this subject matter perfectly ties into what was happening at that time, it is just as relevant today with the rise of cancel culture.

The narrative does a phenomenal job holding back the identity of the Raven. Characters and their motivations are well-defined; there are multiple suspects who are ultimately proven innocent. With each new letter, there is an escalation in violence and mass hysteria. That said, the Raven sees themselves as a crusader against sinners.

Performance-wise, the entire cast is outstanding. The standout performance is Ginette Leclerc’s (The Baker’s Wife) portrayal of Denise Saillens, the doctor’s lover. Another performance of note is Pierre Fresnay’s (The Phantom Carriage) portrayal of Doctor Rémy Germain, the main target of the Raven. The majority of what unfolds is through his viewpoint, and this character serves the role of an amateur sleuth who unmasks the Raven.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Le Corbeau does not excel. Though the visuals let the performances take center stage, there are a few visually arresting moments. The most striking of these moments is a funeral procession. Even at this early stage of his career, Henri-Georges Clouzot’s ability to create tense moments is second to none. Ultimately, Le Corbeau is an extraordinary film about the consequences of lies and deceit.

Le Corbeau gets an exceptional release from The Criterion Collection that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer