L'important c'est d'aimer (That Most Important Thing: Love) – Film Movement (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1975
Director: Andrzej Żuławski
Writers: Christopher Frank, Andrzej Żuławski
Cast: Romy Schneider, Jacques Dutronc, Fabio Testi, Klaus Kinski, Nicoletta Machiavelli, Claude Dauphin, Roger Blin, Gabrielle Doulcet, Michel Robin 

Release Date: June 25th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 113 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono French, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $36.98

"Forced to earn a living by accepting demeaning roles negotiated by her erratic husband, Nadine Chevalier (Schneider) encounters tabloid photographer Servais (Fabio Testi) on the set of her latest film. Desperate to win her affections, Servais secretly uses money borrowed from a shady associate to bankroll her next project, a production of Richard III with Nadine starring opposite the maniacal German thespian Karl-Heinz Zimmer (Klaus Kinski)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

L'important c'est d'aimer (That Most Important Thing: Love) comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.9 GB

Feature: 33.9 GB

No information is provided as this transfers source; there is debris throughout, most of which is minor. Flesh tones look healthy, color saturation is good, image clarity is strong, black levels fare well, and there are no issues with compression or digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono French), 3.25/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in French and a LPCM mono mix in English. Though both audio tracks sound clear and balanced, the French-language track sounds fuller. Another difference between these two tracks is how the score is more prominent in the French-language version, while the English-language version removes some music cues. Included are removable English and French subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 41 seconds, LPCM mono French with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Andrzej Zulawski (16 minutes 22 seconds, LPCM stereo French with removable English subtitles), and a 16-page booklet with cast & crew information and an essay titled It Must Be What People Call Life: Subverting the Connections of Melodrama in L'important c'est d'aimer written by Kat Ellinger.

Summary:

A photographer who makes his living taking illicit photos helps a woman working in softcore films get a role in a stage production of Richard III.

Andrzej Żuławski was a filmmaker who made films that caused controversy. The government banned his second film, The Devil, so he moved to France, which resulted in L'important c'est d'aimer, a film that was ultimately more commercial than his first two films. After L'important c'est d'aimer's success, Andrzej Żuławski would return to Poland, only to once again be faced with censorship, forcing him to make films outside of Poland.

The opening moments quickly draw you in with a sequence where the protagonist, an actress named Nadine, is filming a cheap softcore film that looks like some weird art project. There is a lifeless man covered in blood on the floor, whom her character mounts, and when she does not give the proper emotion for the moment, the director berates her. It's clear in this introduction that she does not want to be there and that she is suffering. That said, this moment perfectly sets the stage for what follows.

It cannot be understated how important casting is, especially in an Andrzej Żuławski film, since he’s a filmmaker who demands a lot from the cast. He does not merely hire actors; he takes them to places they normally would not venture and gives them freedom to unlock their emotions. Case in point, Romy Schneider’s portrayal of Nadine, an actress who is unable to find satisfaction in the roles she’s being offered. Reportedly this is something that lines up with Romy Schneider, who had become increasingly dissatisfied with the roles she was being offered. All creative people have unique life experiences that shape their art, and there is a rawness to her performance that revealed truths other actresses would not have been able to tap into.

All of the performances are excellent, even Fabio Testi’s (Revolver) portrayal of Servais, a photographer who’s trapped in a job he detests. Although he often portrays tough guy characters that are lacking dimension, his performance in L'important c'est d'aimer shows a range he rarely exhibited again. Other performances of note are the ever-reliable Klaus Kinski (Nosferatu the Vampyre), who portrays a maniac actor, and Jacques Dutronc (My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days), who portrays Nadine’s eccentric husband. No one rages like Klaus Kinski, and there is a scene where his character explodes, destroying everything in his path.

This line from L'important c'est d'aimer perfectly sums it up: “I am neither victim or prisoner; my life is what it is.” Despite its subject matter, most of the salaciousness is kept offscreen; the most graphic moment is an orgy scene where Servais, behind a glass mirror, films it for a blackmailer. The visuals are never flashy; they push and pull with the characters, while the score does an exemplary job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, L'important c'est d'aimer is Andrzej Żuławski’s most accessible film while retaining the elements that are synonymous with his cinema.

L'important c'est d'aimer gets a first-rate release from Film Movement that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a pair of informative extras. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer