World Noir Volume 4: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: France, 1955 (Chnouf), France, 1958 (Back to the Wall), France/Italy, 1962 (Paris Pick-Up)
Directors: Henri Decoin (Chnouf), Édouard Molinaro (Back to the Wall), Marcel Bluwal (Paris Pick-Up)
Cast: Jean Gabin, Magali Noël, Lino Ventura, Albert Rémy, Marcel Dalio (Chnouf), Jeanne Moreau, Gérard Oury, Philippe Nicaud, Claire Maurier, Gérard Buhr (Back to the Wall), Robert Hossein, Lea Massari, Robert Dalban, Maurice Biraud (Paris Pick-Up)

Release Date: September 15th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 104 Minutes 57 Seconds (Chnouf), 94 Minutes 31 Seconds (Back to the Wall), 86 Minutes 31 Seconds (Paris Pick-Up)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Chnouf, Back to the Wall), 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Paris Pick-Up)
Rating: 12 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono French (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £37.49 (UK)

Chnouf: "Henri (Jean Gabin, Touchez pas au grisbi) is brought in following a successful stint in the US to head up operations by gang boss Lisky. Tasked with increasing sales and reforming the drugs distribution network he unpicks every aspect of the business, but pushers don’t want to change and the cops are on his tail.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Back to the Wall: "Jacques, a rich industrialist, sneaks around an apartment where he bundles up and disposes of a dead body. His troubles started three months ago, his wife, Gloria, was having an affair... To get his revenge he sends Gloria anonymous letters in a scheme to turn her against her lover, a scheme that leads to murder.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Paris Pick-Up: "Recently released ex-convict Robert Herbin (Robert Hossein, Rififi) meets Marthe (Lea Massari, L’Avventura), a beautiful Italian woman and her daughter. They share some flirtatious glances and then she invites him back to her home where they discover her husband’s dead body. Unable to bear witness to a crime due to his parole Robert flees. Guilty about her situation Robert stays close by where he discovers the body has inexplicably disappeared.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (All Films)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, “Chnouf, Back to the Wall, and Paris Pick-Up were all restored in 2K by Gaumont. All three films were provided to Radiance Films as high-definition files.”

Chnouf comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.3 GB

Feature: 30.5 GB

Back to the Wall comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 29.9 GB

Feature: 27.4 GB

Paris Pick-Up comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.4 GB

Feature: 25 GB

All three sources look excellent; fleshy tones look correct, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and they all retain an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5 (All Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, an LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. All audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for Chnouf include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 6 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), A Violent, Implacable, Hitherto Unknown Underworld—an essay on Chnouf and drugs in film noir by Frank Krutnik (27 minutes 27 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an archival French TV interview with director Henri Decoin who discusses Jean Gabin, and an archival audio commentary with Nick Pinkerton.

Extras for Back to the Wall include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 50 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival retrospective interview with director Édouard Molinaro (23 minutes 3 seconds, LPCM stereo French with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Daniel Kremer.

Extras for Paris Pick-Up include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 50 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival French TV interview with actor Robert Hossein and writer Frédéric Dard (13 minutes 40 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival behind-the-scenes report on Paris Pick-Up (3 minutes 38 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Marcel Bluwal (23 minutes 49 seconds, LPCM stereo French with removable English subtitles), Inspector Leclerc Investigates: The Grey Jackets a TV crime serial directed by Marcel Bluwal (26 minutes, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles),and an audio commentary with Tim Lucas.

Other extras include a removable OBI strip, leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, and an 80-page perfect-bound booklet with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled The Lonely Romantic: Jean Gabin in Henri Decoin’s Chnouf written by Farran Smith Nehme, an archival writing titled About Razzia Sur La Chnouf: Miea Culpai, an essay titled Fatal Woman: Jeanne Moreau and Back to the Wall written by Imogen Sara Smith, an archival writing titled Playing the Game written by Édouard Molinaro, an archival writing titled Crisis in French Cinema: Édouard Molinaro and Marcel Bluwal, an essay titled Lumps of Coal: The Tradition of Christmas Noir written by Jake Cole, and information about the transfers.

Summary:

Chnouf: An undercover cop infiltrates a drug syndicate.

Henri Decoin directed Chnouf. He’s known for Not Guilty, Strangers in the House, Devil’s Daughter, Between Eleven and Midnight, and The Truth About Bebe Donge.

Chnouf is a film best enjoyed without any prior knowledge. Once you experience its payoff, it completely recontextualizes everything that has happened before. However, before I delve too deeply, the moments leading up to the payoff are executed perfectly. The opening setup does a phenomenal job drawing you in and holding your attention, and the narrative effectively builds momentum through a series of tense moments and surprises. Another area where the narrative excels is fleshing out characters.

When discussing Chnouf, so much relies on whether you connect with Jean Gabin’s (The Grand Illusion) portrayal of Henri Ferré, a master criminal who is recruited by a narcotics drug ring to root out problem workers and improve efficiency. Despite his portrayal as a tough, uncompromising individual, he also exhibits a tender side. That being said, he delivers a solid performance in which he fully immerses himself in character.

The rest of the cast features familiar faces from French cinema, all of whom deliver outstanding performances. Lino Ventura (Witness in the City) and Albert Rémy (The 400 Blows) portray a pair of hitmen who help Henri dispose of problems. Another performance of note is Magali Noël (Rififi) in the role of Lisette, a cashier who works for Henri and falls in love with him.

Chnouf is a film infused with film noir style; the visuals do a superb job of heightening the mood. The most striking and memorable moments are scenes where the two hitmen kill people and a shootout finale where Henri finally reveals who he really is. Another strength is Marc Lanjean’s score, which does an exceptional job of reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Chnouf offers an unflinching exploration of the criminal underworld, and its effectiveness is largely due to the outstanding performances of its cast.

Back to the Wall: Instead of confronting her, a wealthy industrialist blackmails his wife when he finds out she’s having an affair.

Back to the Wall was directed by Édouard Molinaro; his notable films are Witness in the City, Oscar, A Pain in the Ass, and La Cage aux Folles.

Betrayal and revenge are central themes in Back to the Wall. The film starts with a husband discovering his wife's extramarital affair, but it quickly evolves into a revenge story when he chooses to kill her lover rather than confront her. That said, even the best-laid plans can go awry, and there is one final twist in which the wife has the last laugh.

The opening setup is a moment that reveals something that actually happens later on in the film. The narrative then shifts to a lengthy flashback that fleshes out characters and their motivations. The narrative does a superb job building momentum and maintaining tension. Although dialogue-heavy, the narrative always holds your attention with its well-timed twists and turns.

Gérard Oury delivers an exemplary performance in the role of Jacques Decrey, the husband whose wife has an affair. Jeanne Moreau (The Bride Who Wore Black) is cast in the role of Jacques' wife, Gloria. Her character is in a loveless marriage, and she has fallen in love with another man who gives her what her husband cannot. That said, when it comes to the rest of the performances, they perfectly complement the two leads.

Édouard Molinaro’s direction is solid, and nowhere is this clearer than in the opening setup. It is an expertly crafted moment that does a phenomenal job building tension as the husband tries to remove the boyfriend's corpse from his apartment without being seen. Back to the Wall frequently shines in its visuals, showcasing many striking moments. When combined with the score, these elements work together effectively to enhance the overall mood. Ultimately, Back to the Wall is a perfectly executed game of cat and mouse whose moment of truth makes the events that preceded it all the more potent.

Paris Pick-Up: A convict recently released from prison meets a woman on Christmas Eve and inadvertently becomes involved in her husband's murder.

Marcel Bluwal directed Paris Pick-Up. He’s most known for his work on television movies and series.

Paris Pick-Up is a film noir set during Christmas Eve, in which a man who has everything to lose refuses to walk away from a situation in which he becomes ensnared. While wandering the city, he meets a woman with a child, and he befriends them. He offers to walk the woman and child home, and once there, she invites him inside. Although they leave the apartment and go to a nearby bar, she convinces him to return to her home. Once inside, they discover the body of her husband, who apparently committed suicide. He has two choices as an ex-con: just walk away or stay with the woman; he chooses the latter.

Deception is a central theme in the unfolding narrative. While it appears that his chance encounter and subsequent friendship with a woman are coincidental, the final act unveils her true intentions. The story contains an element of deja vu, as moments repeat in similar ways; however, there is an additional person involved the second time around.

There are really only two performances of note: Robert Hossein (Cemetery Without Crosses) in the role of an ex-con and Lea Massari (L'Avventura) in the role of a married woman who's lured a stranger into her home. Robert Hossein’s character is a kindhearted person who has no ulterior motives for helping the woman, while Lea Massari’s character is an enigma who never reveals who she really is. That said, when it comes to the secondary characters, they are all excellent in their roles.

What starts out as a melodrama gradually evolves into a complex mystery where clarity is not always guaranteed. The first half of the film is mostly moments with characters doing mundane things; momentum picks up considerably once the twist occurs. While the visuals primarily allow the characters to take center stage, the final 20 minutes feature some visually striking moments. Ultimately, Paris Pick-Up is a well-crafted film noir that concludes with an exemplary finale, emphasizing that crime does not pay and no good deed goes unnoticed.

World Noir Volume 4 is an exceptional release from Radiance Films; all three films have never looked or sounded better, and there is a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Note: World Noir Volume 4 is limited to 3000 copies.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer