Les cousins – The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1959
Director: Claude Chabrol
Writers: Claude Chabrol, Paul Gégauff
Cast: Gérard Blain, Jean-Claude Brialy, Juliette Mayniel, Guy Decomble, Geneviève Cluny, Michèle Méritz, Corrado Guarducci, Stéphane Audran, Paul Bisciglia, Jeanne Pérez, Françoise Vatel

Release Date: September 20th, 2011
Approximate Running Time: 109 Minutes 46 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

"In Les cousins, Claude Chabrol crafts a sly moral fable about a provincial boy who comes to live with his sophisticated bohemian cousin in Paris. Through these seeming opposites, Chabrol conjures a darkly comic character study that questions notions of good and evil, love and jealousy, and success in the modern world." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "This new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on an ARRISCAN film scanner from the original camera negative. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter, and flicker were manually removed using Revival, Flame, and Smoke, while Digital Vision's DVNR system was used for small dirt, grain, and noise reduction"

Les cousins comes on a 50 GBdual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.1 GB

Feature: 30.1 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look correct, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and grain remains intact.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialog is clear, everything sounds balanced, and, range-wise, ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film scholar Adrian Martin, and a 24-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Nature of the Beast written by Terrence Rafferty, excerpts from actor Jean-Claude Brialy’s memoir about costar Gérard Blain, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Though Les cousins aligns more closely with the thriller genre for which Claude Chabrol is renowned, it remains a film that primarily leans toward drama. In Les cousins, Claude Chabrol introduces a recurring theme that would feature prominently throughout his body of work: the bourgeoisie.

A woman causes a rift between two cousins when one of them seduces her to spite the other, who's in love with her.

Les cousins is a film about two characters who are polar opposites: Charles is quiet and reserved, while Paul lives a life of excess. Paul tries to drag Charles into his decadent world in which there are no limits; Charles often tries to distance himself. Also, Paul finds pleasure in others misery; he goes out of his way to prevent people from finding happiness.

Claude Chabrol casts several actors who worked with him on Le beau Serge, notably Gérard Blain (The Eye of the Needle) and Jean-Claude Brialy (A Woman Is a Woman), in the roles of Charles and Paul. What makes their casting so intriguing is how this time around he casts these two actors in roles that are opposite of what they portrayed in Le beau Serge. That said, both actors deliver extraordinary performances. Another performance of note is Juliette Mayniel (Eyes Without a Face) in the role of Florence, the woman caught in a romantic triangle with Charles and Paul. Another cast member of note is Stéphane Audran in her first collaboration with Claude Cabrol, whom she would marry in 1964, and throughout the 1960s and 70s she was his muse.

Though the performances are the driving force of Les cousins, the visuals also play a significant role; they do a superb job of heightening the mood. Even at this early stage of his career, Claude Chabrol shows a command for creating visually arresting moments. Notable moments are a scene where Charles is trying to study while behind him Paul and Florence are in the shower, a scene where Florence is sunbathing topless, and a jarring finale that provides an exclamation mark on the events that have unfolded.

The premise is flawlessly executed; a well-constructed narrative does a phenomenal job building tension, and a tragic finale where Paul’s reckless behavior kills someone provides a perfect coda. Another strength is an exemplary score, which features many classical music cues from composers like Mozart and Richard Wagner. Ultimately, Les cousins is a cautionary film about the dangers of excess and its consequences when left unchecked.

The Criterion Collection gives Les cousins an excellent release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Le Beau Serge - The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1958
Director: Claude Chabrol
Writer: Claude Chabrol
Cast: Gérard Blain, Jean-Claude Brialy, Michèle Méritz, Bernadette Lafont, Claude Cerval, Jeanne Pérez, Edmond Beauchamp, André Dino, Michel Creuze, Claude Chabrol, Philippe de Broca

Release Date: September 20th, 2011
Approximate Running Time: 99 Minutes 26 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

"Le beau Serge, follows a successful yet sickly young man (Jean‑Claude Brialy) who returns home to the small village where he grew up. There, he finds himself at odds with his former close friend (Gérard Blain)—now unhappily married and a wretched alcoholic—and the provincial life he represents." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "This new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on an ARRISCAN film scanner from the original camera negative. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter, and flicker were manually removed using Revival, Flame, and Smoke, while Digital Vision's DVNR system was used for small dirt, grain, and noise reduction"

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

Disc Size: 43.4 GB

Feature: 27.3 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look correct, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and grain remains intact.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialog is clear, everything sounds balanced, and, range-wise, ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), a segment from a 1969 episode of the French television series L’invité du dimanche in which Claude Chabrol revisits Sardent, the town he grew up in and Le beau Serge’s location (10 minutes, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), a documentary titled Claude Chabrol: Mon premier film, featuring interviews with Claude Chabrol and actor Jean-Claude Brialy (51 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Guy Austin, author of Claude Chabrol, and a 16-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Homecoomings written by Terrence Rafferty, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Known for primarily working in the thriller genre, Claude Chabrol would earn the nickname “French Hitchcock.” The French New Wave cinema movement began with his debut film, Le beau Serge, a melodrama. While Le beau Serge is not classified as a thriller, it does anticipate many of the cinematic techniques that would later become characteristic of Claude Chabrol's work.

After a long absence, François returns to his hometown expecting to see familiar faces, only to discover how much everyone there has changed, especially his childhood friend Serge.

Le beau Serge is a story of two once-close characters who have drastically changed in their time apart. Though François is recovering from a recent illness, he focuses all his attention on helping his friend Serge. Now married, Serge feels trapped in a job he hates and copes with his struggles by drowning his sorrows in alcohol. While Serge is glad about François's return, he also feels a sense of inadequacy in his friend's presence.

All around, the performances are excellent, especially Gérard Blain (The Eye of the Needle) and Jean-Claude Brialy (A Woman Is a Woman) in the roles of Serge and François. Their onscreen chemistry elevates their performances, and Claude Charbol would cast both of them for his next film, Les Cousins. Another performance of note is Bernadette Lafont, who portrays Marie, the younger sister of Serge’s wife, and she begins a romantic entanglement with François shortly after his arrival.

The well-executed narrative does a superb job weaving the various subplots. Besides the moments revolving around Serge and François’ friendship, there are two other subplots. The first of these revolves around François and Marie, while the other sees a combative relationship between François and Yvonne, Serge’s wife. In the latter subplot, François supports Yvonne during her labor while Serge is absent. That said, it is this act that ultimately breaks Serge free from self-destructive behavior.

Though Le beau Serge is a dialogue-driven film where the characters take center stage, that is not to say that there are not numerous visually arresting moments. The most striking moment occurs when Marie’s stepfather confronts François about their affair. In a fit of anger, her stepfather forces him to admit that she is not actually his daughter. Now freed of this burden, Marie’s stepfather goes home and sexually assaults her. Another strength is Émile Delpierre’s score, which does a phenomenal job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Le beau Serge is an extraordinary film about the human condition.

The Criterion Collection gives Le beau Serge an excellent release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras. Highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Six in Paris – Icarus Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1965
Directors: Jean Douchet, Jean Rouch, Jean-Daniel Pollet, Eric Rohmer, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol
Cast: Jean-Pierre Andréani, Jean-François Chappey, Barbara Wilkin, Nadine Ballot, Gilles Quéant, Barbet Schroeder, Micheline Dax, Claude Melki, Marcel Gallon, Jean-Michel Rouzière, Serge Davri, Philippe Hiquilly, Joanna Shimkus, Stéphane Audran, Claude Chabrol

Release Date: July 30th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 96 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $41.98

"In 1965, young producer Barbet Schroeder supplied a 16mm camera, along with color film stock, to six friends and asked them to each make a short film about a Parisian neighborhood. The resulting films were shot quickly, with low budgets, improvised takes and live sound." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Gorgeously restored in 2K."

Six in Paris comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 23 GB

Feature: 21.9 GB

The source looks great; colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is very good.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clear, clear and balanced. Range-wise, the audio is limited.

Extras:

Extras for this release include archival interviews from 1965 that originally aired on Swiss TV; Barbet Schroeder and Patrick Bauchau (7 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), Jean Rouch (5 minutes, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles) and Éric Rohmer (6 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), and a slipcover (limited to 1,000 units).

Summary:

Six in Paris is the brainchild of Barbet Schroeder, who served as its producer and even appeared in a segment. The narrative consists of six stories about Paris: a French playboy and his American girlfriend; after arguing with her boyfriend, a woman wandering the streets meets a suicidal man; a prostitute who makes fun of her client; a man who avoids an area where he might have killed a man; two women who were sent love letters that were not intended for them; and a boy who wears earplugs to conceal his parents arguments. In total there are six stories, and each has their own director.

When one factors in the conditions in which each story was made, it's not surprising that none of the stories have depth. All of the stories are dialog-driven, and most of them are just two characters talking. Though there are an abundance of scenic shots of Paris, the visuals have no arresting or stylish moments. Another flaw in most stories is their lackluster conclusion. Jean Rouch's Gare du Nord and Claude Chabrol's La Muette are the best stories since they both have jarring endings. Ultimately, Six in Paris is best described as an avant-garde experiment, only recommended to fans of French New Wave cinema.

Six in Paris gets a first-rate release from Icarus Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a trio of extras.

Written by Michael Den Boer

La Cérémonie – The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Germany, 1995
Director: Claude Chabrol
Writers: Claude Chabrol, Caroline Eliacheff
Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Sandrine Bonnaire, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Jacqueline Bisset, Virginie Ledoyen, Valentin Merlet, Julien Rochefort

Release Date: November 21st, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 112 Minutes 11 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Stereo French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

"a small-town postal worker and a maid to a wealthy family, a pair of outsiders who form a mysterious alliance that gradually, almost imperceptibly, goes haywire." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “This new digital master was created from the 35mm original camera negative, which was scanned in 4K resolution by MK2 at Eclair Classics.”

La Cérémonie comes on a 50 GBdual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.6 GB

Feature: 28.7 GB

Though the colors look different when compared to this film’s previous home media releases, it is not as off-putting as some on the internet have suggested. That said, I prefer how they look on this release. Flesh tones look healthy, imager clarity and black levels are strong, compression is very good, and grain remains intact.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialog is clear, everything sounds balanced, and, range-wise, ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 1 second, Dolby Digital mono French with non-removable English subtitles), an episode of the Criterion Channel series Observations on Film Art about the use of offscreen sound that focuses on La Cérémonie (9 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with non-removable English subtitles for French film clips), an archival interview with screenwriter Caroline Eliacheff (9 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with non-removable English subtitles), an archival extra titled Isabelle Huppert and Claude Chabrol: Crossed Portraits featuring actress Isabelle Huppert and director Claude Chabrol who discuss their collaborative process (22 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with non-removable English subtitles), an archival featurette titled The Making of “La Cérémonie” featuring Claude Chabrol, Isabelle Huppert, and Sandrine Bonaire (18 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Sandrine Bonnaire (12 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an archival selected-scene audio commentary with Claude Chabrol (29 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Bong Jong Ho who discusses the cinema of Claude Chabrol (12 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Korean with removable English subtitles), and a leaflet with an essay titled Domestic Disturbances written by Sarah Weinman and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Claude Chabrol, like Alfred Hitchcock, is one of the few filmmakers who truly mastered suspense films. When it came to the way they crafted a narrative, they were both meticulous. They knew how to create peaks and valleys that never disrupted momentum. And their ability to guide the viewer to what they wanted them to pay attention to is second to none. That said, nothing in a Claude Chabrol or Alfred Hitchcock film ever feels forced.

An affluent family who lives in an isolated mansion in the countryside hires a new maid. Despite fitting in with the family, things start to unravel as she tries to conceal a dark secret from her past. Everything comes to a head when she forms a strong bond with a troublemaker postal clerk who encourages her to rebel against her employers.

The art of deception is an integral part of the cinema of Claude Chabrol, and La Cérémonie is a film overflowing with it. Though most of the characters are well-defined and it's clear where they stand, when it comes to the protagonist Sophie, the new maid, she is an enigma. The uncertainty about who Sophie really is does not come about because of the secrets she hides; she's a chameleon who effortlessly shifts her persona to fit the situation.

Performance-wise, the entire cast is excellent, especially Sandrine Bonnaire (Vagabond) in the role of Sophie and Isabelle Huppert (Story of Women) in the role of the troublemaking postal worker. They have a tremendous amount of chemistry, and the scenes they share are the most riveting. Another performance of note is Virginie Ledoyen’s (The Beach) portrayal of Melinda, the daughter with her own secret that she’s trying to conceal.

Most of Claude Chabrol’s films are in the suspense genre, and yet these films were often more than just standard fare mysteries. He was a filmmaker who often interjected social commentary in the story that was unfolding. La Cérémonie explores themes like family, good vs. evil, loneliness, and classism. In the case of the latter, classism is a theme that Claude Chabrol would often return to throughout his career.

From a production standpoint, La Cérémonie is a film where everything falls into place. The perfectly constructed narrative moves at a deliberate pace, and a double twist finale provides an exemplary coda to the events that have unfolded. Though there are a few striking moments visually, Claude Chabrol’s direction lets the characters take center stage. Ultimately, La Cérémonie is an extraordinary film that slowly draws you in, makes you think it's going one way, only to climax with a moment of truth that hits you like a sledgehammer.

La Cérémonie gets a solid release from The Criterion Collection that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Ophélia – Olive Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1963
Director: Claude Chabrol
Writers: Claude Chabrol, Paul Gégauff
Cast: Alida Valli, Claude Cerval, André Jocelyn, Juliette Mayniel, Robert Burnier, Jean-Louis Maury, Sacha Briquet

Release Date: April 25th, 2017
Approximate Running Time: 103 Minutes 52 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"Ivan (Andre Jocelyn), a high-strung and intense young man of means, suspecting that his mother, Claudia (Alida Valli) and uncle Adrian (Claude Cerval) are responsible for the death of his father, sets out to reveal their foul deed." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Ophélia comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.8 GB

Feature: 22 GB

The source used for this transfer looks excellent. Image clarity and contrast are solid; black levels fare well; and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French, and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 40 seconds, DTS-HD mono mix in French, no subtitles).

Summary:

Though he’s not credited to William Shakespeare, Ophélia’s narrative is similar to that of his play Hamlet. That said, the result is a film that’s best described as a loose adaptation of Hamlet. Another connection to Hamlet is a scene where the protagonist walks by a poster for Laurence Olivier's adaptation of Hamlet.

Ophélia is not a thriller, the genre for which Claude Chabrol is best known. And yet, there are many elements in Ophélia that are synonymous with the thriller genre. Also, there are elements in Ophélia that Claude Chabrol would return to throughout his career. Most notably, stories related to the bourgeoisie.

Ophélia's narrative revolves around a young man named Yvan, who feels his father's death was not an accident. In fact, he blames his mother, her new husband, and his uncle for his father's death.

The cast delivers excellent performances, particularly André Jocelyn (A Double Tour) in the role of Yvan. He delivers a solid performance that perfectly captures his character's mental instability. Another performance of note is Alida Valli (The Third Man) in the role of Yvan’s mother.

From a production standpoint, Ophélia is an interesting adaptation that is arguably Claude Chabrol’s strangest film. And though there is symbolic imagery, Ophélia's visuals do a great job of letting the performances take center stage. Ultimately, Ophélia is a well-made melodrama that fans of Claude Chabrol are sure to appreciate.

Ophélia makes its way to Blu-ray via a solid audio/video presentation from Olive Films.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Third Lover – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Italy, 1962
Director: Claude Chabrol
Writers: Claude Chabrol, Martial Matthieu, Paul Gégauff
Cast: Jacques Charrier, Stéphane Audran, Walther Reyer

Release Date: February 25th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 80 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French/German/English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"André Mercier, is a failed, embittered writer, working under the pen name Albin Mercier. On a journalism gig in Germany, his path crosses with that of Andreas Hartmann, another writer, who's managed to make a living for himself. The successful Andreas is married to Hélène, a beautiful Frenchwoman, who quickly becomes the apple of Mercier's eye. While Andreas is off on a business trip, Mercier tries to seduce Hélène to make her his lover and, eventually, take over Andreas' life." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand New 4K Restoration".

The Third Lover comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 25.8 GB

Feature: 23.3 GB

The source used for this transfer is in immaculate shape. Image clarity, shadow detail, and contrast are solid, and the grain looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French, German, and English, and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio is in excellent shape; the dialog is always clear and everything sounds balanced. It should be noted that there is some dialog in both German and English, and these lines of dialog are not given English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an audio commentary with film historian Kat Ellinger.

Other extras are trailers for The Champagne Murders, Touchez pas au grisbi, Bob le flambeur, and Léon Morin, Priest.

Summary:

I had seen most of Claude Chabrol’s films from his most celebrated era (1968–1975) before I ever saw his earliest films, like The Third Lover. I was not prepared for how drastically different The Third Lover is when compared to the suspense films that Claude Chabrol is most associated with.

From its opening moments, it becomes clear that The Third Lover is a film that's more concerned with mood and style than it is with conventional storytelling. The narrative revolves around a protagonist and his relationship with a couple, a husband and a wife. From there, the protagonist becomes fond of the wife, and when his attempt to seduce her fails, he then becomes convinced that she’s having an affair, and he then searches for her lover, the third lover.

What starts off as a story about three characters just enjoying each other's company. Then it becomes a story about unrequited love that evolves into a tale about obsession, which culminates with an act of betrayal that turns deadly.

Though there are peripheral characters, the main cast is essentially three characters; Jacques Charrier (Pigeon Shoot) in the role of a protagonist named Albin Mercier; Stéphane Audran (The Champagne Murders) in the role of Hélène, the wife; and Walther Reyer (The Indian Tomb) in the role of Andreas Hartman, the husband. All three of these actors are great in their respective roles. 

From a production standpoint, The Third Lover is a film that takes full advantage of its minimalism. Its basic narrative is briskly paced, and it features a spectacular ending that perfectly summarizes the events that preceded it. Another strength is its exquisite black-and-white cinematography, which does a superb job of creating atmosphere and reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, The Third Lover is a mesmerizing film that will keep you enthralled until its final frame.

The Third Lover gets a first-rate release from Kino Lorber that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer