Thrills and Philosophy from France on Blu-ray

By Christopher P. Jacobs
Movies Editor

Two notable but very different classic French films came out on Blu-ray from Criterion this past May and July, respectively. One is an archetypal thriller with a memorable bathtub sequence, while the other is an intriguing philosophical character study that also recreates life in a French village during the Nazi occupation.

Henri-Georges Clouzot’s “Diabolique” (1955) is one of the world’s great murder-mystery suspense-thrillers, an inspiration for countless films that followed. Without giving away its surprise twists (as many reviews have done), it’s safe to say that it’s influenced directors from Alfred Hitchcock to the Coen brothers, as well as numerous lesser filmmakers. The love triangle that leads to murder and cover-up is a staple of film noir, here involving faculty and staff of a bleak boys’ boarding school. Clouzot, however, avoids the classic low-key “look” of noir films until the final thrilling sequence, giving most of the film a more mundane and drab everyday appearance that serves to make the last section stand out all the more. Another unsettling technique is the film’s lack of background music except for the opening credits - only silence, dialogue, and natural sound effects accompany the ever-rising tension, whether scenes are at the school, a nearby town, or the city morgue. The film’s long, slow buildup may sometimes seem a bit sluggish before the intricate murder plans go into action, but the slowness of similar sequences in the last half of the film make it that much more suspenseful.

The picture quality on Criterion’s Blu-ray is good and sometimes outstanding, but oddly is just as frequently slightly soft-focus, despite being scanned from the original camera negative. It’s hard to tell at times whether this is due to too much digital noise reduction/grain removal or whether the film was too warped to stay in focus. The sound, remastered from a 35mm magnetic track, is fine. Bonus features are not plentiful but are good, and all in HD. There’s an introduction to the film by Serge Bromberg (whose reconstructed version of Clouzot’s unfinished “Inferno” came out on Blu-ray last spring), an illustrated interview with a novelist/film critic, and a partial audio commentary (on three segments totaling about 45 minutes) by a scholar of French film, plus the original French theatrical trailer and Criterion’s usual booklet with credits, photos, and a nice essay. Those who have not yet seen the film should wait until after watching it before going through any of the extras other than the trailer.
DIABOLIQUE on Blu-ray—Movie: A-  /  Video: A-  /  Audio: A   /  Extras: B+

A vivid recreation of life in a French town during German and Italian World War II occupation, “Léon Morin, Priest” (1961) originally ran 193 minutes. Before release, director Jean-Pierre Melville decided to cut it to its present 117 minutes, deleting mostly the first hour of the original cut to concentrate on the title character and his unusual (for the movies) relationship with a persistent woman. Jean-Paul Belmondo, near the start of his career, plays very much against his typical screen persona as the devout and dedicated young Father Morin. Emmanuelle Riva plays Barney, a sexually frustrated young widow with a daughter, who decides to challenge a priest with her espousal of atheism and picks Father Léon Morin because of his peasant-sounding working-class name. To her surprise, he agrees with some of her comments, rapidly counters her arguments, offers her some books to read, and recommends they meet on a regular basis to continue their discussions. Naturally, over the course of time her deep philosophical dialogues with him start to sway her feelings and she falls hopelessly in love. However, through all her overtures, both subtle and direct, he remains steadfastly and maddeningly friendly but aloof, despite an obvious attraction to her and close rapport with her little girl. Meanwhile, the ongoing war continues to affect the town and its residents as first the Italians, then the Germans are driven out and American troops arrive.

Melville and his cast present such innately human and believable portraits of the two protagonists, that the film has provoked some diametrically opposite interpretations of its supposed message and intentions. The Catholic Church lauded the film for its accuracy, sensitivity, and approach to the subjects it treats, yet Melville himself was an avowed atheist raised as a Jew, wanting largely to show “an amorous priest who likes to excite girls but doesn’t sleep with them.” Some critics found the film to be cynically denouncing religion and various personal beliefs, while others found it a moving reaffirmation of faith. As with Ingmar Bergman films like “The Seventh Seal,” it contains material that might support either argument. And like Bergman films, supported by striking use of setting and camera, it is the thoughtful intensity of its characters and the philosophical issues the film raises rather than any major plot actions (or lack of them) that make it so timeless and interesting.

Criterion’s hi-def transfer, made from a 35mm finegrain master, is excellent, with the Blu-ray reproducing a film-like sharpness, grain structure, and wide contrast range. Audio is also very good. There are several interesting bonus features, but again not a wide selection and this time mostly in standard-definition. Two brief but interesting deleted scenes in HD run about three or four minutes, showing a bit more of the subplots dealing with the occupation and the Resistance.  There’s a roughly five-minute interview from 1961 with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean-Pierre Melville. A partial audio commentary is included for three segments totaling about 35 minutes, and heard over a dupier-looking standard-def rendition of the scenes. The original French trailer is also a dupey-looking SD transfer. The enclosed booklet includes a new critical essay from a distinctly secular point of view, and an interview with Melville conducted in 1970 for a book.
LÉON MORIN, PRIEST on Blu-ray—Movie: A   /  Video: A+  /  Audio: A   /  Extras: B+ 

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