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Le Chienne (The Bitch), Blu-ray (1931-2016)

Le Chienne (The Bitch), Blu-ray (1931-2016)

by | Dec 16, 2016 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

One of the first sound films of Jean Renoir and a realistic analysis of life of Montmartre as well as Renior’s push for naturalistic on-site audio. Le Chienne (The Bitch), Blu-ray (1931-2016) Cast: Michael Simon, Georges Flamant, Janie Marese Director: Jean Renoir Studio:  Janus/Les Films du Jeudei/The Criterion Collection 818 (6/14/16) Video: 1.19:1 for 16:9 screens with large side dark areas, B&W Audio: French PCM mono Subtitles: English Extras: 1961 introduction to the film from Renoir; Renoir short of 1936: Une partie de campagne; complete film of On purge bebe also of 1931, Renoir’s first sound film; New interview with Renoir scholar Christopher Faulkner; 1967 French TV chat between Renoir and actor Michael Simon, dir. by Jacques Rivette (95 min.); Poster artwork and essay by film scholar Ginette Vincendeau Length: 96 min. Rating: **** The long conversation between Renoir and actor Michael Simon, who had not seen one another for a decade, is an absolute kick. They discuss everything under the sun, and Renoir’s interest in nature, the environment and fighting cruelty to animals comes out, especially in his recommending Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring to Simon. His first 1931 sound film is only 60 min. long, and mainly concerns a […]

I Knew Her Well, Blu-ray (1965/2016)

I Knew Her Well, Blu-ray (1965/2016)

by | Feb 15, 2016 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

A 1965 classic which helped define Italy in the ‘60s. I Knew Her Well, Blu-ray (1965/2016) Director: Antonio Pietrangeli Cast: Stefania Sandrelli, Mario Adorf, Jean-Claude Brialy Video: 1.85:1 for 16:9 screens, 1080p HD black & white Audio: Italian PCM mono Studio: RAI Cinema/ The Criterion Collection 801 (2/23/16) Subtitles: English Extras: New interview with Stefania Sandrelli, New interview with film scholar Luca Barattoni on director Pietrtangeli, Archival footage of Sandrelli’s audition, Essay in printed booklet by journalist and author Alexander Stille Length: 115 min. Rating: **** Italy was having a crucial transformation at this time, with things moving toward more of an urban and moneyed environment and away from the neo-realist films which their filmmakers had been doing earlier. Basically, this is an intimate portrait of a party girl in 1960s Rome, making it a woman at its center rather than the male of La dolce vita. The beautiful and seemingly liberated Adriana has a wide variety of men, and goes to parties, modeling jobs, and circulating among the rich and famous. This ends up being a character study of Adriana, as we move with her thru scenes that are funny and also tragic in some ways. The well-known actor […]