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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "The Aviator's Wife " or "La Femme de l'aviateur ou 'on ne saurait penser à rien")

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/direct-chair/rohmer.htm

 

The Metrograph - Region 'A' Blu-ray of The Aviator's Wife is reviewed / compared HERE

 

 

La Femme de l'aviateur was the first in Eric Rohmer's celebrated Comedies and Proverbs series. Francois (Philippe Marlaud) loves Anne (Marie Rivière). However, his nightshift job at the post office means they rarely get to spend much time together. One day, he sees her leaving home with her ex, Christian (Mathieu Carrière), who had come to break up with her for good. Reeling from the news, Anne lets Francois fall prey to his jealous imagination. Obsessed with the idea that she may have cheated on him, Francois decides to stay up all night. As he wanders, desolate, through the streets of Paris, he comes across his rival sitting in a cafe with a blonde-haired woman. Intrigued, he follows them. A young woman catches on to what he's up to and accosts him in an alley off the Buttes-Chaumont...

Poster

Theatrical Release: March 4th, 1981 - France

Reviews                                                                              More Reviews                                                                DVD Reviews

 Comparison:

Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL vs. Potemkine Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Per-Olof Strandberg for the Arrow DVD Screen Caps!

1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC LEFT

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT

 

Box Covers

 

 

Coming to Blu-ray by Metrograph Pictures in October 2023:

Presently only available in either the 25 Film (52 disc!) Eric Rohmer Blu-ray Boxset: or Comedies and Proverbs Blu-ray Boxset - also from Potemkine Films:

or order the Entire Arrow Films Boxset including  'The Aviator's Wife', 'A Good Marriage', 'Pauline At The Beach', 'Full Moon In Paris', 'The Green Ray', 'My Girlfriend's Boyfriend', 'Love In The Afternoon' and 'The Marquise Of O' at a savings of $190 US over buying individually.  REVIEWED HERE

 

Distribution

Fox Lorber

Region 0 - NTSC

Arrow Film Distributors
Region 0 - PAL
Potemkine Films
Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:41:42 1:41:046 1:41:55.040
Video

1.33:1 Open Matte
Average Bitrate: 5.8
1 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

1.33:1 Open Matte
Average Bitrate: ? mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1080i Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 28,839,179,081 bytes

Feature: 24,228,489,216 bytes

Video Bitrate: 29.30 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Bitrate : Blu-ray

Audio French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

DTS-HD Master Audio French 853 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 853 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 16-bit)
Subtitles English (non removable) English and None English and None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Fox Lorber

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Production notes
• Bios

DVD Release Date: June 15th, 1999
Keep case

Chapters 7
 

Release Information:
Studio: Arrow Film Distributors

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• ERIC ROHMER ON LA FEMME DE L'AVIATEUR 00:10:14 (English subs)
• 
Trailer (in 1:1.66) 02.22
 

DVD Release Date: April 12th, 2004
Transparent keep

Chapters 12

Release Information:
Studio:
Potemkine

Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1

1080i Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 28,839,179,081 bytes

Feature: 24,228,489,216 bytes

Video Bitrate: 29.30 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:
• Interview with Marie Rivière and Rosette (13:09)

• Et Dixit le mage at Passage de la vierge (11:29)

Blu-ray Release Date: November 19th, 2013
Bookstyle cardboard Blu-ray Case inside a large box

Chapters 10

Comments

The Metrograph - Region 'A' Blu-ray of The Aviator's Wife is reviewed / compared HERE

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Potemkine Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray (December 2013): I have already stated- I now own the Coffret Rohmer intégral combo blu ray + livret + pochette photos [Blu-ray] - it is 25 Rohmer films and 52 discs, book and more! So it will take a while to go through. My take so far is very positive. I will continue and, hopefully, at one point do a page on the entire set including the bonus discs (although extras don't seem to be English-friendly the features I have checked so far have optional English subtitles).! So it will take a while to go through. My take so far is very positive. I will continue and, hopefully, at one point do a page on the entire set including the bonus discs.

Like The Green Ray, Potemkine transfer in 1.66:1 and in 1080i. It was originally shot in 16mm but I don't need to say much about the image quality over the DVDs. It's considered a 1080i/50 disc (still in PAL running time) - played fine without issue and giant leap beyond the last digital editions. It was like seeing the film all over again - and I loved every minute. There is grain texture, a highly level of detail and we gain some information in the frames edges but lose some off the top - composition looks more correct to me. Audio, which is only dialogue as well as the sounds of a bus and a stroll through the park, is lossless and the English subtitles are optional. The Blu-ray disc is region 'B'-locked.

Two supplements - only in French no subtitles but one has Marie Rivière in an interview apparently taking about Rohmer. My French is very rusty.

Great to see this film again looking so improved from the poor SD treatment. I forgot how much I adore this film... and most Rohmer I watch. This 

 

***

 

ON THE DVDs: Everything about the Arrow Films version is better. The Fox is cropped slightly on all 4 sides, the subtitles are burned in and it was taken directly from a PAL source so will include associated artefacts and ghosting in motion sequences. Lots of film grain and smooth contrast on the Region 0 - PAL DVD. The Arrow films has a nice 10 minute Rohmer feature as well. This is a great Eric Rohmer work and I am glad to see it available with some dignity (and English subs). Don't hesitate - buy the Arrow Films today.

Gary W. Tooze

 

 


The Films in My Life
by Francois Truffaut, Leonard Mayhew

French Cinema: A Student's Guide
by Philip Powrie, Keith Reader
Agnes Varda by Alison Smith Godard on Godard : Critical Writings by Jean-Luc Godard Notes on the Cinematographer by Robert Bresson Robert Bresson (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs, No. 2)
by James Quandt
The Art of Cinema by Jean Cocteau French New Wave
by Jean Douchet, Robert Bonnono, Cedric Anger, Robert Bononno

DVD Menus

(Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)

 

 

Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 

 


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Screen Captures

 

1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

More Blu-ray Captures

 


Hit Counter


Report Card:

 

Image:

Blu-ray

Sound:

Blu-ray

Box Covers

 

 

Coming to Blu-ray by Metrograph Pictures in October 2023:

Presently only available in either the 25 Film (52 disc!) Eric Rohmer Blu-ray Boxset: or Comedies and Proverbs Blu-ray Boxset - also from Potemkine Films:

or order the Entire Arrow Films Boxset including  'The Aviator's Wife', 'A Good Marriage', 'Pauline At The Beach', 'Full Moon In Paris', 'The Green Ray', 'My Girlfriend's Boyfriend', 'Love In The Afternoon' and 'The Marquise Of O' at a savings of $190 US over buying individually.  REVIEWED HERE

 

Distribution

Fox Lorber

Region 0 - NTSC

Arrow Film Distributors
Region 0 - PAL
Potemkine Films
Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gary Tooze

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