(aka "Switchblade Romance" or "High Tension")

 

directed by Alexandre Aja
France 2003

 

Two female students, Marie and Alex, set off to Alex's parent's secluded homestead in the country to relax and study. Come nightfall, a mysterious truck pulls up. Alex is now bound and gagged, taken off, with Marie alluding the intruder. Can she save her friend's life in time? Or is everything all that it seems...

Universally heralded by genreheads as either the red knight savior to the genre it rests in or a downright demeaning insult, Haute tension is still leaving viewers divided around the world. On one hand, it's techincally and aesthically magnificent. The acting by the principles, direction, and composition are par excellence. The score melds with the screen so well it harkens back to a time when music was integral to setting mood and suspense. It's truly a Horror film of pedigree.

On the other hand, it's clichéd, gimmicky, and unyieldingly one-note. It's goes by the numbers...until the climax. It's conclusion is an enormous stumbling block for the majority. It takes the film and negates 98%. Despite some stating it makes no sense, it actually does, though only by a thread.

After the hype dies it has the real potential of becoming a modern classic of the genre... or maybe not. Only time will tell.

Jayson Kennedy

Posters

Theatrical Release: June 18th 2003

Reviews    More Reviews  DVD Reviews

DVD Comparison:

EuropaCorp - Region 2 - PAL vs. Optimum - Region 2 - PAL vs. Thai Release - Region 0 - PAL

Big thanks to Jayson Kennedy and Ole Kofoed and Henrik Sylow for the Screen Caps!

(EuropaCorp - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT vs. Optimum - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Thai Release - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers

 

   

 

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Distribution

EuropaCorp

Region 2 - PAL

 Optimum
Region 2 - PAL		 Thai Release
Region 0 - PAL
Runtime 1:27:00 (4% PAL speedup) 1:26:59 (4% PAL speedup) 1:27:00 (4% PAL speedup)
Video

2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 8.96 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.85 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 6.25 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:

 

EuropaCorp

 

Bitrate:

 

Optimum

 

Bitrate:

 

Thai Release

 

Audio French Dolby Digital 5.1, French DTS 5.1

French Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 2.0

English Dub Dolby Digital 5.1, Thai Dub Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles None English, None English, Thai, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: EuropaCorp

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1

Edition Details:
• Haute tension: Making of d'un Survival (36:18)
• Interview: Cecile de France (21:51)
• Interview: Maiwenn (5:28)
• Interview: Philippe Nahon (5:12)
• Giannetto de Rossi Make-Up SFX (7:12)
• Animated Still Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer (2:34)
• Animated Menus

DVD Release Date: February 11, 2004
Amarey (2-DVD)

Chapters 28
 

 Release Information:
Studio: Optimum

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1

Edition Details:
• Audio Commentary by Alexandre Aja and Cecile de France (in English)
• Cast interviews
• Phillip Nahon (5:13)
• Cecile de Frace (21:52)
• Mäiwenn (5:28)
• SPFX with Gianetto di Rossi (7:18)
• Making of (36:18)
• Theatrical Trailer (1:46)
• English dubbed Trailer (1:43)
• Animated Menues
 

DVD Release Date: January 31, 2005
Keep Case

Chapters 24

Release Information:
Studio: Thai Release

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1

Edition Details:
• Trailer (1:41)

 

DVD Release Date: 2004
Jewel Case

Chapters 12

 

 

 

 

Comments Comparison update:

The French is a bit more detailed but the Thai has also a very fine picture quality. The cover says that it's a full screen release but it's anamorphic widescreen. The Thai is missing the original French soundtrack but it's the only English friendly release right now if you want the uncut version (there is a Korean cut version). With a price of US$7.5 the Thai release is a good choice for non-French speaking individuals especially if you can't wait for other releases.

Ole Kofoed

----------------------------------------------------
An absolutely stellar job by EuropaCorp. The image quality is among the best on the format, it certainly uses it's nearly constant high bitrate to maximum effect. Much of the film is quite dark and the transfer admirably displays it's earthy coloration dead-on with excellent dimensionality. Detail and just the right amount of sharpness is conveyed with utter brilliance. There is a slight amount of grain but it appears to be perfectly natural. Quite simply, blood has never looked so gorgeous. The audio is up-to-par also with both tracks being nearly identical. I can't really comment on the supplemental material, because my French is pretty rusty. The only flaw is nothing is subtitled, in any language, and the disc has several forced trailers (Ong-bak, Ken Park, amongst others) at start-up.

Jayson Kennedy

----------------------------------------------------
The image of Optimum is slightly better. When enlarging 500% compression artefacts are easy identifiable on the EuroCorp image, which surprises me, as Optimum removed the DTS track (about 1GB) to "make room" for the additional material (about 1.5GB). There are optional English subtitles on all extra material. The Audio Commentary is in English. Finally each menu is very a very haunting animated sequence from the film with frech ideas (like the VHS tapes as menu elements). Superb DVD in all aspects.

Henrik Sylow

 -

 

 

 


 

Recommended Reading in French Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)

 

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 		French Cinema: From Its Beginnings to the Present
by Remi Fournier Lanzoni		 Truffaut: A Biography by Antoine do Baecque and Serge Toubiana

 

 

Check out more in "The Library"



DVD Menus

(EuropaCorp - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT vs. Optimum - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Thai Release - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)


 

 

   

 

 

Screen Captures

(Captures resized to 800px width)

(EuropaCorp - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Optimum - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Thai Release - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)
 

 

 

(EuropaCorp - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Optimum - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Thai Release - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

(EuropaCorp - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Optimum - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Thai Release - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

(EuropaCorp - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Optimum - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Thai Release - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

(EuropaCorp - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Optimum - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Thai Release - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

(EuropaCorp - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Optimum - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Thai Release - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

Hit Counter

Report Card:

Image:

Optimum

Sound:

EuroCorp (DTS)
Extras: Optimum
Menu: Optimum
DVD Box Covers

 

   

 

NOTE: Purchases through DVDBeaver's links to Amazon help keep us afloat and advertisement free!

  
Distribution

EuropaCorp

Region 2 - PAL

 Optimum
Region 2 - PAL		 Thai Release
Region 0 - PAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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