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

ADDITION: Radiance Films Blu-ray (November 2023): Radiance Films have transferred Alain Cavalier's Le combat dans l'île to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "2K Restoration from the original camera negative". Michael St. Aubyn reviewed the C'Est La Vie PAL DVD, HERE, in 2004 for DVDBeaver. There was also a Zeitgeist DVD from 2010 HERE that we do not own. The improvement over the PAL DVD is... sick. The new 1080P transfer has vast superiority in contrast, detail and every visual facet over the SD. It's an exceptional disparity. The Blu-ray looks very film-like with grain, a slight gloss while exporting pleasing depth. What a magnificent upgrade! 

NOTE: We have added 60 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Radiance Films use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original French language. Le combat dans l'île has aggression from bazooka induced explosions, a stabbing and gunfire. There is some buyoant depth in the authentically flat audio. The score was by French composer Serge Nigg (one of a handful of credits.), that supports the violence and sideways glances adeptly. Radiance Films offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Radiance Films Blu-ray offers plenty of extras. There are a couple of vintage interviews; 5-minutes with Alain Cavalier from a September 1962 French television show; Cinema page where he talks about the film and working with the cast. There are also 8-minutes with Jean-Louis Trintignant from a 1983 Belgian television show called Cinescope. He talks about the start of his career and Romy Schneider. The Succulence of Fruit is a 2020 interview with French critic Philippe Roger who provides an analysis of the film and Cavalier’s work. It runs almost 38-minutes. Faire la mort (Playing Dead) is from 2011 - featurette with comments by Cavalier on photos from the Cinémathèque française. France 1961 is a 1/4 hour short film made by Cavalier on the occasion of Zeitgeist’s 2010 DVD release of the film. 1958's Un américain is Cavalier’s first short film and is about a sculptor who comes to Paris. There are 'behind-the-scenes' photos including images from the archive of Louis Malle and a trailer. The package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork and a limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Ben Sachs and scholar and author of Late-Colonial French Cinema, Mani Sharpe. 

Alain Cavalier's Le combat dans l'île was his feature directorial debut, with his former boss, Louis Malle, as producer - evoking a shade of Elevator to the Gallows. It's almost exclusively politically charged with Jean-Louis Trintignant's 'Clément' character as an extremist pawn. Le combat dans l'île has a 'nouvelle vague' aura with eye-catching Romy Schneider at the center of a menage-a-trois - which ends in an old-fashioned, if scattered, duel. The Radiance Films' region free Blu-ray is a wonderful package with, primarily, a stellar new a/v and followed by a host of extras and attractive case. Superb leads highlight this French drama-thriller.

Gary Tooze