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

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (January 2024): Indicator have transferred John Frankenheimer's Impossible Object to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "New 4K restoration". While the two versions included (original French theatrical cut and 9-minute shorter Story of a Love Story, the alternative international cut) are not seamlessly-branched, the 1080P image quality appears to be the same. We have compared some captures below. The transfer has beautifully rich grain and deep black levels. It looks extremely film-like shot in France and Morocco.

NOTE: We have added 52 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Indicator use linear PCM mono track for the French version and a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (both 16-bit) for the alternative international cut English language version. Impossible Object is mostly dialogue-driven with quite lovers time, family at the beach but no aggression or gunplay. The score is by Michel Legrand (Eve, Cleo From 5 to 7, Castle Keep, La Piscine, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Young Girls of Rochefort, America as Seen By a Frenchman, A Woman is a Woman, Ice Station Zebra) is quite placid and beautiful adding layers to the film's narrative. Indicator offer optional English for all the French dialogue and English (SDH) subtitles for the Alt International version - on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Indicator Blu-ray offers a new commentary by favorite Tim Lucas (author of The Book of Renfield: A Gospel of Dracula.) He discusses how Dominique Sanda was only 20-year old at the time of filming, some history on novelist Nicholas Mosley and the film's relationship to Joseph Losey, rights to the book, where an opening scene is the reading room of the British Museum, how this represented Frankenheimer's chance to make a French film and he related an interesting anecdote; on the night that RFK was assassinated in June 1968, it was Frankenheimer who had driven Kennedy from Los Angeles Airport to the Ambassador Hotel for his acceptance speech. Tim talks about Evans Evans (Elizabeth in Impossible Object) who married director Frankenheimer on December 13th, 1963, and they remained married until his death on July 6th, 2002. He identifies Laurence de Mona, as Cleo who starred as Claire in Erich Rohmer's Claire's Knee two years previously. Tim sees the French film as' Natalie's version' and the English version is 'Harry's version'. It's at Tim's usual high standard - excellent. Included is a 1973 interview with John Frankenheimer as a 4-minute extract from the French television programme Le Cinéma à..., featuring the director discussing the film before and after an early public screening. These Obscure Subjects of Desire: Objectified Women in the Lost Films of Frankenheimer and Lumet is new and has filmmaker and film historian Daniel Kremer examining the thematic and historical interconnections between Impossible Object and Sidney Lumet’s 1969 feature The Appointment for shy of 1/4 hour. It's very informative. Stories of a Love Story is a new 10-minute video comparison analyzing the differences between the two versions of the film - which is fascinating. There is Indicator's usual image gallery of publicity and promotional material plus a Story of a Love Story script gallery showing surviving pages of the dialogue continuity records. The package has a limited edition exclusive 44-page booklet with a new essay by Adam Scovell, a new appreciation by experimental artist and record producer Russell Haswell, a look at the work of Nicholas Mosley and the themes of the source novel, excerpts from John Frankenheimer interviews, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.

John Frankenheimer's Impossible Object was never released theatrically in the United States and may be the lauded director's least accessible or recognized film work. It is based on Nicholas Mosley's novel Impossible Object that has eight connected stories. Alan Bates plays Harry, a writer who is juggling reality and fantasy in his head represented in the film with many flashbacks including an affair, with emotionally-enigmatic Dominique Sanda's Natalie, or joyful family moments with his wife (Evans Evans) and three children. Impossible Object has been very hard film to see and may be art-heavy for some - drifting with the dreaminess of blind love and its narrative focus blurred by a non-linear timelines. It's a film that grows on you and repeat exposure will encourage deserved appreciation. As simply a love tableaux fantasy it is worthy viewing. The Indicator Blu-ray gets kudos for, firstly, bringing us the film, two versions no less, top-shelf commentary, Frankenheimer interview, Daniel Kremer, booklet and more. Certainly recommended!

Gary Tooze