An enormous, sincere thank you to our phenomenal Patreon supporters! Your unshakable dedication is the bedrock that keeps DVDBeaver going - we’d be lost without you. Did you know? Our patrons include a director, writer, editor, and producer with honors like Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director, a Pulitzer Prize-winning screenwriter, and a Golden Globe-winning filmmaker, to name a few!

Sadly, DVDBeaver has reached a breaking point where our existence hangs in the balance. We’re now reaching out to YOU with a plea for help.

Please consider pitching in just a few dollars a month - think of it as the price of a coffee or some spare change - to keep us bringing you in-depth reviews, current calendar updates, and detailed comparisons.
I’m am indebted to your generosity!

 


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "La Marquise d'O" or The Marquise of O" )

 

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/direct-chair/rohmer.htm
West Germany / France 1976

Already an established filmmaker by the 1976 release of The Marquise of O, an adaptation of Heinrich von Kleist's classic short story, the film stands as Eric Rohmer's "dazzling testament to the civilizing effects of several different arts, witty, joyous and so beautiful to look at" (The New York Times). Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival that year, Rohmer's film is set in 1799 during the Russian invasion of Italy. A young widow, The Marquise (Edith Clever) lives with her parents; her father is the commander of a citadel embroiled in battle. With the fort overrun by Russians, the Marquise is abducted by a group of rowdy soldiers and nearly taken advantage of when the Russian commander Count F (Bruno Ganz) appears as if from nowhere to rescue her. Later, the Marquise realizes she is pregnant, though she cannot decipher how the circumstance came to be. The Marquise's scandalized parents banish her to their country estate, where she pens a letter to the newspaper announcing that she will marry the father, whomever he may be, should he only present himself. Rohmer masterfully adapts von Kleist’s multi-layered story, creating "the aura of a neoclassical dream, a fading vision of the virtue of gentility" (The Chicago Reader).

***

The Marquise of O (1976), directed by Éric Rohmer, is a period drama adapted from Heinrich von Kleist’s 1808 novella, set during the Napoleonic Wars. The story follows Giulietta, a virtuous Italian marquise (Edith Clever), who is widowed and living with her family in a northern Italian town. After surviving an assault by Russian soldiers, she is rescued by a charismatic Russian count (Bruno Ganz), who seems honorable but harbors ambiguous intentions. Months later, Giulietta discovers she is pregnant, despite no recollection of intimacy, sparking a scandal that threatens her reputation. As she grapples with shame, family pressure, and the mystery of her condition, the count’s role in her life unravels, leading to a complex exploration of honor, deception, and redemption. Rohmer’s film, shot in German with a painterly aesthetic, uses restrained dialogue and moral ambiguity to probe themes of trust, autonomy, and societal judgment, culminating in an emotionally intricate resolution.

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 19th, 1976 - France

Reviews                                  More Reviews                         DVD Reviews

 

Review: Film Movement Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Film Movement Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:42:38.735         
Video

1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 32,990,668,686 bytes

Feature: 27,774,388,224 bytes

Video Bitrate: 32.00 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

LPCM Audio German 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit

Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Film Movement Classics

 

1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 32,990,668,686 bytes

Feature: 27,774,388,224 bytes

Video Bitrate: 32.00 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Archival interview with star Bruno Ganz (2:54)
• Archival interview with director Eric Rohmer (2:07)
• Trailers (2015 - 1:34 / 4:18)

Essays by film critics David Thomson and Kristen Yoonsoo Kim
 

Blu-ray Release Date: May 27th, 2025
Transparent Blu-ray Case

Chapters 12

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Film Movement Classics Blu-ray (May 2025): Film Movement Classics has transferred Éric Rohmer's The Marquise of O... to Blu-ray. Back in 2004, we compared the Arrow PAL, Fox / Lorber and Gaumont (also PAL) DVDs of The Marquise of O... HERE. Rohmer’s style is restrained and theatrical with long takes, minimal camera movement, and a focus on dialogue and performance. The color palette of The Marquise of O... is carefully curated to evoke the opulence and restraint of the late 18th century, balancing richness with subtlety. Undoubtedly there is less grain than ideal and a bit of high-frequency edge enhancement and waxiness. Still - brighter, better blue-green balance and significantly sharper. The Film Movement Classics Blu-ray 1080P video quality is still appreciated - despite unfortunate digitization -capturing the film’s delicate beauty and historical ambiance.

NOTE: We have added 50 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE.

On their Blu-ray, Film Movement Classics uses a linear PCM mono track (16-bit) in the original German language. The Marquise of O’s soundscape is minimalist, prioritizing formal German dialogue performed by Schaubühne theater actors with sparse harpsichord / string music and subtle ambient sounds (e.g., rustling fabrics, battle noises). The restored mono track ensures that dialogue is crisp and intelligible, capturing the theatrical cadence of Edith Clever (The Left-Handed Woman) and Bruno Ganz’s (Downfall, Knife in the Head, Wings of Desire, The American Friend) performances. The music, used sparingly to underscore emotional moments, is clear with the harpsichord’s delicate tones standing out. Ambient sounds, such as footsteps or distant gunfire, are subtle but effective, adding realism without overwhelming the dialogue. English subtitles, newly translated, are accurate and preserve the literary nuance of Kleist’s text. The uncompressed mono track is clean with no noticeable pops or crackles, reflecting a careful restoration. The soundstage is naturally limited by the mono format, lacking the dynamic range of modern mixes, but this suits the film’s theatrical aesthetic. Film Movement Classics offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Film Movement Classics Blu-ray offers a couple of relevant extras. There is a short archival interview with Bruno Ganz, who plays the enigmatic Russian count. It offers a glimpse into his perspective on the role. Ganz discusses the count’s moral ambiguity and the challenge of portraying a character whose motives remain unclear, reflecting on his theatrical approach drawn from his Schaubühne experience. Inclusion is also another very short archival interview. This time, it's with Éric Rohmer and it provides a snapshot of his thoughts on adapting Kleist’s novella and his approach to historical filmmaking. Rohmer touches on his interest in moral ambiguity and the theatrical style, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and performance. The interview is tantalizing but frustratingly short, offering only a surface-level glimpse into Rohmer’s process. The Blu-ray offers two trailers, one from 2015 and a longer version. The Blu-ray includes a booklet featuring new essays by film critics David Thomson and Kristen Yoonsoo Kim, both respected voices in film studies. Thomson, known for The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, likely offers a historical and analytical perspective, situating The Marquise of O... within Rohmer’s oeuvre and the French New Wave with a focus on its literary adaptation and moral complexity. Kim, who has provided commentary for Rohmer’s films, like Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle, explores the film’s gender dynamics and female agency, given her interest in Rohmer’s female-driven narratives.

Éric Rohmer's The Marquise of O... is a German-language period drama adapted from Heinrich von Kleist’s 1808 novella. It marks a departure from the director's contemporary settings, adopting a historical context and German language (Rohmer’s only non-French-language film), yet retains his signature focus on ambiguity and introspection. Released in 1976, the film won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes and was praised for its fidelity to Kleist’s novella while showcasing Rohmer’s distinctive style. Its painterly aesthetic and restrained performances align it with European art cinema, making it a standout in Rohmer’s oeuvre. The Marquise of O... is a rich tapestry of themes that blend Kleist’s Romantic-era concerns with Rohmer’s modern sensibilities, creating a layered exploration of morality, gender, and human nature. Honor, particularly female honor, is central to the film’s narrative. The final act resolves the mystery, offering a nuanced conclusion that balances emotional closure with moral ambiguity. The ending, like Kleist’s, avoids sentimentality, leaving room for interpretation. The Marquise of O... adopts a stylized, painterly aesthetic, drawing on 18th-century art (e.g., Watteau, Fragonard) to evoke the period. Upon release, The Marquise of O... was lauded for its elegant craftsmanship and intellectual rigor. The Film Movement Classics Blu-ray video quality is acceptable, capturing the film’s delicate beauty and historical ambiance. The restoration highlights the rococo elegance of the interiors and the stark contrast of the battle sequences, making Giulietta’s world vivid and immersive. This release is less comprehensive in its supplements but benefits from a more polished restoration due to better-preserved source materials despite digitization woes. This Film Movement Classics Blu-ray is recommended, earning praise for its fidelity to the film’s vision. Rohmer fans hardly require my endorsement.

Gary Tooze

F

 


Menus / Extras

 


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

 

1) Fox / Lorber - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Film Movement - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Arrow Films - Region 0 - PAL TOP

2) Film Movement - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) GCTHV - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) Film Movement - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Fox / Lorber - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Film Movement - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


More Film Movement - Region 'A' - Blu-ray Captures

 

 


 

 


 

 


 

 


 

 


 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Film Movement Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

 CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!