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