Francois Ozon: Regarde La Mer and other short films


Action vérité (1994)       La Petite mort (1995)         Une robe d'été (1996)

Regarde la mer (1997)       Scènes de lit (1998)      X 2000 (1998)      Un lever de rideau (2006)

 


Titles

 

 


 

'Desire is the motor of my work.' Francois Ozon


Francois Ozon is one of the most provocative and vibrant filmmakers to emerge during the 1990s. His dark, mordantly psychological films draw their impact from often disturbing explorations of transgression and sexuality and combine wry humour, sensitivity, and subversive insight with a talent for manipulation. This eclectic collection of seven shorts captures the talent Ozon would continue to display in his later feature films.

  DVD Reviews

DVD Review: BFI Video - Region 2 - PAL

DVD Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

 

 

Distribution BFI Video - Region 2 - PAL
Time: 1:41:42 (4% PAL speedup)
Bitrate

Audio French (original mono)
Subtitles English, None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: BFI Video

Aspect Ratio:
All Original Aspect Ratios - <various>

Edition Details:
• Fully illustrated 24-page booklet with essays by Jonathan Romney, Paul Willemen, Sarah Cooper, and Pamela Church Gibson


DVD Release Date: March 31st, 2008

Transparent Keep case

 

Comments:

 BFI are offering a collection of 7 Francois Ozon short features:

Regarde la mer (See the Sea, 1996, 52 mins)
Action verite (Truth or Dare, 1994, 4 mins)
La Petite mort (A Little Death, 1995, 24 mins)
Une Robe d'ete (A Summer Dress, 1996, 15 mins)
Scenes de lit (Bed Scenes, 1998, 26 mins)
X2000 (1998, 6 mins)
Un Lever de rideau (A Curtain Raiser, 2006, 25 mins)

They are housed on one dual-layered, progressively transferred disc. The total time is one hour 41 minutes. All have original French audio and have optional English subtitles. Image quality various (discussed below) and the films are usually marked with a focus on sensuality (heterosexual and homosexual interaction).  

Image: The widescreen features (all but the 1.33:1 original aspect ratio Action vérité) are all anamorphic - usually in the 1.66:1 ratio. Image quality various, most likely dependant on the source. La Petite mort and Scènes de lit look the weakest - the latter showing some edge enhancement. Where X 2000 and Un lever de rideau look far superior. The screen caps provided below give a fair sampling of what to expect. There is one extra an illustrated 24-page booklet with essays by Jonathan Romney, Paul Willemen, Sarah Cooper, and Pamela Church Gibson. There have been other Ozon short offerings (Kino has one HERE, another from Image Entertainment HERE and we've been told of a decent, out-of-print, Australian one HERE) but without seeing them, especially the first two, I'd be willing to bet this one represents his films the most accurately (transfer-wise). Under the Sand is a favorite film and I was anxious to see these Ozon shorts that, if nothing else, are provocative, warm and utterly human.           

Gary W. Tooze



DVD Menus


 


 

Screen Captures

 

Action vérité (1994)
 

 

 

 

 La Petite mort (1995)

 

 

 

Une robe d'été (1996)

 

 

 

Regarde la mer (1997)

 

 

 

  Scènes de lit (1998)

 

 

 

  X 2000 (1998)

 

 

 

 Un lever de rideau (2006)

 

 


 

DVD Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

 

 

Distribution BFI Video - Region 2 - PAL




 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

Mail cheques, money orders, cash to:    or CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!