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Directed by Maurice Pialat
France 19
86
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Maurice Pialat's Police delivers on the raw promise of its title, insofar as much of its action qualifies as an insistently 'procedural' descent into the Paris drugs underworld. But the hyper-real route that the film takes to arrive there, before veering into a zone of dangerous emotional play, contributes to a disorienting, adventurous, and ultimately tremendously exciting experience unlike any 'police-thriller' ever before conceived. The iconic Gérard Depardieu (who also collaborated with Pialat on Loulou, Sous le soleil de Satan, and Le Garçu) plays Mangin, a cop whose brutal method of investigation finds its obsessive outlet in an attempt to crack a Tunisian narcotics ring. It is when Mangin enters into close acquaintance with the defiant Noria (expertly played by Sophie Marceau in one of her first screen roles) that the film proceeds to chart an unexpected, emotionally ambiguous course and the lines between 'right' and 'wrong', and 'power' and 'freedom', terminally blur. Written with Catherine Breillat (director of The Last Mistress, Anatomy of Hell, Fat Girl), but relying in equal measure upon Pialat's improvisatory control (directing, among others, his star-actress from A nos amours, Sandrine Bonnaire), Police is a genre-defying excursion rivaled only by John Cassavetes' The Killing of a Chinese Bookie in the pantheon of cinema's most idiosyncratic thrillers. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Maurice Pialat's daring 1985 film in a magnificent, digitally restored transfer for the first time on DVD in the UK. SPECIAL 2-DISC EDITION including: Gorgeous new anamorphic transfer of the film in its original aspect ratio -- New and improved English subtitle translations -- 2003 video interview with director and Police co-screenwriter Catherine Breillat, conducted by former Cahiers du cinéma editor-in-chief, and current director of the Cinémathèque Française, Serge Toubiana -- ZOOM SUR POLICE [ZOOM ONTO POLICE] (2002) 34-minute documentary by Virginie Apiou about the production of the film -- Vintage screen-tests featuring Maurice Pialat and C. Galmiche, the inspiration for the character of Lambert -- Excerpt from a 1985 episode of Cinéma Cinémas shot during the course of the 17th day of production on Police -- 23-minute video discussion with Yann Dedet, the editor of Police -- The film's original trailer, along with trailers for other Maurice Pialat films to be released by The Masters of Cinema Series -- 40-page booklet containing a new essay by filmmaker and critic Dan Sallitt, and newly translated interviews with Maurice Pialat. |
P
oster
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Theatrical Release: September 4th, 1985
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Eureka (Masters of Cinema - 2-disc) - Region 2 - PAL
| DVD Box Cover |
|
| Distribution |
Eureka (Masters of Cinema) - Spine # 77 Region 2 - PAL |
| Runtime | 1:48:40 |
| Video |
1.66:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.44 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
| Audio | Mono Dolby Digital French |
| Subtitles | English, None |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: Eureka (Masters of Cinema) Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: • Interview with
Catherine Breillat [15:00] 16X9 • Original
French Trailer - 02:31
Set comes with a 40-page booklet containing a new essay by filmmaker and
critic Dan Sallitt, and newly translated interviews with Maurice Pialat Chapters 22 |
| Comments | NOTE:
DVDBeaver's UK
correspondent for MoC, Henry Kedger, is continuing his reviewing and we
are appreciative. He has sent us some captures and comments below for
Spine # 77 Police. Gary Tooze *** Thanks to Masters of Cinema for their screeners,
which showed up at the same time as
L'ENFANCE-NUE.
As with L'ENFANCE-NUE,
MoC have made use of the HD restoration from the French release -- it's
presented here in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio, anamorphically
encoded and progressive, and with a pristine transfer. I'd point out too
the excellent subtitling done here, especially for such "slangy"
dialogue (as is the case with much of Pialat's work). As for the
supplements: all around excellent. There's a 34-minute documentary from
2002 interviewing Catherine Breillat, Jacques Fieschi and others about
the production; a 2003 interview with Catherine Breillat that runs 15
minutes; a 23-minute interview with editor Yann Dedet discussing the
film, which also presents fully edited sequences taken out before Pialat
made his final cut; a 12-minute excerpt from "Cinéma Cinémas" showing
Pialat directing and interacting with his cast on POLICE; a 4-minute
piece of screen-test footage, with Pialat conversing with and directing
the actor who inspired the lawyer in the film; and if that weren't
enough, the original trailer, along with those for the other six Pialat
titles MoC are releasing. Absolutely fascinating. Henry Kedger |
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Disc 2
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Subtitle Samples
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Screen Captures
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| DVD Box Cover |
|
| Distribution |
Eureka (Masters of Cinema) - Spine # 72 Region 0 - PAL |
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