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Le Beau Serge [Blu-ray]
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Review by Gary Tooze
Production:
Theatrical: Gaumont
Video: Criterion Collection - Spine # 580
Disc:
Region: 'A'-locked (as verified by the Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player)
Runtime: 1:39:26.001
Disc Size: 46,662,191,739 bytes
Feature Size: 29,332,076,544 bytes
Video Bitrate: 35.00 Mbps
Chapters: 19
Case: Standard Blu-ray case
Release date: September 20th, 2011
Video:
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1 matted to 1.78
Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio:
LPCM Audio French 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles:
English (SDH), none
Extras:
• New audio commentary featuring Guy Austin, author of Claude
Chabrol
• Claude Chabrol: Mon premier film, a documentary by Francis
Girod on the making of Le beau Serge, featuring
interviews with Chabrol and actor Jean-Claude Brialy
• Segment from a 1969 episode of the French television
series L’invité du dimanche in which Chabrol revisits
Sardent, the town he grew up in and Le beau Serge’s location
(10:00)
• Theatrical trailer
• Liner Notes booklet featuring an essay by film critic
Terrence Rafferty
Bitrate:
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Description: Of the hallowed group of Cahiers du cinéma critics turned filmmakers who transformed French film history, Claude Chabrol was the first to direct his own feature. His absorbing landmark debut, Le beau Serge, follows a successful yet sickly young man (Jean‑Claude Brialy) who returns home to the small village where he grew up. There, he finds himself at odds with his former close friend (Gérard Blain)—now unhappily married and a wretched alcoholic—and the provincial life he represents. The remarkable and stark Le beau Serge heralded the arrival of a cinematic titan who would go on to craft provocative, entertaining films for five more decades.
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The Film:
Technically this 1958 Claude Chabrol film was the first feature of the French New Wave to be released—though it was Chabrol's second film, Les Cousins, with the same stars, Gerard Blain and Jean-Claude Brialy, that had an international impact. Brialy plays a tubercular theology student who returns to his hometown to convalesce and becomes reacquainted with a childhood friend (Blain), an alcoholic stuck in a bad marriage. Roland Barthes attacked this film for its “right-wing” and “static” image of man, and even Chabrol fan Tom Milne has found its Hitchcockian theme of “transference” expressed too overtly in terms of Christian allegory. I barely remember it, but it has a certain fascination as Chabrol's first practical (as opposed to critical) encounter with mise en scene.
Excerpt from Jonathan Rosenbaum at the Chicago Reader located HEREClaude Chabrol, a former film critic and writer-producer of "Le Beau Serge" (translated somewhat sardonically in this case as "Handsome Serge"), returned to his native village, Sardent, in central France, to film his story. Its rundown, forlorn stone houses and austere countryside provide fitting background for this dark tale of a convalescent city youth who returns to his home town to discover that his gifted boyhood friend and idol has degenerated into an unshaven, drunken and irresponsible husband. He finds, too, that his other friends are demoralized and apathetic. It is his efforts to rekindle the youthful promise once shown by his pal that form the bulk of the stark goings-on.
Excerpt from NY Times located HERE
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.
Like Les Cousins, Le Beau Serge appears very strong on Blu-ray from Criterion. The 1080P image is very film-like with fine grain visible. Criterion's, impressive, contrast is exquisite although I did look closely at a specific scene to dismiss an initial identification of moriing. This is dual-layered with a high bitrate. Le Beau Serge is pristinely clean from an obvious healthy source. Detail has surprising moments of clarity and overall I have no strong complaints with the resulting image quality. It provided an exceptional presentation taking into account the age of the film.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
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Audio :
Duplicating our comments from Les Cousins: Criterion are again faithful with a mono track rendered in a linear PCM in original French at 1152 kbps
. There is the perception of some depth but the film is essentially dialogue-driven without much to spark anything dynamic in the soundstage via uncompressed. There are optional English subtitles and my Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked like all Criterions to date.
Extras :
On Le Beau Serge we get a new audio commentary featuring Newcastle University professor Guy Austin, author of Claude Chabrol. It is professional, detailed and educational. Also included is Claude Chabrol: Mon premier film, a 2003 documentary by Francis Girod on the making of Le beau Serge, featuring interviews with Chabrol and actor Jean-Claude Brialy. We also get a rough-looking 10-minute segment from a 1969 episode of the French television series L’invité du dimanche in which Chabrol revisits Sardent, the town he grew up in and Le beau Serge’s location - 11 years after the production. The segment was directed by Roger Kahane and Daniel Georgeot. There is also a theatrical trailer and a liner notes booklet featuring an essay by film critic Terrence Rafferty.
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BOTTOM LINE:
I watched Le Beau Serge a second time (3rd including
commentary) before reviewing to dispel my suspicions of
moiring in the forest snow-scene and to try to improve my
appreciation. I believe it was successful on both counts. I
feel this I a more nuanced film than
Les cousins and I believe that I like it even more than the director's second
effort. There is a simplicity and suspense that runs under the surface - the Criterion
Blu-ray package is a impressive and fans of French cinema or Claude
Chabrol should be keen to pick this up.
Gary Tooze
September 5th, 2011
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About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 3500 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
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Gary Tooze
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