Farewell, Friend Blu-ray - Charles Bronson

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Adieu l'ami" or "Honor Among Thieves")

Directed by Jean Herman
France / Italy 1968

Film icons Charles Bronson (Rider on the Rain, Mr. Majestyk) and Alain Delon (Un Flic, The Sicilian Clan) team up to create a one-of-a-kind buddy film with a fascinating premise. After serving together in the French Foreign Legion, Franz Propp (Bronson) and Dr. Dino Barran (Delon) go their separate ways only to be reunited by an extraordinary coincidence. Barran is persuaded by a friend to sneak into an underground bank vault and help return stolen bonds. While he is hiding, he comes upon Propp, who is actually there to rob the safe. After getting locked inside the vault, the two very different men strike up a powerful friendship that binds them together through a series of shocking developments—from a miraculous escape to being framed for murder. The strong supporting cast includes Olga Georges-Picot (Je T’aime, Je T’aime), Bernard Fresson (French Connection II) and Brigitte Fossey (The Man Who Loved Women).

***

Years after serving together in the French Foreign Legion, American soldier of fortune Franz Propp (Charles Bronson) and French doctor Dino Barron (Alain Delon) are unexpectedly reunited under the most extraordinary circumstances. Hoping to help a friend who has embezzled some bonds, Barron tries to break into a safe in the dead of night. Sneaking into an underground vault he is surprised to discover that his old pal Propp is also on the premises, likewise intending to crack the safe, albeit for his own benefit. After a few awkward moments, a friendship develops between the two as they try to get out from the locked vault. A Franco-Italian co-production, Adieu L'Ami was released in the U.S. as Farewell, Friend and Honor Among Thieves.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: August 14th, 1968

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Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order Blu-ray:	Also available on DVD from Kino:
Distribution	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:55:20.747
Video	1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 35,397,822,113 bytes Feature: 30,741,319,680 bytes Video Bitrate: 31.94 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	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1554 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1554 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kino 1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 35,397,822,113 bytes Feature: 30,741,319,680 bytes Video Bitrate: 31.94 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson • 2004 Interview with director Jean Herman (Vautrin) (33:52) • Theatrical Trailer (4:02 ) and 11 other trailers Blu-ray Release Date: November 19th, 2019 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 9

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (November 2019): Kino have transferred the psychological-thriller, buddy, Neo-noir Farewell Friend to Blu-ray. It is on a dual-layered disc with a very high bitrate. The 1080P image quality can show some inconsistencies but this has nothing to do with the transfer - but rather the source. Some close-ups are very impressive in showing detail and there is a pleasing sheen of grain. It looked great on my system, even the extensive dark sequences that showed no noise. It's fairly blemish-free and I really have no strong negatives about the HD presentation - it can look very strong showing depth in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio.

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel mono track (16-bit) in the English language with some apparent DUBs from a few of the supporting cast. The film's audio is clean and carries depth as does the score by François de Roubaix (Le Samourai, Daughters of Darkness, La Haine.) Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray has another exceptional commentary from the trifecta of Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson. They discuss the homoerotic subtext, how Bronson didn't like making the Farewell Friend (found it boring), the actor's other Euro films, Delon as a huge star with power, how the story has an honorable character and a dishonorable one who influence each other, that the film is not a traditional heist film. These guys probe deeper than anyone and there are so many important points shared. I was very impressed. There is also a 1/2 hour 2004 interview with director Jean Herman who is also interesting sharing his career with us. Lastly, is a lengthy theatrical trailer and 11 other trailers for other films.

The wonderful commentary really advanced my appreciation of Farewell Friend and how about just seeing this above-average deeply layered Neo-noir (I think it belongs in the genre)? How else would we get to see this film, looking so film-like, but for Blu-ray and Kino's efforts? A strong recommendation! Don't miss this one and the commentary.