NOTE: David tells us in email: "I went with the BFI for the Tim Lucas commentary, and I noticed a small but very annoying issue with the disc - the closing moments of the film are different from the first Criterion DVD. The very end of that music cue is cut down by several notes (not just chopped off, but edited). It’s a small thing, but irritating because I can’t not notice it any time I watch the film. I noticed that the Criterion blu has a longer running time by about 23 seconds. I don’t know if you can compare the two, but I’d love to find out if the Criterion has the same issue or not."

"Just to follow up, I checked with Criterion and they told me that their blu is from the same Gaumont source as the BFI disc, and that it also has the music edit." (Thanks David)

BFI audio is more robust than Criterions (both liner PCM - 24 bit), but it would be negligible for most systems. The original music by Maurice Jarre (The Tin Drum, The Man Who Would Be King, The Damned) via the lossless rendering adds another layer onto the film's atmosphere. There are optional English subtitles on the region 'B'-locked Blu-ray disc.

BFI really load up on the extras with a feature-length audio commentary by film expert Tim Lucas. Tim is like a God to me - I love his commentaries - he is one of the best, IMO (if not THE best). He knows his stuff and has passion for it but balances that with a totally professional delivery. We get Franju's 1953 short Monsieur et Madame Curie: a 1/4 hour study of the life and work of the Curies, told through the words of Marie Curie. La Première nuit was directed by Georges Franju in 1958 and runs 20-minutes. It's about a young boy spends a night in the Métro. Les Fleurs maladives de Georges Franju is Pierre-Henri Gibert's 2009, 45-minute overview of Franju's career. For Her Eyes Only is an interesting 7-minute interview with Edith Scob from 2014. The package contains a fully illustrated booklet featuring essays from Kate Ince, Isabel Stevens, Roberto Cueto Llera, Raymond Durgnat, Kevin Jackson and Michael Brooke; and full film.

Fabulous release from BFI - I continue to enjoy re-watching this film - the Lucas commentary, Pierre-Henri Gibert piece, Franju shorts, Edith Scob interview - add immense value. Very strongly recommended!

***

I had a twinge of uneasiness seeing the Gaumont logo and some of the initial image quality looked waxy and soft - including the titles. But I hope the majority of the screen captures indicate how strong the 1080P gets. It definitely improves as the film runs to completion. The last half of the film's visuals can be quite stunning (close-ups of Valli) with a very high level of detail, and more even grain, not present in the first 45-minutes or so. Generally I think the transfer provides a good representation and an enjoyable video presentation.

A linear PCM mono track in original French at 1152 kbps is used and exports the film's audio consistently. There are optional English subtitles on the region 'A'-locked Blu-ray disc.

On the supplements - we lose the Stills gallery of rare production photos and promotional material found on the DVD but gain a (2013) 9-minute interview with actor Edith Scob (Christiane Génessier in the film). Retained are Franju’s Blood of the Beasts, 1949 documentary about the slaughterhouses of Paris running 22-minutes in restored HD. There is an archival interviews with Franju on the horror genre, cinema, and the making of Blood of the Beasts - entitled Le Fantastique running 5.5 minutes and excerpts from Les grands-pères du crime, a 1985 documentary about Eyes Without a Face writers Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac lasting only 7-minutes. We get two trailers (US and French) and a liner notes booklet featuring essays by novelist Patrick McGrath and film historian David Kalat.

Eyes Without a Face is an incredibly creepy film experience. This is exemplified in the higher Blu-ray resolution with the operation sequence being virtually stomach-turning. The pace and tone of the film also made me feel very uneasy - which is probably the sign of a great horror. I see much was taken in Almodovar's 2011 The Skin I Live. This is a keeper - even having seen it before my gaze was riveted to the screen - kudos to the improved image and audio. Recommended!