ADDITION BFI Blu-ray - May 2017: We've compared 4 captures below. The BFI looks have the exact same framing as the Gaumont but it is darker and has more texture (it may also be a bit dirtier.) There may be some very minor compression artifacts. If it comes down to personal preference, I choose the BFI appearance - I think the darker look is more accurate and I appreciate the textures (some may find it too grainy). Other may differ but I think the BFI makes the Gaumont look softer - even a bit waxier. It doesn't seem to have the 'smearing' of the Criterion. As I say, to each his own - but the BFI will get the most play in my home theatre, although it has the lowest bitrate of the three (still high, though). It looks just fine in-motion.

The linear PCM (24-bit), in the original French language, tops the 16-bit Gaumont audio and sounds strong to my ears, with the score by Oscar Straus (Ophul's La Ronde) and Georges Van Parys (Casque D'Or, Le Million, L'Age D'Or, Madame de..., French Cancan, Les diaboliques, 1958's Les Misérables) but more in Oscar Straus' Einmal im Leben. BFI have optional English subtitles and the disc is region 'B'-locked.

BFI add some extras - the hour-long 2013 documentary by Dominique Maillet Max Ophuls, le peintre de l amour fatal (Max Ophuls and the making of Madame de...) is here featuring interviews with his collaborators. Also included is the 35-minute Working with Max Ophuls (Robert Fischer, 2005): an interview with Alain Jessua about his training under Max Ophuls and his experiences of working on Madame de... The package contains an illustrated booklet with writing by Laura Mulvey, Adrian Danks, and Lindsay Anderson, tributes to the director and full film credits. Being dual-format a DVD is included.

The BFi has become my favorite Blu-ray release of one of my favorite films. I was surprised that it differed from the Gaumont - I was expecting it to look the same. Superior audio transfer and English-friendly extras - make this the definitive edition, imo. Strongly recommended!   

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ADDITION Gaumont Blu-ray - March 2014: Beside the restored Gaumont 1080P of Madame De... we can more easily see the failings of the encode Criterion were provided. The US disc is darker, waxier, sharpened and grain removed. Those with very discerning systems (who project) will identify this more readily. And those sensitive to it will note the improvement but still a softness in the Gaumont. You can take two corresponding larger captures and toggle between them to see how Criterion's visuals appear to have boosted the black levels and see that the image is also cropped (I'd say notably) as compared to the French, dual-layered, transfer. There are a lot of captures, and I obtained the exact frame on most. Once again this boils down to your system and how diligent you are to seeing the film in its best (most theatrically accurate) presentation. We have a little of the 'law of diminishing returns' as some will be content owning the Criterion and reveling in the beauty of this masterpiece. Others are appalled at US transfer. Hopefully our comparison can better help you decide for yourself.

NOTE: We have added one more pair of comparisons captures (thanks to David!) HERE.

Gaumont use a DTS-HD Master mono French track at 862 kbps. I notice it seemed to handle the higher end more tightly. The Gaumont offers both removable English and French subtitles and the disc is region FREE playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

Criterion win on the extras with the Susan White and Gaylyn Studlar audio commentary and Tag Gallagher's excelleent visual analysis, the booklet featuring a new essay by Molly Haskell, an excerpt from costume designer Georges Annenkov's 1962 book Max Ophuls, and the 78-page source novel, Madame de, by Louise de Vilmorin as well as the other video supplements. Gaumont's extras are all in French-language only with no subtitles. Max by Marcel runs 7-minutes and there is a 5-minute piece on the restoration (with samples) and Max Ophuls - Le Peintre de L'Amour Fatal (painter of fatal love) runs over an hour and, like the other 2 video extras, is in 1080P.

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ADDITION Criterion Blu-ray - July 2013: The new 1080P image is quite different from Criterion's resolution-limited pictureboxed DVD image. The frame seems to have shifted to the right a shade (gaining more ion the right side, losing a fraction on the left.) It appears a bit darker but contrast is pristine. This is a huge improvement over the SD transfer. Criterion's audio is lossless - a linear PCM in authentic mono (French) and there are optional English subtitles. Extras duplicate the 2008 DVD with the commentary etc. - described below. This film continues to blow me away every time I see it and to have it looking so... rich in the pitch black of my home theater is an indescribable pleasure.

NOTE: There is discussion of the DNR smearing in this transfer - I was not as distracted by it - as say the Gaumont 1080P of Children of Paradise. I would agree more with Robert Harris who said: "Because, with the exception of a handful of shots, this is still eminently watchable."

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ADDITION: Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC September 08': Criterion have thankfully corrected the instability flaws of the  of the Second Sight transfer with a typical rock-solid one on a dual-layered, progressive disc coded for region 1 in the NTSC standard.

The Criterion is pictureboxed transferred (see our full description of 'pictureboxing' in our Kind Hearts and Coronets review) with a black border circumventing the framed image. There is less flickering than the other two Ophuls DVDs - released simultaneously (La Ronde and Le Plaisir) and detail seems a notch higher - especially in background information which tended to get lost in the overly dark UK release. Compared to the boosted PAL edition Criterion have kept the contrast levels quite low and it seems to have greatly benefitted the visual presentation. Without a lot of fanfare the Criterion image is far superior - a lot more so than the screen captures below will indicate.

Audio, a mono track, is again unremarkable but clean and clear enough. The Criterion's subtitles are expectantly removable (unlike the UK edition).

On the extras front Criterion have included both supplements offered on the Second Sight DVD (Tag's magnificent 17-minute Video Essay and the Alain Jessua interview aka 'Working With Max Ophuls') as well as a whole lot more. First off a top notch commentary from film scholars, Susan White and Gaylyn Studlar, bona-fide Ophuls experts disseminating their bountiful knowledge. They seem to work well together - giving different 'takes' at times. Out of the blue we have a 15-minute introduction by filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson! He gives his take on Ophuls and shows admiration for the masters extensively choreographed tracking shots. There are three interviews; the 25-minute one on the Second Sight DVD with with Ophuls assistant director Alain Jessua interviewed by Robert Fischer in Paris in 2005. A second, almost 7-minutes long, is presented with co-writer Annette Wademant from 1989 hosted by Martina Muller. There is a third, 8-minutes long, with assistant decorator Marc Frédérix also interviewed in 1989 by Martina Muller. Kind of fun is the 5-minute interview with novelist Louise de Vilmorin on Ophul's adaptation of her story. She is humorous outspoken in this excerpt from French television from 1965. Finally included is a booklet featuring a new essay by Molly Haskell, an excerpt from costume designer Georges Annenkov's 1962 book Max Ophuls, and the nicely appointed 78-page source novel, Madame de, by Louise de Vilmorin. Wow!

What a package, what a film - strongly recommended! 

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ON THE SECOND SIGHT: Another Ophuls DVD from Second Sight. Dirty in spots it shows some edge-enhancement and moiring from contrast manipulations. The image is extremely thin and fragile and many have reported extreme artifacts that make it virtually unwatchable - this is despite being dual-layered. More negatives are the subtitles are non-removable (but can be erased via re-burning). Of all the Ophuls DVDS just brought out I would have expected this to be a prime candidate for a commentary. The featurette - Working With Ophuls - and Tag Gallagher's Video Essay are both fine supplements - certainly interesting in their own right. Overall this is another must-have DVD that we haven't compared to existing versions, but will do so.

The film is essential and this DVD represents it inadequately but we will be on the watch for superior editions - hopefully soon!

Gary W. Tooze