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Eclipse Series 45: Claude Autant-Lara Four Romantic Escapes from Occupied France
Le mariage de Chiffon (1942) Lettres d amour (1942)
Douce (1943) Sylvie et le fantôme (1946)
| Too often overlooked after his work was spurned by the New Wave iconoclasts as belonging to the “tradition of quality,” Claude Autant-Lara was one of France’s leading directors of the 1940s and ’50s. He began as a set and costume designer and went on to direct French-language versions of American comedies in Hollywood, but it was back in his home country that Autant-Lara came into his own as a filmmaker. He found his sophisticated and slyly subversive voice with these four romances, produced during the dark days of the German occupation. Sumptuously appointed even while being critical of class hierarchy, these films—all made with the same corps of collaborators, including the charmingly impetuous star Odette Joyeux—endure as a testament to the quick wit and exquisite visual sense of the director whose name they established. |
Posters
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LE MARIAGE DE CHIFFON |
Theatrical Releases: 1942 - 1946
DVD Review: Eclipse Series 45: Claude Autant-Lara Four Romantic Escapes from Occupied France
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DVD Box Cover |
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| Distribution | Eclipse / Criterion Collection - Region 1 - NTSC | |
| Bitrates: | Respective bitrates - 7.75, 7.62, 7.75, 7.69, 7.91mb/s | |
| Time: | Respectively - 1:43:11, 1:32:04, 1:49:45 and 1:37:39 | |
| Bitrate: Le mariage de Chiffon |
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| Bitrate: Lettres d amour |
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| Bitrate: Douce |
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| Bitrate: Sylvie et le fantôme |
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| Audio | 2.0 channel Dolby (French) | |
| Subtitles | English, None | |
| Features |
Release Information: Edition Details:
• liner notes (for each film) in the
transparent case
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| Comments: |
The 4 features of this boxset are housed in individual slim transparent keep cases and they are not sold separately by Criterion or on NTSC DVD at this time (to my knowledge). There are DVDs out of France for Le mariage de Chiffon (both DVD and Blu-ray), Douce and Sylvie et le fantôme on DVDs plus boxsets. We can't verify English su8btitles though on those European editions. Le mariage de Chiffon, Lettres d amour, Douce, and Sylvie et le Fantome are all on separate dual-layered DVDs. All four are progressive, with Mariage and Lettres in the 1:37:1 aspect ratio, and Douce and Sylvie in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio. All are coded for Region 1 in the NTSC standard. The audio is flat (monaural) but acceptable and there are optional English subtitles (samples below). The Eclipse, then Janus production logos precede each film. Quality is surprisingly strong and consistent. There are some minor scratches, most likely due to the source used. The contrast levels are at the level one would expect from this company, which is to say they are top-notch. There is some grain visible but it adds to the filmic quality. The 4 DVDs are wonderful SD presentations of these oft-forgotten films.
There are no extras included on these
discs. After a brief hiatus, Eclipse's
return is very welcome! The series continues
to maintain a certain high-standard of quality rarely seen elsewhere. These are four
key films in the work of director Claude Autant-Lara. Though his
films were often considered antiquated when compared to his New Wave
contemporaries, Autant-Lara showed a level of mastery within his certain
niche. Kudos to Eclipse (Criterion) for the continuing
preservation of these long-forgotten movies.
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DVD Menus
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Title
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This delightful comedy brought Claude Autant-Lara his first popular success as a director. Chiffon (Odette Joyeux) is being pushed by her mother to wed a dashing military officer (André Luguet) but finds herself drawn to her stepfather's penniless brother (Jacques Dumesnil). For LE MARIAGE DE CHIFFON, Autant-Lara convened the creative team including screenwriter Jean Aurenche, cinematographer Philippe Agostini, and the incomparable Joyeux that would reunite for each of his subsequent three features, initiating a remarkable run of sharp love stories. |
Screen Captures
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Title
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A deceptive lightness distinguishes this farcical second feature made by Claude Autant-Lara while Germany occupied France. During the reign of Napoleon III, a plucky postmistress (Odette Joyeux) agrees to receive love letters to a prefect's wife from a young official, and soon finds herself embroiled in a scandal that inflames a town's class tensions. A transporting period piece with ornate costumes by Christian Dior, LETTRES D AMOUR paints a blithely pointed portrait of life in a highly stratified society. |
Screen Captures
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Case Cover
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As belle epoque Paris prepares for Christmas, the residence of Countess de Bonafé hosts more than its share of intrigue: the countess's headstrong granddaughter, DOUCE (Odette Joyeux), pines for the estate manager, whose heart has been broken by the governess, who is being courted by DOUCE's widower father. Elegantly shot, DOUCE is a dizzying romantic roundelay that contains a biting critique of France's rigid social order. This film, which ultimately takes a tragic turn, found Claude Autant-Lara in full command of his craft. |
Screen Captures
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Case Cover
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With this film, conceived during the occupation and released after the war, Claude Autant-Lara entered the realm of pure fantasy. Odette Joyeux stars as Sylvie, in love with a figure from the lore of her family's castle. Sylvie's father hires three actors to impersonate the ghost of her beloved, while the spirit himself (Jacques Tati, in his first feature-film role) stalks the grounds. Marrying a playful script, artful special effects, and wistful performances, SYLVIE ET LE FANTÔME stages a delicate dance of enchantment. |
Screen Captures
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DVD Box Cover |
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| Distribution | Eclipse / Criterion Collection - Region 1 - NTSC | |
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Gary Tooze
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Thank You!
