Firstly, a HUGE thanks to our Patreon supporters. Your generosity touches me deeply. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance has become essential. We are always trying to expand Patron benefits... you get access to the Silent Auctions and over 10,000 unpublished screen captures (in lossless PNG format, if that has appeal for you) listed HERE. Please consider helping with $3 or more each month so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. Thank you so much. We aren't going to exist without another 100 or so patrons. |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
Robert Bresson plumbs great reservoirs of feeling with Mouchette, one of the most searing portraits of human desperation ever put on film. With a dying mother, an absent, alcoholic father, and a baby brother in need of care, the teenage Mouchette seeks solace and respite from her circumstances in the nature of the French countryside and daily routine. Bresson deploys his trademark minimalist style to heartbreaking effect in this essential work of French filmmaking, a hugely empathetic drama that elevates its trapped protagonist into one of the cinema’s most memorable tragic figures. *** Mouchette is one of Robert Bresson's greatest cinematic achievements, plumbing immense emotional depths in one of the most searing, heartbreaking portraits of human frailty ever committed to celluloid. Hemmed in by a dying mother, an alcoholic father and a baby brother in need of care, the adolescent Mouchette searches for sanctuary in nature and domestic chores. As the delicate intricacies of her life are played out a touching, tender and tragic portrait is painted, making her of one of cinema's most memorable tragic heroines. An essential piece of classic French filmmaking. |
Posters
Theatrical Release: March 14th, 1967
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison
:
Nouveaux Pictures - Region 0 - PAL vs. Criterion - Region 1- NTSC vs. Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray vs. Criterion - Region 'A / B' - Blu-ray |
Box Cover |
|
|
Bonus Captures: |
|
Distribution | Nouveaux Pictures - Region 0 - PAL | Criterion Collection - Spine # 363 Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC |
Artificial Eye Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
Criterion - Spine # 363 - Region 'A/ B' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:17:57 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:21:36 | 1:21:16.121 | 1:21:47.819 |
Video |
1.62:1
Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.34 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
1.66:1
Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 8.35 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 23,811,667,416 bytesFeature: 20,573,030,400 bytes Video Bitrate: 29.91 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
1. 66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 36,000,343,031 bytesFeature: 24,395,040,768 bytesVideo Bitrate: 35.44 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
||||
Bitrate Nouveaux Pictures: |
|
|||
Bitrate Criterion DVD : |
|
|||
Bitrate Artificial Eye Blu-ray: |
|
|||
Bitrate Criterion Blu-ray: |
|
|||
Audio | French (Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono) | French (Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono) | LPCM Audio French 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit |
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 (non-removable) | English, None | English (non-removable) | English, None |
Features |
Release Information:
Edition Details: • Bresson Filmography
• Photo Gallery |
Release Information:
Edition Details:
• Audio commentary by renowned film scholar, critic, and
festival programmer Tony Rayns DVD Release Date: January 16th, 2007Transparent Keep Case Chapters: 17 |
Release Information: Studio: Artificial Eye Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 23,811,667,416 bytesFeature: 20,573,030,400 bytes Video Bitrate: 29.91 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: • Zum Beispiel Bresson (For Instance Bresson) (29:55)
Blu-ray
Release Date:
March 10th, 2014 Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion
1. 66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 36,000,343,031 bytesFeature: 24,395,040,768 bytesVideo Bitrate: 35.44 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: • Audio commentary from 2006 by film scholar, critic, and festival programmer Tony Rayns• Au hasard Bresson (1967), a documentary by Theodor Kotulla, featuring director Robert Bresson on the set of Mouchette (31:13) • Segment of a 1967 episode of the French television series Cinéma, featuring on-set interviews with Bresson and actors Nadine Nortier and Jean-Claude Guilbert (7:29) • Original theatrical trailer, cut by Jean-Luc Godard • PLUS: An essay by critic and poet Robert Polito
Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 16 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
NOTE: We have added 55 more large
resolution Blu-ray captures
(in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
On their
Blu-ray,
Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the
original French language. There are almost no effects and only brief
music credited to
Jean Wiener (Au
Hasard Balthazar,,
The
Lower Depths -1936,
Touchez Pas au Grisbi) and
in the opening (and closing) Claudio Monteverdi's Magnificat
performed by Les Chanteurs de St. Eustache. Criterion offer optional English
subtitles on their Region 'A / B'
Blu-ray,
offered in both regions.
The Criterion
Blu-ray
Robert Bresson's Mouchette
is an absolute masterpiece. It becomes more devastatingly pure with age.
A film, and commentary, I can revisit for the rest of my life. The Criterion Blu-ray
has our highest recommendation.
Gary Tooze
ADDITION: Artificial Eye - Region 'B' Blu-ray - March 2014 -
This new 1080P transfer of Bresson's brilliant
Mouchette looks reasonably solid. It certainly
advances over the R2 DVD and seems to have the purer
contrast as the Criterion SD. It's a bit brighter, adds
some depth and has less in the way of compression
artifacts. It is single-layered with a high bitrate in
the original 1.66:1 aspect ratio. There are still a
couple of scenes - about 3/4's in - that have full
vertical scratches. They are very faint and only last a
couple of minutes. There is also some minor flickering
but overall it looked quite good in-motion on my system.
The higher resolution adds the more noticeable depth,
and layered contrast supporting improved detail. There
is also some consistent and pleasing texture. This looks
very beautiful at times.
The linear PCM 2.0 channel used in original French at
2304 kbps adds depth to the film's important soundstage
with rustling trees and shrubs, the Fair's amusement
rides, children in the playground, church bells, and
Mouchette humming. I'd definitely say this augmented the
presentation beyond the simple Dolby of the DVDs.
Unfortunately, the Artificial Eye has non-removable
English subtitles for those detracted by this. It is,
predictably, region 'B'-locked.
AE add Zum Beispiel Bresson aka Au hasard
Bresson directed by Theodor Kotulla in 1967. It is
the same 30-minute documentary as found on the Criterion
DVD about the director, including behind-the-scenes
footage of Robert Bresson directing Mouchette. It
has German audio, and burned-in English subtitles.
I'm glad I own this Blu-ray,
as I have no idea if Criterion will be releasing
Mouchette in 1080P anytime soon.
*** ADDITION:
Criterion - January 07' - The Criterion is magnificent. Improved in
every single area upon the Nouveaux PAL edition. Sharper image, better
contrast (blacks and whites), more information in the frame,
extras, subtitles (they are optional on the Criterion) etc. etc. For the
image differences you can see clearly from the below screen captures.
Audio, although still mono on the Criterion, does seem more dynamic and
consistent to my ear on the newer NTSC version.
Rayns' commentary is wonderful - as professional, prepared, and adept as any
of his others. As the film is relatively short he is moving at quite a clip to
get in all the information he is able to share. So far I feel this is easily the
best commentary of 2007! I am sure it will be recognized at our next year end
poll. The Criterion also includes some featurettes - Au
hasard Bresson is a a half-hour documentary about the director, including
behind-the-scenes footage of Robert Bresson directing Mouchette. “Traveling,”
is a 7 1/2 minutes segment from the cine-magazine TV series Cinéma,
featuring on-set interviews with Bresson and actors Nadine Nortier and
Jean-Claude Guilbert. We are also privy to the original theatrical trailer, cut
by none other than Jean-Luc Godard - at 1:30. Finally there are 4 pages of liner
notes with an essay by Robert Polito entitled Girl, Interrupted.
Debatably one of the most important pieces of film work made in the 20th
century, Mouchette is essential cinema and will be added to our listing
HERE.
Criterion have given us another example of why they are the best DVD production
company in the world -important films packaged at the highest available
standard.
***
On the Nouveaux (written in
2004):
After a long,
excruciating wait we finally have Mouchette on DVD in a decent transfer.
As in the case of the simultaneously released
Au
hasard Balthazar, this DVD is based on a newly restored
print, and the end result is very pleasing: again we have a
well-balanced contrast (a tad softer than
Balthazar,
with some very slight chroma that is virtually unnoticeable when the film
is projected at normal speed)
and no trace of dust/scratches. The audio is nice and crisp. The
subtitles are very good, but switching them "OFF" doesn't actually
remove them. A wonderful DVD of a wonderful film. Highly recommended! |
Menus / Extras
Nouveaux Pictures - Region 0 - PAL
Criterion - Region 1- NTSC
Artificial Eye - Region 'B'- Blu-ray
Criterion - Spine # 363 - Region 'A/ B' - Blu-ray
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
1) Nouveaux Pictures - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Criterion - Region 1- NTSC SECOND 3) Artificial Eye - Region 'B'- Blu-ray THIRD 4) Criterion - Spine # 363 - Region 'A/ B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Nouveaux Pictures - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Criterion - Region 1- NTSC SECOND 3) Artificial Eye - Region 'B'- Blu-ray THIRD 4) Criterion - Spine # 363 - Region 'A/ B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Nouveaux Pictures - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Criterion - Region 1- NTSC SECOND 3) Artificial Eye - Region 'B'- Blu-ray THIRD 4) Criterion - Spine # 363 - Region 'A/ B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Nouveaux Pictures - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Criterion - Region 1- NTSC SECOND 3) Artificial Eye - Region 'B'- Blu-ray THIRD 4) Criterion - Spine # 363 - Region 'A/ B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Nouveaux Pictures - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Criterion - Region 1- NTSC SECOND 3) Artificial Eye - Region 'B'- Blu-ray THIRD 4) Criterion - Spine # 363 - Region 'A/ B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Nouveaux Pictures - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Criterion - Region 1- NTSC SECOND 3) Artificial Eye - Region 'B'- Blu-ray THIRD 4) Criterion - Spine # 363 - Region 'A/ B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Nouveaux Pictures - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Criterion - Region 1- NTSC SECOND 3) Artificial Eye - Region 'B'- Blu-ray THIRD 4) Criterion - Spine # 363 - Region 'A/ B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE
Box Cover |
|
|
Bonus Captures: |
|
Distribution | Nouveaux Pictures - Region 0 - PAL | Criterion Collection - Spine # 363 Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC |
Artificial Eye Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
Criterion - Spine # 363 - Region 'A/ B' - Blu-ray |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |