Firstly, a massive thank you 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.

 

What do Patrons receive, that you don't?

 

1) Our weekly Newsletter sent to your Inbox every Monday morning!
2) Patron-only Silent Auctions - so far over 30 Out-of-Print titles have moved to deserved, appreciative, hands!
3) Access to over 20,000 unpublished screen captures in lossless high-resolution format!

 

Please consider keeping us in existence with a couple of dollars or more each month (your pocket change!) so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. Thank you very much.


 

Search DVDBeaver

 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "The Widow Couderc")

 

Directed by Pierre Granier-Deferre
France 1971

 

In this dark, intricate melodrama that explores the possibility of love between a young man and an older woman, Simone Signoret (Diabolique, Room at the Top) plays a contented widow who allows a handsome stranger (Alain Delon, Un Flic, The Sicilian Clan) to move in and work on her farm. Their secret affair and plans for the future take a dramatic turn when he succumbs to her jealous sister-in-law’s seductive daughter (Ottavia Piccolo, The Leopard). The drama plays out against the picturesque French countryside in director Pierre Granier-Deferre’s (Le Chat, The Last Train) adaptation of the novel by acclaimed author Georges Simenon (Maigret Sets a Trap, Magnet of Doom).

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 13th, 1971

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

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

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:
Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:29:32.742        
Video

1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 30,026,210,036 bytes

Feature: 28,044,466,176 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.91 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 French 1555 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1555 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: 30,026,210,036 bytes

Feature: 28,044,466,176 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.91 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• NEW Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalist and Author Bryan Reesman
• Theatrical Trailer (2:47)


 Blu-ray Release Date: July 6th, 2021
 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 (July 2021): Kino have transferred Pierre Granier-Deferre's The Widow Couderc to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "4K Restoration from the Original Camera Negative". It's on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. It looks okay - certainly ahead of the 2008 Alain Delon: 5-Film Collection DVD set. There is somewhat of a green cast dampening the visuals throughout. It is consistent and clean with pleasing contrast. I see grain texture and occasional depth. Very watchable with a significant bump in detail from the SD. 

NOTE: We have added 60 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original French language. It has some latter aggression - a fire and gun/rifle shots and they carry modest weight. The film's score is by Philippe Sarde (Madame Rosa, The Tenant, Max and the Junkman, Tess, La Grande Bouffe, Quest For Fire) sounding a bit deeper with consistent dialogue. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by entertainment journalist and author Bryan Reesman. He has done his homework reading the Georges Simenon novel and making frequent comparisons to this film. He discuses the careers of Alain Delon, Simone Signoret etc. Bryan has also taken a virtual tour of Cheuge, Côte-d'Or, France commenting on its appearance. He reads critics like David Hare etc. He fills the commentary with relevant details. There is also a trailer for the film.    

Pierre Granier-Deferre's The Widow Couderc is excellent. I loved so many things about it - the 'blank slate' character of Delon, the furtive stares and how it captures an authentic representation of the time and place - a small French village - bad secrets, everyone knows each other's business and how people survive. The Kino Blu-ray has a 4K-restored transfer of a mysterious film with two great actors; Simone Signoret and Alain Delon, a revealing commentary and we certainly recommend to fans of the stars or French cinema during the 70s. 

Gary Tooze

 

Menus / Extras

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:
Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

Search DVDBeaver

 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

 CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!