NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (September 2025): Kino have transferred Anthony Asquith's French Without Tears to Blu-ray. The 1080P (from a a recent 4K restoration) faithfully captures the film's pre-war elegance and Riviera locales with excellent contrast, shadow detail, and minimal grain for a production of its vintage. The HD transfer is clean and free of debris or damage, enhancing the subtle visual nuances in ensemble scenes and outdoor sequences, making it a substantial improvement over prior video formats and ideal for appreciating Anthony Asquith's refined direction and Bernard Knowles' cinematography. Knowles crafts a crisp, monochromatic visual style that evokes the sun-drenched charm of a French language school on the Riviera, using well-composed shots and genuine-looking scenery to ground the comedy in a picturesque, almost idyllic environment that contrasts with the characters' emotional chaos. 

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 dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. It offers a clear (sporadic vertical scratches aside) and balanced reproduction of the dialogue-driven script, Nicholas Brodszky's (Tomorrow We Live, While the Sun Shines, A Man About the House, L'inconnu d'un soir,) light-hearted score, and ambient effects, with no noticeable distortion, hiss, or dropout despite the limitations of the 1939 original recording. The track supports the comedic timing effectively, ensuring Rattigan's witty exchanges are front and center. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The extras package on the Kino Blu-ray is concise yet insightful, headlined by a new audio commentary from film historian and screenwriter Gary Gerani (Fantastic Television,) who delves into the adaptation process from Terence Rattigan's stage play, the careers of director Anthony Asquith and stars Ray Milland and Ellen Drew, and the film's place in pre-war British cinema, providing valuable context and anecdotes for enthusiasts.

Anthony Asquith's French Without Tears represents an early cinematic adaptation of Terence Rattigan's breakout 1936 stage play, blending light-hearted romantic farce with subtle explorations of youthful masculinity and romantic entanglements in a pre-World War II setting. Edited by a young David Lean - who would go on to direct Great Expectations, Brief Encounter, In Which We Serve, This Happy Breed, Blithe Spirit, Ryan's Daughter, Dr. Zhivago, Summertime, A Passage to India, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Lawrence of Arabia - and with cinematography by Bernard Knowles (Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn, Young and Innocent, Sabotage, Secret Agent, The 39 Steps,) the film captures the idyllic French Riviera with a polished, studio-bound elegance typical of the era's British productions. Thematically, the film delves into the awkwardness of British masculinity in the face of female agency, portraying the men as emotionally stunted "boys" who treat romance as a game until Diana's manipulations expose their vulnerabilities, a motif that Rattigan would refine in later works like "The Deep Blue Sea." French Without Tears satirizes class-bound propriety and the "stiff upper lip" ethos of pre-war England, set against the liberating backdrop of France, symbolizing escape from societal norms, while subtly hinting at homoerotic undertones in the all-male environment - elements more pronounced in stage revivals but toned down here to evade censors. Performances anchor the film's charm, with Ray Milland (The Big Clock, A Man Alone, Ministry of Fear, Something to Live For, Circle of Danger, So Evil My Love) delivering a charismatic, understated turn as Alan, balancing cynicism with vulnerability in a role that foreshadows his later Oscar-winning work in "The Lost Weekend" (1945.) Ellen Drew (The Monster and the Girl, Christmas in July, The Mad Doctor, Isle Of The Dead) shines as Diana, infusing the character with vivacious energy and sly wit, making her the film's emotional pivot despite criticisms of her American accent clashing with the British milieu. "French Without Tears" endures as a delightful, if understated, romantic comedy that bridges stage and screen, bolstered by strong performances and witty scripting, serving as a foundational work in Rattigan's oeuvre and a charming artifact of pre-war British cinema. Overall, the Kino Lorber Blu-ray is a commendable release for fans of classic British comedy and Terence Rattigan's early work, offering a high-quality 4K-sourced restoration that breathes new life into this effervescent romantic farce, bolstered by a thoughtful audio commentary that enhances appreciation of its historical and artistic significance. Warmly recommended.  

Gary Tooze