Essential World Cinema (France Vol. 3  - Bande A Part/Wages Of Fear/La Regle du Jeu, Umbrella Entertainment PAL format/All Region)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras:     Films:

 

Bande a Part A-

Wages of Fear A

Rules of the Game (La Regle du Jeu) A

 

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: This DVD set can only be operated on machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Zero/0 PAL format software and can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment at the website address provided at the end of the review.

 

 

Umbrella Entertainment has issued several sets as part of their Essential World Cinema series, this particular set is the third from France that includes Jean Luc Godard’s Bande a Part, Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Wages of Fear, and Jean Renoir’s Rules of the Game.  What is particularly great about these sets is that we get several films bunched together, but some thought has been given to these sets as the titles put together make sense and give a great sampling to audiences all over of what the world of cinema has to offer, especially classics like this. 

 

While all three are tremendous films of great importance, the real standout for me is Clouzot’s Wages of Fear, which is perhaps the most accessible as well and remains one of the most heart-pounding films of all time as a group of men must earn their wage by transporting highly explosive nitroglycerin by two trucks across rough terrain and run into a variety of obstacles along the way.  However, the film is about much more than this as it deals with the human interaction as this group of men struggle through to make it to the final destination.  The acting, pace, and overall development of both character and plot are masterfully woven together by Clouzot in an unforgettable film that was even remade as Sorcerer in 1977 and directed by William Friedkin and starring Roy Scheider.  Visually the film is striking as well with a variety of unique angles and other techniques to give the film it’s energy and stunning moments of suspense that Clouzot mastered. 

 

Rules of the Game, along with perhaps The Grand Illusion, are perhaps Jean Renoirs most notable features and this particular film certainly established him as one of the most influential and important filmmakers in French cinema.  Rules of the Game deals with the upper class and lower class as they are examined during a dinner in a French chateau during WWII.  In this examination we find that the two parties actually have more in common than one might expect and are fused together in other unique ways as Renoir closes pulls the audience in during this dinner party and we see feelings and secrets exposed as the complex relationships become exposed.  Visually the film is important as we see the soft focus used and shots with incredible depth of field to make for an unforgettable experience.  Although the film was never successful upon it’s initial release, Renoir re-cut the film many times and even had to reconstruct the film many years later to preserve the film, which it has now become one of the most highly regarded films in French history.  Thankfully The Grand Illusion, Beauty and the Beast, and this film have all been restored by The Criterion Collection, and while this print does not look nearly as good, it’s still a great addition here. 

 

Band a Parte (AKA Band of Outsiders) is another great example of French filmmaking and is another important film ranking up there as well and perhaps one of Godard’s more notable films as well.  Two crooks (Franz and Arthur) who are very fond of Hollywood B-movies are able to convince a language student (Anna Karina) to help them commit a robbery after the two find out that she knows the whereabouts of 10,000 franc notes, which in Godard fashion creates the setup for some strange events to follow in this off-beat and pulp classic, which puts American movies on their edge with Godard essentially making this the French answer to many of the then popular tough guy/pulp films being made in America.  While not nearly as emotionally charged as Contempt, or as innovative as Breathless, this still remains a highly sought after film that American audiences are finally catching up to, question is…what took so long?

 

Each film is presented in the original 1.33 X 1 full-frame aspect ratio and while they are not nearly as pristine as one might expect, they get the job done and serve adequately for now.  It will take a full restoration and Blu-ray to really make a huge difference in the prints. Sound is presented in 2.0 Dolby Digital and like the image is acceptable, but also in need of a major overhaul to really make a marginal difference.  Band a Parte features a segmented commentary by Rolando Caputo and Rules of the Game features an introduction by Renoir as well as a documentary on the making of the film.

 

 

As noted above, you can order this PAL DVD import set exclusively from Umbrella at:

 

http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/

 

 

-   Nate Goss