92 Je t'aime, je t'aime

[tavernier]

Resnais is surely a contender for most under-represented major (Western European) auteur on DVD. I am in the plebeian situation of having seen nothing post-Marienbad.

Not really. MK2 and Studio Canal have released nearly all of Resnais's major works on DVD.

I'd agree, except that some French discs don't have English subs--MURIEL, SMOKING/NO SMOKING--and some aren't available yet--JE T'AIME, PROVIDENCE, along with a couple of the important shorts.

[vogler]

Resnais is surely a contender for most under-represented major (Western European) auteur on DVD. I am in the plebeian situation of having seen nothing post-Marienbad.

Not really. MK2 and Studio Canal have released nearly all of Resnais's major works on DVD.

But we're probably talking about releases with English subs and there is still no English friendly release of Muriel and no release at all of Je t'aime, je t'aime, both of which I would say are among his very most important works. In addition to that two of his other most important works La Guerre est Finie and Last Year in Marienbad are only available in the U.S. and U.K. respectively (as far as I know). The MK2 boxset is great though, but as I said in my earlier post, I only feel there are two of his very best films on that.

So we really desperately need dvds of Muriel and Je t'aime, je t'aime before we can come close to having all his most important work available. If there are releases of these films that I am unaware of then I would be very happy to hear about them.

There's also the excellent Providence which is only available on either an Italian or Spanish dvd (I forget which) with horrendous dubbed audio.

I would say availablity of Resnais on dvd is very patchy at best.

I seem to have repeated some of the points you made tavernier since I didn't see your post until after I had submitted mine.

[tavernier]

I seem to have repeated some of the points you made tavernier since I didn't see your post until after I had submitted mine.

That's OK...the more posts about our frustration with Resnais' output on DVD, the better. (BTW: his new film, Coeurs, is terrific.)

[Barmy]

After a great early run, I think the quality of his work dropped off substantially after "Mon oncle". None of the post-1980 work is particularly compelling, although all of it is enjoyable in a low-key way. "Coeurs" is a nice little film. I love the fact that it snows during the entire film. To me it looked like it was shot on DV but that may have been the excessive lighting.

[vogler]

After a great early run, I think the quality of his work dropped off substantially after "Mon oncle".

From what I have seen I would agree with you, with the exception of L'Amour à mort which I think is an excellent film. It's not that his films since then have been bad films, they just don't come close to the utter brilliance of his earlier work. I find Resnais to be one of the most inspiring directors of all time but that rests almost entirely on his earlier work. I haven't seen Coeurs yet but I'm going to try and see it as soon as I possibly can.

[Gropius]

Resnais is surely a contender for most under-represented major (Western European) auteur on DVD. I am in the plebeian situation of having seen nothing post-Marienbad.

Not really. MK2 and Studio Canal have released nearly all of Resnais's major works on DVD.

Okay, if you want to get technical about it, yes, there are more under-represented Western European auteurs out there (e.g. Marker, Straub-Huillet, Akerman, Ivens, Syberberg, post-war German stuff generally that isn't Herzog or Fassbinder, etc). But what I meant was, considering the major status accorded to Hiroshima mon amour by English-speaking critics, it is surprising that stuff like Muriel remains comparatively unknown (at least I haven't seen it).

[Don Lope de Aguirre]

But what I meant was, considering the major status accorded to Hiroshima mon amour by English-speaking critics, it is surprising that stuff like Muriel remains comparatively unknown (at least I haven't seen it).

I think you've made a quite interesting point. It seems to me as if, generally speaking, people focus too much on Hiroshima Mon Amour and Last Year at Marienbad at the expense of his other work, the implication (almost) being that these are the 'definitive' Resnais films. Gropius, you really ought to watch La Guerre est Finie, it is available in a perfectly good American edition and is quite breathtakingly brilliant. If you see and like this the MK2 boxset and Stavisky are logic next steps.

Regarding Muriel, I find it crushing that it is not available to English speakers (sadly my French is not quite good enough). The French R2 looks very tasty indeed, and the Italians and Spanish have editions too...

[tavernier]

I have the Spanish edition, but it's fullscreen instead of 1.66:1.

[Don Lope de Aguirre]

Thanks I feel much better now!

[Barmy]

I watched a bit of the new French "Je t'Aime, je t'Aime" DVD (no subs) and was quite impressed by the transfer.

[Arn777]

I just ordered it, along with a cheap CD compilation of soundtracks of Resnais films that came out earlier this month.

[Kinsayder]

A sample from the new French edition:



More screencaps here.

[Person]

The transfer has an analogue video quality to it. Certainly not from a prime element, ie negative or interpositive. If it had subs, though, I'd buy it and give away DVD-Rs. I know how y'all want to see a watchable version.

[mikeohhh]

This played in Baltimore a couple months ago. The print looked pretty nice and, ironically, despite being English-subtitled, had to be flown in from France for the screening, which makes me think this film is currently without a US distibutor. IMDB says it (was) New Yorker that owned the rights, so if those have lapsed, it can only be a good thing.

[hearthesilence]

Tonight, MoMA screened the Film Desk's 35mm print (struck back around 2013 or 2014). Some wear but otherwise looked great. As soon as it was over, I popped on to the usual Blu-Ray review sites to see what the screencaps for the BD looked like, and the color on the BD looks flat out WRONG. The BD isn't just a little cooler, it's a LOT cooler. It's shitty revisionism.

[J Adams]

I've seen this astounding and lovely 35mm print a few times. The notion that BD even approximates 35mm is something that can only be attributed to the delusional. Some day, whether it's 10 or 1000 years away, home video will be able to replicate 35mm. As of now, neither DCP or BD are even close.

[movielocke]

Tonight, MoMA screened the Film Desk's 35mm print (struck back around 2013 or 2014). Some wear but otherwise looked great. As soon as it was over, I popped on to the usual Blu-Ray review sites to see what the screencaps for the BD looked like, and the color on the BD looks flat out WRONG. The BD isn't just a little cooler, it's a LOT cooler. It's shitty revisionism.

so what was the color temperature of the projection bulb for the screening, and what color temperature bulb was the 35mm print timed for? Without that info we know nothing.

[hearthesilence]

That's seriously inflating the likelihood of a slight possibility.

[Finch]

Claude leaves hospital recovered from a failed suicide attempt when some scientists offer him the chance to be part of a project. He will be the first human subject in a time travel experiment. Travelling back in time one year for just one minute, he becomes lost in a continually shifting mosaic of temporal episodes. A noted influence on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, in Je t’aime, je t’aime, Alain Resnais (Last Year in Marienbad) brings his cinematic obsession of time to the fore in this ingenious melding of sci-fi and romance.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES

2K restoration, presented on UK Blu-ray for the first time

Uncompressed mono PCM audio

Interview with critic and David Jenkins (2024)

Audio interview with director Alain Resnais (2007)

Interview with actor Claude Rich (2007)

Interview with screenwriter Jacques Sternberg and film historian and Resnais expert François Thomas (2007)

In the Ears of Alain Resnais - a documentary on the filmmaker with a focus on music and voices in his work, featuring collaborators and critics including the filmmaker himself, actor Lambert Wilson, writer and actress Agnés Jaoui, critic Michel Ciment and others (Geraldine Boudot, 2020, 54 mins)

Optional English subtitles

Reversible sleeve featuring artwork based on original poster designs

Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Catherine Wheatley
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

UK only

[domino harvey]

Fucking knew they’d get this one. Looking forward to them fixing the color timing

[nowhereisaplace]

That documentary looks interesting, as well.

[beamish14]

Definitely buying and finally donating my older Blu. I hope Radiance can pick up Smoking/No Smoking

[ryannichols7]

Fucking knew they’d get this one. Looking forward to them fixing the color timing

I think it's okay to share that Fran confirmed in the discord that this is the case

very happy they're releasing this!

[rapta]

Kinda knew this was coming (someone suggested after last month's newsletter clue, and then it happened to appear on Mr. Jenkins' Letterboxd shortly afterwards). Sounds great, instant blind-buy. Been a while since we got some Resnais in HD.

[hearthesilence]

FWIW, when Film Desk struck new 35mm prints for this, they got the color right, and last time I saw it projected, it was their print, so at minimum there's a good guide for the color circulating out there.