50 L'amour fou

[nowhereisaplace]

Keep in mind that the disc change of the Potemkine doesn't quite match the film's intended intermission (which happens at 3:20 into the 2nd disc).

I don't want to get too far off topic here, but this really baffles me and the same thing happened with the discs for Out 1: Spectre. I forget exactly where the intended intermission happens, but I feel like it is similar (a few minutes into the 2nd disc). If Radiance is indeed 2 discs, I'm sure the disc will split in the same place as the Potemkine. It's so frustrating to see these unnatural intermissions, effectively creating two intermissions for each of these films. I also personally feel that a lot of their brilliance comes from their structures and the intermissions play a big role in that.

[dave1]

What's weird is that the first disc houses the Robert Fischer doc (also on the Radiance), where the intended intermission is discussed (and shown where it happens).
As for Spectre, I recall the Carlotta having the disc change right at the intermission, so no problem there.

[nowhereisaplace]

The entire restoration moved the intermission. In the unrestored print I've seen, the intermission happens directly after the scene in Bulle Ogier's shop where we see both Jean-Pierre Leaud and Juliet Berto cross paths during the same scene. I remember it distinctly, as it was the point where after over 2 hours the narrative began to come together. I also remember after the intermission then slowly watching the narrative unravel from there, so that by the end it felt adrift like we were at the start.

Funny enough, the only mention I can find of this online comes from an old post on this forum from 2015 from dfzp in "The Jacques Rivette Collection" thread:

For whatever it's worth, I can't find any single mention of OUT 1 as a tv series in any french magazine from the period (1971-74) that I own; Rivette likens it to silent serials.
Anyway, it was shot in 16mm at 25fps. However, Spectre was definitely intented for theatrical release, and it was blown up to 35mm (the longer version has only existed in 16mm), I'm assuming at 24fps.
By the way, the german dvd release fits Spectre in a single disc despite the film's length (4h20min), hence a pretty low bitrate. Does anyone know how will Arrow deal with it? Splitting it in two discs will mirror the original release (with the intermission acting kinda as a structural conceit). The restored 35mm prints had the intermission in a different spot as the one intended by Rivette.

[dave1]

I'll take another look at the Carlotta, but I'm pretty sure that the disc change happens at the end of the scene you mention, with the second disc starting with a bunch of b&w stills.

[Adam X]

As does the DVD of Arrow’s release, while the BD fits it all on one disc. There’s no suggestion Radiance’s disc/s will be a port of Potemkine’s, so it seems a bit premature to be making assumptions about their release.

[domino harvey]

If this is two discs, I don't see any reason to believe the film itself will be split, since one of the extras is feature length anyways, so what purpose would that annoyance serve?

[dave1]

Well, the film's file size totals around 62GB on the Potemkine release, which would be impossible wihtout splitting the film across two discs.

[soundchaser]

If David M is encoding the Radiance disc, I have no doubt he could get it under 50 GB.

[dave1]

I was just answering Domino's question. I mean, I could get it under 10GB.

[soundchaser]

No, I getcha. Wasn't an accusation or anything. To clarify: I have no doubt he could get it to look good and remain under 50 GB.

[dave1]

It seems that Radiance has confirmed on Instagram that this is going to be 2 discs.

On the subject of Spectre, I was convinced the Carlotta was 2 blus, but it's on a single disc.
I've been comparing it to the unrestored German DVD (from 2013?), and there's no differences, outside of indicating the intermission (which is the intended one) via intertitles.

[swo17]

Dear customers,

We regret to inform you that there has been a slight delay to our upcoming release of L'amour fou, which will now be released on May 6th.

We at Radiance are committed to bringing you the best possible versions of the films which we release, and because of this we have had to accept a small production delay for this title.

All orders which contain a copy of L'amour fou will now ship shortly before the film’s new release date of May 6th. This will also include those who purchased our April bundle.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, and are looking forward to bringing you this wonderful film.

Best wishes
- Radiance team

[dadaistnun]

Beaver

[dave1]

Um, what happened to the "uncompressed PCM audio" that still appears on Radiance's site?

[charal]

Just watched up to the 3 hour mark. Will finish tomorrow. Great transfer considering the loss of the negative. I did see the shorter version of the film on YouTube a few years ago so I know how it ends. What surprised me was how quickly the film moves despite its 4+ running time. I was expecting longer rehearsal scenes a la OUT 1 but this is not the case. Many thanks to Radiance for this essential release and here’s hoping for Bresson’s FEMME DOUCE and a Jean Eustache box in the future.

[dave1]

I haven't seen the YT version, but I'm pretty sure there's only one Rivette made (there was in 1969 a 2-hour version made by producer Georges de Beauregard that seems to have vanished for good).
The reason it's shorter is just PAL speedup (245 min at 25fps equals roughly 255 minutes at 24).

[domino harvey]

There was indeed a 2h15m version edited without Rivette's approval that was circulating for a while. Here's some info pulled from the copy on back channels

In January 1969, a shorter version of L'Amour fou (about 2 hours long) was made by the film distribution company (Cocinor) and was released in some theaters. (source: Jacques Rivette, secret compris - Hélène Frappat)

[dave1]

I didn't know that version was available. The only ones I found on YT were 4h5m.

[Noiretirc]

Dear God: Why is this Region B? What have I done to deserve this?

[domino harvey]

Criterion has it, so you’ll get a chance eventually

[beamish14]

You can buy a great region-free player for under $100USD

[Noiretirc]

You can buy a great region-free player for under $100USD

I don't want to derail this thread, but I tried that (in Canada) a few years ago, and all I got was "tisk tisk tisk, no, no, no" from more than a couple of places.

Perhaps things are different now.

Let me also add that I'm thrilled with what Radiance is doing in general.

[charal]

I use a cheap Laser region free player, available freely from Australian stores and even Amazon. I use it to play region A blues and all region DVDs. Surely Canada has a comparable product. This is useful when Criterion botch the encode (as has been the case with the recent Ackerman release). I can confirm that Radiance’s blu of Rivette’s film is an excellent transfer. Having a choice of regions gives you flexibility.

[domino harvey]

Against my better judgment, I picked this up and duly suffered through it yesterday. Most of my thoughts could very well be carried over from my initial contre Rivette post on Out 1 et al, but I have to reiterate something I suspected from that viewing and am certain of now: Rivette has absolutely nothing to say about the theatre or acting. I'd estimate 75% of this movie is fake "rehearsing" with absolutely no indication that anyone has anything at all of interest to say about or see in Racine's version of Euripides' Andromache. Indeed, the only amusing moment in this godforsaken film comes when a member of the troupe tries to bring up a contrary interpretation of the play by Barthes, only to be struck down by Kalfon with a vague and unfinished thought. And let me give this film all the rope imaginable and let's say all of this is intentional, that we're supposed to see that Kalfon is a bad theatrical director (which I would concede is accurate) -- why is so much of the film spent on minutiae of bullshit, phony theatrical rehearsing? To create a "relief" when we finally get back to the undercooked Ogier sections? Real directors who don't need a gimmick of massively expanded time can do this without making an audience suffer through hours of literally nothing. And the abundant servings of interminable bad improv (such as, say, the weeble exchange), only reiterate that there was no process of editing, of refinement, of culling strength from amidst weaknesses in the material shot. I would not be surprised if this film did not contain a single take that wasn't the first. This film did manage to do the impossible, though: I previously thought there was no way I could see a worse film with Kalfon and Ogier than the similarly smug yet idea-free Les idoles, but here we are.

[Noiretirc]

I came back here because Sight+Sound mag (Winter 2024-25) got me excited about a Radiance release that I could watch in Canada. (Discs Of The Year.)

But...still no!

I read Dom's thread-stopping review with much amusement. In fact I saw (and cheekily replied) to Dom's old review of Out 1 and the 3 other films in a Rivette box. Seriously, I love reading well written reviews, even if the reviewer hates what I love.

I adore Out 1. Does that mean that I will love this?

Radiance - why do you torment me so? I have a lot of Radiance. Why can't I have this?