criterionforum.org

In 1964, Henri-Georges Clouzot, the acclaimed director of thriller masterpieces Les Diaboliques and Wages of Fear, began work on his most ambitious film yet.

Set in a beautiful lake side resort in the Auvergne region of France, L’Enfer (Inferno) was to be a sun scorched elucidation on the dark depths of jealousy starring Romy Schneider as the harassed wife of a controlling hotel manager (Serge Reggiani). However, despite huge expectations, major studio backing and an unlimited budget, after three weeks the production collapsed under the weight of arguments, technical complications and illness.

In this compelling, award-winning documentary Serge Bromberg and Ruxandra Medrea present Inferno’s incredible expressionistic original rushes, screen tests, and on-location footage, whilst also reconstructing Clouzot’s original vision, and shedding light on the ill-fated endeavour through interviews, dramatisations of unfilmed scenes, and Clouzot’s own notes.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Optional English subtitles
Lucy Mazdon on Henri-Georges Clouzot, the French cinema expert and academic talks at length about the films of Clouzot and the troubled production of Inferno
They Saw Inferno, a featurette including unseen material, providing further insight into the production of Inferno
Filmed Introduction by Serge Bromberg
Interview with Serge Bromberg
Stills gallery
Original trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Twins of Evil
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Ginette Vincendeau



February 5

That reversible artwork will come in handy!

I'm confused...is this also a Region A release? Arrow's websites are quite confusing and rarely updated, but I think arrowvideo.com is supposed to be the US website, correct? Why is this only listed on their UK site, but reviewed as being Region A on blu-ray.com and also available on Amazon.com?

It's a dual US/UK release. There is no US website.

No, (s)he's right, that is the US website. They just haven't updated it in months.

Oh whoops, pardon me for forgetting about that site's existence--I haven't used it since it launched!

Did Flicker Alley lose the rights to this? They’re Blu-ray seems to still be available

No, they also still have it streaming in various places.

I enjoyed this (via the Flicker Alley Blu-Ray), especially seeing Berenice Bejo and Jacques Gamblin act out the unfilmed connective scenes (though it’s strange that two big French stars like this are completely uncredited in both labels’ packaging— do they not think their audience will know who they are?). I did find it exceedingly odd that nowhere in the film is it mentioned that Chabrol eventually filmed a reworked version of Clouzot’s script— isn’t that too information viewers of this might want to have?