167-171 Time to Play: Films by Jacques Rozier

[Finch]

One of the most original, self-assured, yet undersung voices of the French New Wave, Jacques Rozier crafted across a career spanning five decades a cinema attuned to the beauty and heartbreak of chance encounters, improvised days and spontaneous play. This box set presents the UK Blu-ray premiere of his five feature films and several of his short films across five discs.

In Adieu Philippine (1962), two girls and a young man spend an idyllic few days in Corsica, his upcoming military service in Algeria looming on the horizon. Also abandoning Paris for the seaside, three girlfriends enjoy a languorous late summer break in Near Orouët (1971). A promised Robinson Crusoe experience in the Caribbean turns into something much more chaotic in The Castaways of Turtle Island (1976). Maine-Ocean Express (1986) follows strangers on a wild adventure across the language barrier. In the backstage comedy Fifi Martingale (2001), a superstitious theatre director makes catastrophic changes to a successful play.

BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES

4K restorations of Near Orouët and Maine-Ocean Express
2K restorations of Adieu Philippine, The Castaways of Turtle Island, and Fifi Martingale
2K restorations of the short films Blue Jeans (1958, 24 mins), Paparazzi (1963, 22 mins), and Le parti des choses (1963, 11 mins)
Uncompressed mono PCM audio for each film
New interview with celebrated arthouse distributor Robert Beeson about the reception of the French New Wave in the UK (2026)
Archival trailer for Adieu Philippine (1962, 7 mins)
Interview with Adieu Philippine star Yveline Céry (2024, 11 mins)
Interview with Jean-François Stévenin, assistant director on Near Orouët (2008, 9 mins)
Interview with frequent Rozier collaborator, actor Bernard Ménez (2008, 19 mins)
Interview with The Castaways of Turtle Island star Jacques Villeret (2008, 7 mins)
Jacques Rozier: From One Wave to Another - a feature length documentary by Emmanuel Barnault tracing Rozier’s unusual career and his lasting influence, rich in interviews and footage of the director at work; exclusive to this Limited Edition
Newly improved English subtitle translation for each film
Reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
Limited edition 80-page book featuring new writing by Caitlin Quinlan, plus writing by and interviews with Rozier
More TBC
Limited Edition of 3000 copies, presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

[andyli]

Pasting my comments from the general discussion thread here.

The Rozier set seems to have ported over all feature films and a good chunk of shorts from the Potemkine, and in the meantime excluded the TV works and documentaries by Rozier. Most of the extras make it to the Radiance, including the 60-minute documentary Jacques Rozier, d'une vague à l'autre (which is the only thing labeled "exclusive to the limited edition"--I wonder how that works).

EDIT: I noticed there's a "More TBC" bullet. So basically more material is on the way (possibly to take up that exclusive disc).

[domino harvey]

Well, release of the century. Radiance saved us from the fate of Rozier getting buried in Criterion’s backlog. This has it all, we did it!

[knives]

Is this region free?

[Glowingwabbit]

Is this region free?

Region B

[andyli]

And in a year's time Criterion will give Radiance and its buyers the middle finger with exactly one 4K release of the films, a la Viridiana.

Just kidding. I'm sure Criterion will direct major resource toward a major director such as Rozier.

[domino harvey]

The price for this treasure trove is unbelievably only 50 pounds! They could have charged twice that!

[Zot!]

HUGE accolades to Radiance, this is so exciting and is already my 2026 winner for best box....and that is before they added Fifi Martingale which Potemkine left off. Curious how Maine Ocean wound up with a 4K resto instead of Adieu Philippine, but I'd speculate that it had better materials.

One very minor gripe, I like the box art the least out of all the individual films packaging...While I get the debauched party coming-down atmosphere of the images on front and back, it's a little dreary considering how vital these films are, also that typography is not my favorite. Also because the film art are totally fantastic. Sorry! I am very excited to get this home, and you can package it in newspaper if you wish.

[andyli]

they added Fifi Martingale which Potemkine left off.

Are you sure? It was listed on disc 5 of the Potemkine set, along with two other items made by Rozier.

One very minor gripe, I like the box art the least out of all the individual films packaging...While I get the debauched party coming-down atmosphere of the images on front and back, it's a little dreary considering how vital these films are, also that typography is not my favorite. Also because the film art are totally fantastic. Sorry! I am very excited to get this home, and you can package it in newspaper if you wish.

At first sight I thought it was some Jacques Tati stuff. But much much less exciting if it were!

[therewillbeblus]

One of the best physical media releases we'll ever see, and the best upgrade ever. I just rewatched my R2 copy of Du côté d'Orouët the other night to send the juju - I'm glad it includes everything, even Fifi Martingale which I was disappointed by but look forward to revisiting in better quality

[Zot!]

they added Fifi Martingale which Potemkine left off.

Are you sure? It was listed on disc 5 of the Potemkine set, along with two other items made by Rozier.

The Potemkine Blu-Ray set I think has Fifi, but as I understand it that is not English friendly. The English friendly DVD set did not have Fifi. So I think the Radiance set is the first release of Fifi with English subs.

[Zot!]

At first sight I thought it was some Jacques Tati stuff. But much much less exciting if it were!

Oof, yeah, I was so excited, I didn't even see how much "Playtime/Time to Play" is a peculiar name, especially so bold on the spine. Intentional cross-marketing for Tati fans?

[Mr.DarjeelingLimited]

Holy crap! What a release!

[Peacock]

The price for this treasure trove is unbelievably only 50 pounds! They could have charged twice that!

Domino false advertising there! Got all of us locals excited for a second.

[Calvin]

Ths set looks tremendous. It's something I know that a lot of us have wanted for a long time and it's sad that something like this never came to fruition when Rozier was still with us (hopefully Cinema Guild hurry up with a Moullet box set...) but better late than never.

In terms of which Rozier films seem to remain exclusive to the unsubbed Potemkine:

Supplément au voyage en terre "Philippine" (2008) - Short from 2008 where "Jacques Rozier comments on photos from the set and excerpts from Adieu Philippine." (as per the Cinematheque Francaise)

Three early short films - Rentrée des classes (1956), Dans le vent (1962), Roméos et Jupettes (1966)

Revenez, plaisirs exilés (Alceste) - filmed opera. His other filmed opera, L’Opéra du Roi, appears to not be available at all.

Joséphine en tournée (1990) - Miniseries. Is available on Criterion Channel so may end up on a future Criterion set if one ever materialises.

Other TV works - Ni figue ni raisin n°5 (1965), Ni figue ni raisin n°8 (de Corinthe) (1965), Dim Dam Dom : Le Duel long court (1967), Dim Dam Dom : La Mode printemps 1967, Nono Nénesse (1975), Marketing Mix (1978)

Works on Cinema:

Cinéastes de notre temps : Jean Vigo (1964) - on both Criterion and Curzon Jean Vigo sets

Vive le cinéma ! : Jeanne Moreau (1972) - on Criterion's release of The Trial

Lettre de la Sierra Morena - "Don Quixote (Luchini) is a modern filmmaker with views on the perfect film. Sancho Panza (Risch) is systematically condradicting Quichotte, whose film materializes in front of them as he lists his ideas"

Comment devenir cinéaste sans se prendre la tête ? - Available unsubbed online via the Cinematheque Francaise

Un caprice de Poséidon - the most comprehensive description of this seems to come from the DVDClassik review: "A
film essay directed by Jacques Rozier in 2019. Using theatrical rehearsals, recordings of debates, archival footage, and excerpts from his films, the "filmmaker of the moment ," as he is described by Jean Douchet, discusses his cinema and the phenomenon of the New Wave, which had just celebrated its 50th anniversary. Rozier recounts, in particular, the conditions of his film shoots, the long final scene of Adieu Philippine , his relationship with Jean Renoir, and Italian neorealism. The film explores the "desire for change" that may have motivated the New Wave, as well as the plays of Goldoni a few centuries earlier. A text by André S. Labarthe, written in 1995, reflects on the "leap out of time" represented by the Lumière apparatus and its capture of reality, a phenomenon increasingly superseded today by the abundance of images. Labarthe clarifies, however, that the 7th art has always drawn on technological advancements, but that this has consistently raised concerns about its future. "That's where we are now . "

Not surprising that Radiance haven't got the TV works or those already on other releases, but I wonder if we might see the early shorts or Un caprice de Poséidon added before the set is finalised.

[domino harvey]

The price for this treasure trove is unbelievably only 50 pounds! They could have charged twice that!

Domino false advertising there! Got all of us locals excited for a second.

?

[EddieLarkin]

You are seeing it without the UK VAT applied. We all have to pay an additional 20%.

[domino harvey]

Ah gotcha

[therewillbeblus]

How long does it usually take for Radiance titles to show up on Orbit?

[Zot!]

Ths set looks tremendous. It's something I know that a lot of us have wanted for a long time and it's sad that something like this never came to fruition when Rozier was still with us (hopefully Cinema Guild hurry up with a Moullet box set...) but better late than never.

In terms of which Rozier films seem to remain exclusive to the unsubbed Potemkine:

Supplément au voyage en terre "Philippine" (2008) - Short from 2008 where "Jacques Rozier comments on photos from the set and excerpts from Adieu Philippine." (as per the Cinematheque Francaise)

Three early short films - Rentrée des classes (1956), Dans le vent (1962), Roméos et Jupettes (1966)

Revenez, plaisirs exilés (Alceste) - filmed opera. His other filmed opera, L’Opéra du Roi, appears to not be available at all.

Joséphine en tournée (1990) - Miniseries. Is available on Criterion Channel so may end up on a future Criterion set if one ever materialises.

Other TV works - Ni figue ni raisin n°5 (1965), Ni figue ni raisin n°8 (de Corinthe) (1965), Dim Dam Dom : Le Duel long court (1967), Dim Dam Dom : La Mode printemps 1967, Nono Nénesse (1975), Marketing Mix (1978)

Works on Cinema:

Cinéastes de notre temps : Jean Vigo (1964) - on both Criterion and Curzon Jean Vigo sets

Vive le cinéma ! : Jeanne Moreau (1972) - on Criterion's release of The Trial

Lettre de la Sierra Morena - "Don Quixote (Luchini) is a modern filmmaker with views on the perfect film. Sancho Panza (Risch) is systematically condradicting Quichotte, whose film materializes in front of them as he lists his ideas"

Comment devenir cinéaste sans se prendre la tête ? - Available unsubbed online via the Cinematheque Francaise

Un caprice de Poséidon - the most comprehensive description of this seems to come from the DVDClassik review: "A
film essay directed by Jacques Rozier in 2019. Using theatrical rehearsals, recordings of debates, archival footage, and excerpts from his films, the "filmmaker of the moment ," as he is described by Jean Douchet, discusses his cinema and the phenomenon of the New Wave, which had just celebrated its 50th anniversary. Rozier recounts, in particular, the conditions of his film shoots, the long final scene of Adieu Philippine , his relationship with Jean Renoir, and Italian neorealism. The film explores the "desire for change" that may have motivated the New Wave, as well as the plays of Goldoni a few centuries earlier. A text by André S. Labarthe, written in 1995, reflects on the "leap out of time" represented by the Lumière apparatus and its capture of reality, a phenomenon increasingly superseded today by the abundance of images. Labarthe clarifies, however, that the 7th art has always drawn on technological advancements, but that this has consistently raised concerns about its future. "That's where we are now . "

Not surprising that Radiance haven't got the TV works or those already on other releases, but I wonder if we might see the early shorts or Un caprice de Poséidon added before the set is finalised.

Thank you, this is very helpful! If any obsessives are interested the following ARE on the English Friendly Potemkine DVDs, though I would need to check to see if these extras are actually subbed, or if it is just the films:

Rentrée des classes (1956)

Supplément au voyage en terre "Philippine" (2008) - Short from 2008 where "Jacques Rozier comments on photos from the set and excerpts from Adieu Philippine." (as per the Cinematheque Francaise)

and a couple more extended interviews: Jean-François Stévenin (20'), Interview with Jean Douchet (20')

[zedz]

Thank you, this is very helpful! If any obsessives are interested the following ARE on the English Friendly Potemkine DVDs, though I would need to check to see if these extras are actually subbed, or if it is just the films:

Rentrée des classes (1956)

It's a real shame this isn't on the set, as it's a brilliant film.

[TechnicolorAcid]

Thank you, this is very helpful! If any obsessives are interested the following ARE on the English Friendly Potemkine DVDs, though I would need to check to see if these extras are actually subbed, or if it is just the films:

Rentrée des classes (1956)

It's a real shame this isn't on the set, as it's a brilliant film.

Agreed, it’s easily the best Rozier short I’ve seen and has a pure sense of beauty in its display of nature meshed with a relaxed tone that anticipates excellent his feature films so sad it isn’t on here. That said this is still an exceptional release and one that everyone should buy, if only to support more excellent sets like this to keep coming out!

[Matt]

I'm sure Criterion will direct major resource toward a major director such as Rozier.

Just like they did with Jean Eustache and Youssef Chahine!

[swo17]

Rentrée des classes (1956)

It's a real shame this isn't on the set, as it's a brilliant film.

I suppose I can just keep the Potemkine set to have that short, but an upgrade would've been welcome. It's pretty ropey looking

[GoodOldNeon]

Vive le cinéma ! : Jeanne Moreau (1972) - on Criterion's release of The Trial

Just for the sake of completeness, the version on Criterion's release of The Trial only includes the 29-minute segment with Orson Welles (which, in fairness, is by far the best segment of the show). The Potemkine release includes the full 67-minute version which also includes interviews with Jerry Lewis, Barbet Schroeder, Bulle Ogier, Néstor Almendros, and others.

+1 for Rentrée des classes being Rozier's best short film.