Breillat On DVD

Catherine Breillat Is a Great Director!

2011-11-10T14:31:00.003-05:00

...And I'm not just being a preening sycophant here. Catherine Breillat is one of ten directors featured in a 2009 documentary entitled Great Directors, which was just released on DVD here in the US. The other directors are: Bernardo Bertolucci, Liliana Cavani, Stephen Frears, Todd Haynes, Richard Linklater, Ken Loach, David Lynch, John Sayles and Agnès Varda.

It's an interesting film... At first, each filmmaker talks for a few minutes about how their careers got started (interspersed with clips)... Breillat gets a bonus appearance in that part, because in addition to telling her own story, she comments on Agnès Varda's story. hehe As this is the Breillat blog, I feel I have to point these bits out. Anyway, then we circle back around, and each filmmaker talks about how their careers advanced, and then a third time to delve more into their artistic struggles. It's actually quite effective.

By the way, I've read criticisms (including literally every single review on Netflix as of this writing) that this film is really a self-indulgent project of its own director, Angela Ismailos, who turns what should be a film about these directors into a film about herself. But I honestly don't see it. We learn nothing about Ismailos other than that she admires these filmmakers, and there's really nothing here that isn't entirely about the 10 directors' careers. I don't know if perhaps a different cut was released theatrically, and that's what people are responding to? Because, while there may be an excessive shot or two, the film presented here on DVD is simply not what they're describing.

By the way, Breillat fans will also want to explore this DVD (in fact a 2-disc set) for the special features, which includes individual bonus interviews with each of the ten directors - Breillat's clocks in at over 15 minutes.

The Sleeping Beauty Is Here

2011-11-09T07:33:00.000-05:00

It's a good time for Breillat fans... Strand's DVD of her latest film, The Sleeping Beauty (La belle endormie) has just arrived in the US!

Here's the film description from the back of the box - it's a bit different than the Disney version you may be most familiar with: "Cursed at birth by an evil fairy, Anastasia is destined to prick her finger and die at the age of sixteen. When three fairy sisters discover this, they hatch a plan to alter the curse: rather than die, Anastasia will sleep for 100 years and live in a world of dreams. Through her active dream life, Anastasia will find love, loss, and possibly a waking life. French provocateur Breillat continues her deconstruction of classic fairytales with latest, The Sleeping Beauty."

It's a nice looking transfer with English subtitles. There's not much by way of extras: just the original theatrical trailer, and a few bonus trailers for other Strand releases. I'll leave you all with a screenshot:

To Mathieu, Now In English!

2011-11-06T23:45:00.006-05:00

It managed to slip under my radar for about a year, but last October, France Inter and Why Not Productions released a new DVD edition of To Mathieu (Selon Matthieu) - this time with English language options!

Check out my previous post on To Mathieu for a description of the film and its prior non-English releases.

As you can see from the picture, it only comes in a 2-disc set, paired with another film by co-writer and director Xavier Beavois, Le Petit Lieutenant. That's the same film Studio Canal paired this with in their 2006 set, but their discs didn't have English subs. Both discs are widescreen 1:85 and are essentially featureless, apart from the films themselves. But just having the film finally available in English is already a big score for Breillat fans! ...And yes, Le Petit Lieutenant has subs as well.

Breillat On Blu-Ray

2011-10-16T00:04:00.004-04:00

Okay, we've been looking at the work of Catherine Breillat that's available on standard definition DVDs, but what if you're ready to step it up a notch? Breillat is sadly under-represented on Blu-Ray - even her latest releases from Pathfinder and Strand are coming out on SD only - but she's not completely out of the picture.

The Criterion Collection has followed up their definitive release of Fat Girl (A ma soeur) with a new, superior edition on Blu-Ray. Fat Girl's transfer was already pretty state-of-the-art on their regular DVD, so there's no major changes to the image quality, apart, of course, from the increased resolution of this new Blu-Ray disc. But that does still make it, then, easily the best looking Fat Girl available anywhere.

The extras are all carried over from Criterion's standard disc. Nothing added, nothing lost.

And that's pretty much it for any of the films she's written or directed. But, one of the films she (and her sister) has a small role in, Bertolucci's Last Tango In Paris, has also made the leap to Blu-Ray. Like the SD disc before it, it has no extras besides the trailer, but it is a substantial upgrade in resolution/image quality.

The Angel Lands

2011-10-05T20:21:00.006-04:00

It's arrived! Dirty Like an Angel (Sale comme un ange) is now out on DVD from Pathfinder Pictures, meaning all of the films Catherine Breillat are now available on English language DVD. Of course, that still leaves plenty that she just wrote or c0-wrote (one of which, Bilitis, will hopefully also be on its way from Pathfinder), and the 36 Fillette picture on the US DVD is just awful and in serious need of a respectable reissue. But now all of her major works are available on DVD and in English; and that's pretty awesome.

Dirty Like an Angel is presented here in a nice, 16x9 widescreen presentation with optional subs - it looks great (click above to see the screenshot at full size). Pathfinder has also topped themselves by including an all new interview with Catherine Breillat, as well as the trailer (plus trailers for other Pathfinder discs, including Night After Night). Considering how rare extras are on Breillat's films (at least outside of France, where they're untranslated), this chance to hear the filmmaker discuss her work is a very welcome addition - especially since Breillat's films are often the sort where many people may feel a little explanation of intent would be a big help.

Feminisme... Porno... Punk... Mutantes

2011-07-26T04:15:00.008-04:00

Mutantes is a French documentary film on pro-sex feminism by Virginie Despentes, filmed in the US, Spain and France. Sounds like just the kind of film they should've asked Catherine Breillat to participate in, right? Well, they did and she accepted, 'cause she's in this movie, which is no available on DVD! The film is comprised of about twenty interviews, including Breillat, and lots of footage of live performances and films. I should warn you guys, I guess, that this is the equivalent of an NC-17 rating with hardcore footage... but if you're a Breillat fan, I'm assuming you're not too uptight about such things. ;)

How is the DVD as far as English language options? Excellent! Not only is the film subtitled into English (or French, or Spanish), but so are the extras, the packaging, the menus, and even the booklet - everything is written out twice... once in French and again in English. The disc is region free, NTSC, and it's just clear a lot of care went into this DVD presentation.

Better still for Breillat fans, the extras include an additional ten-minute interview with Breillat. So you may have to poke around the internet a bit to find a copy (though I'll make it easy for ya: amazon.fr has it), but I think you'll find it's worth it.

Update 10/5/11 - I figured I'd post a bit more about the film, since I think this post might bring up as many questions as it answers. Breillat's participation in the film is relatively brief... Certainly less than five minutes worth of screentime (if you're coming to this strictly as a Breillat fan, the bonus interview in the extras is more rewarding than the film itself), and she doesn't really discuss her work so much as touch on issues of "post-porn" and feminism in general. Most of the film is dedicated to showcasing the artists' work (and, if you're interested, the extras also include several of the live performances in full), and Breillat is just included for some brief commentary on the general overview set-up. It's a bit of a shame they didn't have her discuss a couple of her racier films, like Anatomy of Hell or Romance X, since they seem to fit the thesis of the film better than many of the work they presented instead, but oh well. It's starts out as a cohesive documentary on the cross and joint purposes of pornography and feminism; but after the first fifteen minutes or so, it drops that focus. If you liked those Real Sex episodes that HBO used to air, this film is very much like one of those, breezily drifting from one sex show to the next.

Dirty Like an Angel Coming To US DVD!

2011-06-05T06:06:00.005-04:00

Thanks to Joseph, who commented on my last Night After Night/Nocturnal Uproar post, I contacted Pathfinder and can confirm what he reported: they DO plan to release Dirty Like an Angel (Sale comme un ange) on US DVD! They plan to release the DVD this fall, and if their recent disc is anything to go by, I think we can count on a nice, widescreen image with optional English subs. This will mean, while the quality may vary (36 Fillette, I'm looking at you), we will then have every film Breillat has ever directed on US, English language DVD.

And if that's not enough exciting news, Pathfinder also informs me that they're working on a Bilitis disc (which Breillat didn't direct but co-wrote... see my post on that film). They're currently looking for a proper quality source to master their transfer, so if anybody has any lines on proper film elements, drop by their site and let them know. =)

Update 7/20/11: Added the cover art. The link to pre-order it is now up on Amazon. Looks like another anamorphic (not that anybody does non-anamorphic anymore, do they?) widescreen, which is nice. Here's the description they give: "Georges Deblache (Claude Brasseur) is a police inspector who is past middle age and who is so despondent about his life that he refuses to have a medical check-up, even though he suspects he has cancer. His partner is Didier Theron (Nils Tavernier), who has recently married a woman whom he has worshipful feelings for -- feelings which don't stop him from routinely bedding the many women of color he encounters while doing his job. Georges takes a keen interest in his partner's unrealistically appreciated wife and pushes his way into her not entirely unwilling arms."

Night After Night Is Here!

2011-05-26T23:29:00.003-04:00

My copy has just arrived today... Nocturnal Uproar/ Tapage nocturne - here titled Night After Night - is finally available on DVD! That's a screenshot above (click to enlarge it to full size)... As you can see, it's a proper widescreen transfer and it has optional English subtitles. I have to say, I never thought I'd see this one hit DVD, much less in Region 1, so I'm through the roof!

The official box description reads, "Solange is the female version of a womanizing film director who is confident about her conquests and her ability to figure out men. Along comes Bruno, a man she can’t stand. Solange's faith is put to a test. In spite of her better judgment, she is undeniably attracted to Bruno and sleeps with him over and over again. From the director of 'Fat Girl,' 'Romance' and 'The Last Mistress' comes yet another confrontational tale of sexual conquest."

Now, maybe we can talk Pathfinder Pictures into releasing Dirty Like an Angel/ Sale comme un ange, and our collections will be complete! =)

Meanwhile, She's Got a New Movie Out...!

2011-03-27T07:36:00.004-04:00

Catherine Breillat has recently completed a new film: La belle endormie, an adaptation of Charles Perrault's The Sleeping Beauty (in line with her recent adaptation of Bluebeard), which is currently touring the festival circuit worldwide. Written and directed by Breillat, it's produced by Jean-Francois Lepetit and Sylvette Frydman and stars Carla Besnainou, Julia Artamonov, Kerian Mayan and David Chausse.

The official description reads, "As with most 'fairytales', 'The Sleeping Beauty' begins with 'Once Upon A Time' but anyone familiar with a Catherine Breillat film knows that a “happy ever after” is no guarantee. In a castle in a far away land in a far away time, a baby girl is born. The child’s name is Anastasia. The fairy Carabosse places a curse upon the child- saying at sixteen the girl will prick her hand and die. Three younger and somewhat scatterbrained fairies alters the curse so that instead of dying, Anastasia will sleep for 100 years. For a century Anastasia will live in the world of dreams." The trailer's already up on Youtube, here.

Strand Releasing are set to distribute this film theatrically in July, and there's every reason to hope they'll then offer a DVD, as they did with Bluebeard.

Update 3/30/11: I've contacted Strand and they've confirmed that they'll be handling a US DVD release, "Look for THE SLEEPING BEAUTY on DVD late fall/early winter 2011." =)

Nocturnal Uproar Coming To US DVD!

2011-03-25T09:01:00.004-04:00

There is now an Amazon listing for a film called Night After Night on Amazon... Well, looking at the details (directed by Catherine Breillat, starring Dominique Laffin, etc) this can only be one movie... Nocturnal Uproar! This film's never had a proper US release before, which I gather explains the new title ("nocturnal uproar" isn't exactly a natural, English phrase); but it's got to be this film... and just when I'd given up hope!

It's coming from Pathfinder Home Entertainment (though, so far, they haven't added any Night info to their website). There aren't many details, except they promise anamorphic widescreen, and list a running time of 92 minutes. The release date is set for May 24, so mark your calenders!

Now we just need Dirty Like an Angel...

Update 4/19: adding the DVD cover:

The Book On Breillat

2010-09-28T07:29:00.000-04:00

If you've got a little extra money to spare (like, oh say, $65), you might be interested in picking up a copy of what Manchester University Press correctly describes to be, "the first English-language book on controversial female director Catherine Breillat." Titled simply Catherine Breillat, it's written by Douglas Keesey (a professor of film and lit who's also written a similar books on Peter Greenaway, Paul Verhoeven and others) and clocks in at 224 pages.

The official description reads, "This is the first English-language book on controversial female director Catherine Breillat, whose films include Romance, A ma soeur! (Fat Girl), Anatomy of Hell and most recently, The Last Mistress. Thematic groupings - female coming-of-age films, movies about masculinity in crisis, and films dealing with a woman's sexual odyssey - provide the opportunity to study Breillat's treatment of such issues as female virginity, body image, sisterhood, conformity, desire, shame, masochism and self-empowerment, as well as male gender identity, androgyny and macho violence. This volume explores the director's complex relation to religion and to feminism, and it examines the differences between Breillat's films and patriarchal pornography, engaging in detailed analysis of her intimate scenes between men and women. Keesey also discusses the literature, films, paintings and photos that have influenced Breillat's work, and extends this to show how Breillat's films have influenced other filmmakers and artists in turn. A lively and accessible introduction, this book will appeal to students and researchers, as well as all those with an interest in gender studies, French film and contemporary cinema."

It seems a bit academic, but also pretty thorough. If you're interested, it's available from Amazon (among other places, of course), here.

Bluebeard Out Now In the US!

2010-06-25T16:54:00.005-04:00

Bluebeard (Barbe bleue) is out now on DVD in the US! I decided to wait until I got my copy in hand before posting, just in case; but it's here and available now. I figured I posted the front cover images enough (although it differs slightly from the image in my previous post... the final version has a "Critic's Pick" seal on it), so here's the back. :)

As you'd assume, it's widescreen with English subtitles. The only extras are the original theatrical trailer and some trailers for other Strand releases, but that's hardly surprising. So nothing "special" about this edition, but I'm just happy to finally have this on DVD.

Update 7/1/2010: Read the comments for news of the UK DVD. It comes in November with a Breillat interview. If you can hold out 'till then. ;)

Bluebeard US DVD Confirmed

2010-03-08T08:38:00.006-05:00

Bluebeard (Barbe bleue) is scheduled to be released on DVD in the United States by Strand Releasing on June 22. There don't seem to be any specs available yet... Strand has a page for the film on their site, but it has no details except for a brief synopsis and the director's name, and there's no cover image yet (that's a poster to the right, though I wouldn't be surprised if they wound up looking virtually identical). I don't expect a lot of extras from Strand (though if they want to take that as a challenge, I'd love to be proven wrong!), but they should at least get the aspect ratio right with a respectable transfer.

Update 3/17/10: We've got the actual DVD cover (left) now. basically the same image, yeah.

Bluebeard DVD in 2010

2009-08-06T04:41:00.004-04:00

Diane from New Wave Films has been good enough to drop us a line to let us know that there are definite plans for an English language Barbe bleue DVD in 2010! She writes, "I work for New Wave Films, the London based distribution company which bought the distribution rights for the UK and Ireland. We'll be releasing Bluebeard theatrically and on DVD in 2010. Check our website for more updates:http://www.newwavefilms.co.uk."

There's nothing Breillat-specific on their site yet, though; I've checked. But we still have half a year 'till '10, so I'm sure there'll be a page or two on the film by then. And I'm guessing we're looking at a third or fourth quarter DVD release, since they're releasing it theatrically in 2010 first. But, hey, I'm happy just knowing that it's coming. 8)

Last Mistress finally on US DVD (sort of)

2009-06-24T21:33:00.013-04:00

Thanks to Frank in the comments section for hipping us to the fact that there is now (as of April 20th) a US DVD of The Last Mistress (Une vieille maîtresse)... sort of. It's not available for sale or to rent at most outlets (including Netflix). It's a Blockbuster rental exclusive, which apparently means they have exclusive rights to it for the next three years. So don't plan on picking this up at your local mall or anything (although enterprising fans shouldn't find securing a copy too difficult, since Blockbuster sells their new release DVDs by the pound... there's already a few copies available at Amazon from marketplace sellers).

It is widescreen, anamorphic and uncut, with optional English and Spanish subtitles (and English captioning); though none of the extras from the European discs have been ported over (there's only trailers for A Girl Cut In Two, Love Songs, Inside Paris and Flight Of the Red Balloon that play before the menu). So, yeah... kinda sucks that Blockbuster has this on lock-down here in the states; but I prefer my Artificial Eye disc from the UK, anyway. At least it's finally giving the film some additional US exposure, though, as it certainly deserves to be seen.

Update 6/24/9: Despite an online rumor stating that this US disc features a longer cut of the film than previous releases, I can't find any difference between them (and I'm playing them right alongside each other on different monitors). When I heard it, I thought perhaps they'd edited the deleted scenes back into the film or something, but they have not. I've checked myself (as has Frank, again, in the comments); and the only difference seems to be the PAL speed-up. Interestingly, however, there are slight changes in the subtitles... this new version changes some ellipses to periods and periods to exclamation points. In these cases, the Artificial Eye punctuation seems to be truer to the actors' delivery.

La barbe bleue in English!

2009-06-24T07:22:00.007-04:00

Despite being a made-for-TV movie in its homeland, apparently La barbe bleue (Blue Beard) is getting played in festivals in the US and other countries. Among other things, that means they've made an English translation. This also means the chances of some kind of English language DVD have greatly increased (perhaps moreso in the UK and Canada than the US, who are still waiting for a Last Mistress release)!

Check out this review at Variety (based on it's screening at The Berlin Film Festival)... sounds promising! Now let's just hope we get to find out for ourselves.

Breillat On (Other People's) DVD

2008-12-13T02:32:00.015-05:00

Ok, we've been looking at all of Breillat's films on DVD, but there is something that 'till now we'd overlooked: Catherine Breillat making appearances on English language DVDs of films that aren't her own.

Notably, she's featured on one of the extras for Criterion's DVD of Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. Specifically she's one of several interview subjects (all speaking English) in the 23 minute documentary, Fade To Black (pictured above), which is included on the second disc. Everyone's given pretty equal time, so she gets to speak for a few minutes at different points, mostly about the sexuality and controversy of Salò. This extra is only available on the second release of Salò that Criterion put out. Their first, now out of print release does not include Fade To Black, or any of the other extras. It should also be pointed out that the actual print of Salò used for this rerelease, like their first attempt, is cut: missing a scene during the wedding sequence; so serious Pasolini fans will have to stick with the region 2 disc from BFI (pictured, right). But this new set from Criterion is worth at least renting for the extras (especially if you're a Breillat completist, of course!).

Catherine Breillat has also cooperated with Criterion in writing an essay entitled Awakening for the booklet packaged with their DVD of Ingmar Bergman's Sawdust and Tinsel. She's not featured on the DVD at all, though; only in the booklet.

Finally, Catherine Breillat is featured in one segment of the IFC's four-part documentary, Indie Sex. Specifically, she's in part 2, Indie Sex: Teens. This film was originally made for the IFC channel on which it aired and features a whole ton of filmmakers and others reminiscing on sex in cinema in a sort of light-hearted Remember the 80's kind of way. It's nothing amazing, but enjoyable as a fun, casual fluff piece. Breillat appears (subtitled) specifically in a section about Fat Girl... including film clips, her own comments, and commentary by three film critics; you get just about 4 minutes worth of material. Breillat fans won't learn anything new, but it's nice to see her work getting spotlighted for people who haven't been introduced to it yet. There are also some extras on the second disc: a short look at stag films, and a decent amount of bonus interview footage; but Catherine Breillat isn't featured in any of that. She's only featured in Teens on disc 1.

Barbe Bleue

2008-12-06T20:24:00.009-05:00

It looks like Barbe Bleue (Bluebeard, an adaptation of the famous tale by Charles Perault) wasn't shelved after all; it was completed! Apparently, she filmed it for the Franco-German TV network Arte (Association Relative à la Télévision Européenne), a channel focused on the European arts.

It's produced by Sylvette Frydman and Jean-François Lepetit (written and directed by Breillat, of course), and stars Lola Creton as Marie-Catherine, Daphné Baïwir as Anne and Dominique Thomas as Bluebeard himself.

There's virtually no info about this film in English, so here's a Google translation of the press kit's plot description, so at least you can get the gist: "Often fairy tales take as central a kind of serial killer Child: So is there Ogres. But Bluebeard is the emblematic figure. It is also in the 50-55 years storytelling girls preferred models. This is the case of Catherine, she loves to scare his sister Marie-Anne read him stubbornly the story until she cries. At the same time Catherine planned in the story, she became Princess Marie-Catherine, the last woman Bluebeard, which does not reach women who hanged predecessors. Because it is the virgin princess that Ogre can not bring himself to kill. This hesitation would be fatal. Thus the virgin gets the head of Giant."

Unfortunately, since it's made for television, we may be waiting a very long time for an English translation; but at least we know it exists so there's a chance.

Spanish Dirty Like an Angel DVD

2008-11-26T12:08:00.008-05:00

I've just found a Region 4 DVD for Breillat's Dirty Like an Angel (see my original post on the film here), under the Spanish title: Sucia Como un Angel. It's from the DVD company Film House, and apparently has a nice, widescreen print. Unfortunately, however, most reports say they have only added Spanish language options.

At least one website (http://www.mixup.com.mx/) does claim it also has English subtitles, however. I'm trying to find out (I've just sent an e-mail to Film House), but if anybody knows or can beat me to the punch in finding out, please let me know!

Update 11/28/08: No word back from Film House, but I talked to someone who sells these discs online and he assures me there are no English subs. Oh well. :(

Bad Love

2008-11-17T08:44:00.004-05:00

Catherine Breillat has been giving interviews about her upcoming film, titled Bad Love, based on her recent novel of the same title (pictured right... it has yet to be translated into English). It's set to be produced by Jean-François Lepetit (who also did The Last Mistress), and star Naomi Campbell and Christophe Rocancourt.

The story is about Vivian Parker, a glamorous film actress who meets Louis at a film festival. On a whim, she gives him her phone number and they wind up in a passioniate and destructive love affair.

In one interview, with Brightlightsfilm.com (click the link to read the whole thing), she explains that the film is "going to be in English, but not like the French directors who want to make an American film... I'm going to make the film in France. Only the beginning will be set in Toronto. I want Niagara Falls. But otherwise, I want to be in my country, in my home, to make a film. Artisanal again." She also talks about the film in this interview with Telegraph.co.uk.

They're looking for a 2009 release. ~~...Meanwhile, I guess Barbe Bleue has been shelved?~~ (Actually, it was completed; see this post.)

UPDATE #2: Last Mistress

2008-10-25T20:05:00.005-04:00

For those holding out for a region 1 NTSC edition of The Last Mistress, it will be coming out on November 18th from Mongrel Media in Canada. There's no definitive word on the extras yet, but it will apparently be uncut, and English subtitle options are confirmed.

There's still been no announcement of a US DVD release date; but now... who cares? ;)

Update 12/18/08: According to this review at exclaim.ca, this DVD has "no extras to speak of," so you're definitely best off with the region 2 disc at this point. That's possibly just as well, since this version seems to be a bit hard to find...

By the way, Asia Argento is amazing in this. She's really grown as an actress since her early roles.

New English Police DVD

2008-09-02T21:22:00.004-04:00

Just as our copies of Artificial Eye's Last Mistress DVDs are dropping into our mailboxes (in case you forgot, it's out now), Eureka Entertainment announces their upcoming DVD of Police (written by Catherine Breillat, directed by Maurice Pialat... see my previous Police post for more on the film). This special, 2-disc edition is due out in just a few weeks - September 22nd.

It's PAL, region 2, boasts of a "gorgeous new anamorphic transfer of the film in its original aspect ratio" (that's 1.66:1) with "New and improved English subtitle translations." What more could you ask for? Well, how about the extras ported over from France's G.C.T.H.V. edition? They've done that, too! The second disc will feature a 2003 video interview with Pialat and, yes, Breillat. The 35 minute documentary is also included, as well as screen-tests with Maurice Pialat and C. Galmiche, an excerpt from a 1985 episode of Cinéma Cinémas focussing on the production of Police, an interview with the editor, the theatrical trailer, and a 40-page(!) booklet. It seems like the only thing they've left out are the deleted scenes, but it's hard to complain about a DVD presentation like this.

UPDATE: Last Mistress

2008-05-25T19:29:00.009-04:00

An English language DVD of Breillat's The Last Mistress (Une vieille maîtresse) has officially been announced from Artificial Eye (which makes sense, since they're the ones who released it into theatres in that market). It's PAL, Region 2 and scheduled for release on August 25th. No word yet on the features, but Artificial Eye are a good company, so let's be optimistic. =)

This is the first English language DVD of this film, but not the first DVD... see my previous post for info on the French language disc.

Update 7/9/8: Extras confirmed: the theatrical trailer (plus trailers for California Dreamin' (Endless), You, the Living and Terror's Advocate), deleted scenes with commentary by Breillat, and a 24-minute making of documentary... all the same as the French disc, but subtitled.

Catherine and Co. (1975)

2008-04-30T18:55:00.006-04:00

We end ...yes, this is the last post until some new DVD or information surfaces - with this post, we've covered it all. I WILL update this blog when there's info that belongs here, though - so keep checking back. So, we end at the beginning, with Catherine Breillat's first film: 1975's Catherine and Co. (Catherine et Cie).

Catherine Breillat cowrote the script to this French sex comedy with producer Léo L. Fuchs, and it was directed by Michel Boisrond. In it, Catherine (Jane Birkin) is a young Parisian prostitute who decides to incorporate herself after learning the ins and outs of big business from her clients.

MoonInTheGutter.blogspot.com has a great write-up for this film. You'll have to click the link to read the whole thing, but here are some excerpts, "None other than controversial director Catherine Breillat penned the original screenplay for this seemingly inconsequential Jane Birkin vehicle. Written in her early twenties when Breillat was right at the beginning of her career, the silly CATHERINE AND CO. does contain many of the themes that she would explore much more seriously in her later films such as the prostitution of oneself and women's position in modern society. I'm not trying to apply any serious meaning to the very daft CATHERINE AND CO. but Breillat's involvement in the film shouldn't be overlooked and it definitely shares some of the themes of her later works... CATHERINE AND CO. isn't a great film by any means but for the talent in front of and behind the camera it remains well worth searching down. It is currently unavailable on dvd but used copies of it on VHS can be found."

He's right about that, I'm afraid. There is no DVD of this film available in any region. There are however NTSC VHS tapes available in the US that were released from VidAmerica. Definitely disappointing, especially since MoonInTheGutter describes the tape as "an eye sore," but its prospects for a DVD release don't look too good, and at least we do get to see it in English.

So, I hope this blog has been helpful for you... I've learned a lot just putting it together. Like I said at the start of this post, there will be updates when new information comes about (hopefully an English Last Mistress DVD will gracing the pages of this blog rather soon, or an update on Blue Beard) - this will always be the best, most up-to-date source for information on Breillat DVDs - but until then, this is goodbye.

À propos de Nice, la suite (1995)

2008-04-29T23:47:00.003-04:00

A follow up to Jean Vigo's short 1930 documentary A propos de Nice, A propos de Nice, la suite (1995), is really a collection of seven short documentary films combined into one feature. Breillat directed one of the seven segments (the others being: Costa-Gavras, Claire Denis, Raymond Depardon, Pavel Lungin, Raúl Ruiz, Abbas Kiarostami and Parviz Kimiavi).

Once again, allmovies.com seems to be the best source for a write-up: "[t]his French anthology is a tribute to A Propos de Nice (1930), a classic documentary that took a poetic and sometimes satirical look at life in the French Riviera town. This version blends fact and fiction to chronicle life in modern-day Nice and is comprised of seven vignettes, each directed by an internationally renowned filmmaker. Only one of the episodes, 'Reperages,' from Iranian directors Abbas Kiarostami and Parviz Kimiavi, stays close to the style of the original film by Jean Vigo as it chronicles the experiences of a filmmaker who came to Nice to do research on Vigo for his upcoming documentary. A different episode eavesdrops upon a man and two women discussing sociopolitical concerns as they lie indolently on the beach. In another, a photojournalist cruises the city's lively Promenade des Anglais. In a silent vignette, "Nice, Very Nice," a young killer is seen gliding through a crowd of carnival goers on the way to perform a hit. The other three cover subjects ranging from the history of Nice, to a political rally, to a portrait of the city as a popular spot for different kinds of rendezvous."

Breillat's segment is titled "Aux Niçois qui mal y pensent." Google translates that into "To the from Nice one that poorly there think." Heh. So, yeah, I don't know.

I guess DVD studios figure a French documentary paying homage to another French documentary from 65 years ago would have a limited appeal (bah!), since this film has not been released in any region. It ought to be, though.

To Mathieu (2000)

2008-04-29T22:53:00.008-04:00

2000's Selon Matthieu (To Mathieu) is Breillat's most recent film that she's written but did not direct, and it's also her most recent film that's still not on DVD in English (excluding Une vieille maîtresse, which we trust is coming).

Breillat cowrote the story with Cédric Anger and director Xavier Beauvois, in which Benoît Magimel plays Matthieu, a factory worker who works with his father in Normandy, until his father is fired for smoking on the job. While Matthieu fights to get his job back for him, his father dies in a car crash. But Matthieu thinks it was a suicide and decides to exact revenge on his boss by having an affair with his wife (Nathalie Baye).

Selon Matthieu is available on DVD, but not with English subtitles. There's a nice, French DVD (R2, PAL) with an anamorphic, widescreen print. This is also available in France as a 2-disc set with another of Beauvois' films, Le Petit lieutenant - the Selon Matthieu disc is the same as the one that's sold seperately. There's a healthy number of extras included in the set, but they're all for the Le Petit lieutenant, not Selon Matthieu.

Oh, and there's an anamorphic, widescreen Spanish DVD, as well. It's Region 2 and PAL encoded, with optional Spanish subtitles and a Spanish dub. But, yeah. Nothing for us English speakers.

Some More Scripts She's Written

2008-04-29T21:01:00.015-04:00

Catherine Breillat co-wrote Nuit de l'océan (there's no English title, but it translates to Night of the Ocean), about a mother whose son who disappears at sea, with Luigi De Angelis and director Antoine Perset in 1992. There's no DVD or even video release in any region.

In 1984, she wrote L'Araignée de satin (The Satin Spider) with director Jacques Baratier. Set in the 1920's, Catherine Jourdan plays a ballet instructor who returns to teach at the all-girl boarding school where she grew up, only to discover the girl she'd been sexually intimate with as a teen (Ingrid Caven) is now teaching there, too. There's no DVD of this film, but it was released as an untranslated, PAL VHS in France and even an English subtitled PAL VHS in the UK.

In 1993, Breillat and Pascal Bonitzer wrote Couples et amants (roughly translated: Couples and Lovers) with director John Lvoff. Allmovie gives us this slightly awkward synopsis, "Seemingly, Paul (Jacques Bonaffee) and Isabelle (Marie Brunel) have a wonderful, harmonious marriage. Yet Isabelle is not averse to having a little side action with another man in the afternoon, and Paul is really getting into his romance with one of his ophthalmic patients, a young woman who pursues him more than he pursued her. Even those little affairs might not indicate that there is much wrong with the marriage, but when Paul find's out about Isabelle's little affair, he behaves like a thug rather than the sensitive, easygoing man he has appeared to be. By contrast, the constant bickering of a couple they both know seems to indicate real intimacy between them, despite the fact that they are on the verge of divorce." There is no DVD, but this was released on video in Canada (untranslated, NTSC).

She co-wrote the screenplay for Aventure de Catherine C., about a French actress who moves to Austria, with Jean-Pierre Kremer and director Pierre Beuchot in 1990. It's based on the two Adventure Catherine Crachat novels of Pierre Jean Jouve (which have since been published as one): 1928's Hécate and Vagadu, written in 1931. It was never released on DVD, but did come out as an untranslated, PAL VHS tape in France.

Finally (for this post, there's still a bit more to come), Breillat co-wrote Milan noir (Black Milan) with three other writers, including director Ronald Chammah in 1987. It's a thriller starring Isabelle Huppert who plays, as Allmovies.com tells us, "Sarah, a woman who has settled into a more or less normal life in Milan after her lover, a much-wanted terrorist, left the scene. Her life becomes complicated indeed when she becomes aware that he is about to return. The difficulty is that not only is she aware of this, but the police and various underworld groups are also. How is she to protect her own life under the circumstances, much less keep her lover from falling prey to the various traps that are being set for him?"

Do any of these sound interesting? Well, then go get a job at a DVD studio and get them to put them out, please. Because Breillat's films are seriously under-represented on DVD. :(

Three TV Movies

2008-04-29T19:19:00.009-04:00

Catherine Breillat scripted three films for French television in the 90's... None of these are available on DVD currently, and I wouldn't hold my breath - but, hey; we can hope. =)

Viens jouer dans la cour des grands (there's no English title, but Google translater makes it Come Play With the Big Boys) aired in 1997. Directed by Caroline Huppert (yes, related to Isabelle Huppert - she's her sister, though Caroline has apparently had a pretty full career in television herself, writing and directing for television) tells the story of a young girl (Isabelle Carré) who moves to Paris to work as a secretary at a large company where she gets romantically caught up with an American CEO.

Le Secret d'Elissa Rhaïs (again, no English title, but it translates to The Secret of Elissa Rhais) is an adaptation of Paul Tabet's book by Breillat and four other writers, including director Jacques Otmezguine. It's a true story about a celebrated Algerian author, Elissa Rhais, who became quite famous in France during the 20's and 30's... until it was discovered that she was actually an illiterate whose semi-autobiographical works were ghost written by Raoul Tabet (Paul's father).

Lastly, in 1990, Breillat adapted Raymond Radiguet's novel Le diable au corps (Devil In the Flesh) with director Gérard Vergez. This had been made into films twice before: once in France by Claude Autant-Lara in 1947, and more recently (1986) in Italy by Marco Bellocchio who - as you may remember from my last post - Breillat worked with on Gli Occhi, la bocca. It's about a high school student who falls in love with an older woman after her husband is sent away to the frontlines of World War 1.

For Completists Only

2008-04-29T18:26:00.009-04:00

Like the title says, only the most seriously completist Breillat fans will be interested in this one (unless you're interested in the film for non-Breillat-specific reasons, of course), but for the real die-hards, here it is: Gli Occhi, la bocca (Those Eyes, That Mouth). Breillat only worked as assistant editor on this 1982 drama written and directed by Marco Bellocchio (perhaps best known for his unorthodox film of Henry IV starring Marcello Mastroianni) with co-writer by Vincenzo Cerami.

This is available on a nice, anamorphic widescreen DVD from RHV. It's a Region 2 PAL disc, in its original Italian, with optional English and Italian subtitles. It also features the trailer and some (unfortunately, minus any English translation) interviews as extras. It's your only option, but except for maybe an NTSC port with subtitles on the interviews, you can't ask for much more than this, anyway.

Bilitis (1977)

2008-04-28T20:42:00.015-04:00

Bilitis is a coming-of-age story based on the novel Les chansons de Bilitis by Pierre Louÿs, which follows the exploits of a young girl (Bilitis, played by Patti D'Arbanville) over the course of her summer vacation. It was written by Breillat with Jacques Nahum and Robert Boussinot, and directed by the English erotic photographer David Hailton in 1977.

Bilitis is available on a lot of cheap DVDs... they mainly all seem to be VHS rips. Jef Films put it out in both the US and the UK. They're fullscreen, low quality and missing at least one scene. Jef has also put out a boxed set of three of Hamilton's films, including their Bilitis disc, as well as fullscreen copies of Laura, Shadows of Summer and A Summer In Saint Tropez.

There's also a Chinese disc from Castaway with English language options that's pretty widely available, which is essentially the same as the Jef discs.

There are two DVDs released in Australia. There's the NTSC R0 disc from Blue Sky Video, which you can get from Ezydvd.com (where I get all my Aussie discs from) and similar places. That one's pretty much the same as the Jef and Chinese discs.

But a write-up on the IMDB boards, however, says the second Australian disc, "comes from a different master an is PAL. This is quite better compared to the others and the only one which is uncut. The picture quality is average and the colors are quite good. It also respects the aspect ratio (which is about 1.66:1) The source used for this DVD appears to be a VHS tape. The quality of the source though is reasonable good for a VHS tape. Sadly it doesn't have interactive menus or chapter search. But this is definitely the one to buy, for the moment." I realize a message board post is pretty flimsy evidence, but a lot of surfing seems to confirm (from what very little information is available online - not a lot of people seem interested in detailing the finer points of budget DVDs) that this PAL disc is the best (albeit still pretty crappy), and seems to be the only version that's uncut as well. At any rate, it ain't much, but it's the best there is for now. Hamilton has a following, though... so hope eventually someone will capitalize on that and put out a beautiful, restored DVD.

Police (1985)

2008-04-28T14:02:00.009-04:00

Cahterine Breillat came up with the original idea, then co-wrote the script of Police with director Maurice Pialat in 1985. It stars Gérard Depardieu as a police detective torn between his professional code of honor and the demands of his heart when he finds himself romantically drawn to one of the suspects in his investigation of a drug smuggling syndicate (Sophie Marceau).

Police is available as a marvelous, 2-disc special edition in France from G.C.T.H.V. (that's Gaumont Columbia Tristar Home Video to you). Disc one features a beautiful anamorphic print of the film (in its original 1.66:1), "presented" (which means, I suppose, a video introduction) by Catherine Breillat. Then, on disc two, there's an interview with Breillat, a 35 minute documentary, deleted scenes, a featurette and some other stuff. What it does not feature, however, are English subtitles.

This is also available in the first volume (there's a volume 2 with other films) of a Maurice Pialat boxed set - it's 9 discs all told, including both discs of Police, which are the same as the ones sold separately.

There is no US DVD (or UK, or from anywhere else) so we English speakers are left to make do with the old, fullscreen VHS that was released by New Yorker video back in the 90's. You might as well track it down - you can find it cheap, and sadly, there are no better options for us until somebody ports that wonderful French set over - which I'm sure isn't about to happen anytime soon. There is now an English language special edition DVD (PAL, r2) of this which I wholly recommend.

Some Scripts She's Written

2008-04-27T19:35:00.019-04:00

So, we've now covered every film she's directed - she was filming her own adaptation of Blue Beard (Barbe bleue), but production was sadly stopped when she had a stroke - but there are plenty of other films she's written or co-written over the years. So let's jump right into some of those, shall we?

Money (La Thune) is a comedy she co-wrote with its director, Philippe Galland, in 1991. Allmovies.com (a surprisingly good source of write-ups for foreign films with virtually no US release) offers this description, "Kamel is the son of French-born Algerians, and he has learned fairly quickly that working for others, at least for him, is no way to ensure that he won't remain poor. However, he is a bright, enterprising lad, full of confidence and energy, and he soon gets a profitable but unconventional business going. He also has a relationship with a non-Muslim girl, whose middle-class parents are simultaneously appalled by the relationship and charmed by the man himself, so much so that they permit him to sleep in her bed at their home." There is no DVD of this film, in English or any other language... it's only home video appearance to date has been an untranslated, French PAL VHS.

La Pelle (The Skin, or La Peau in France) is an Italian war film based on the memoirs of Curzio Malaparte - here played by none other than Marcello Mastroianni, and features Burt Lancaster in a small role. Breillat wrote the screenplay with two other writers: Robert Katz and the film's director, Liliana Cavani in 1981. La Pelle IS available on DVD - in fact, there are actually two different (but similar) fullscreen R2 Italian DVD, however neither include English subtitles. Interestingly, though, the soundtrack is available in the United States on a recently issued (2006) CD. Update 11/7/2011 - This has received a new French release, and even a Blu-Ray edition, but there are only French and Italian language options.

Finally (for this post... there are many others which will be covered in future posts), we come to the 1989 film, Zanzibar, which she co-wrote with Robert Boner and director Christine Pascal. Allmovies.com writes it up as an "'inside look' at French filmmaking, Marechal (Francis Girod) - who is a has-been director - a producer, Vito Catene (Andre Marcon) and Camile Dor (Fabienne Babe), a big-name actress, have agreed to make a film about drugs, but don't have a story, financing, or any of the other elements needed to make it. This doesn't stop them; they cobble together the financing and begin shooting anyway. The producer is very fond of the leading actress, and when she gets hooked on drugs for real in the course of shooting what he feels to be a farcical imitation of a film, he gives up his shares in the film and heads off for the back of beyond (Zanzibar) to lick his wounds. To add insult to injury, the film winds up being a critical and commercial success." As with a lot of Breillat's films, it's only ever been released as an untranslated, French PAL VHS.

Dirty Like an Angel (1991)

2008-04-26T18:21:00.010-04:00

So, there's one other film Breillat wrote and directed that's not on DVD: 1991's Dirty Like an Angel (Sale comme un ange)... Filmreference.com says the film, "chronicles the relationship between the wife of a young cop and her husband's partner, a self-hating, fifty-year-old police inspector. The sex scenes between the two are as fiercely candid as those in 36 fillette." While filmsdefrance.com offers a slightly more detailed synopsis: "A fifty-something police inspector Georges Deblache appears to have had enough of life. A confirmed bachelor, who has grown used to dinners-for-one and nights with prostitutes, he envies his young partner, Didier Theron, who has recently married an attractive woman, Barbara. Deblache realises that he is intensely drawn to Barbara and she, although disgusted by her feelings, gives into the desire she also has to sleep with him…" There's also a review of the film which states, "What is most striking about this film is its sense of realism and the totally unromantic way in which a romantic liaison is portrayed. ...This is not an easy film to watch – the austere realist style and limp policier backstory drains the film of surface emotion, making it a hard film to engage with. Yet it is the unusual, convention-breaking style of the film which ultimately makes it so appealing, which allows us to be drawn into the brittle lives of its protagonists and to appreciate their torn inner feelings." (Click the link to read the review in its entirety.)

But, as with Nocturnal Uproar, we can't see it for ourselves to make our own opinions, because it's only ever been released on video as an untranslated, French PAL VHS... no DVD at all. Hopefully, eventually, whichever studio owns the rights to this film will change finally that.

Nocturnal Uproar (1979)

2008-04-25T12:41:00.012-04:00

Breillat's second film, Nocturnal Uproar (Tapage nocturne, 1979) seriously needs to be out on DVD - it should have been released years ago. Based on her own novel, The Village Voice called it one of "her two most powerful films."

Biostars.com describes the film as, "[a] crude film, of an intense, moon-like beauty, a sexual film with a series of cutting-edge scenes on carnal relationships, a tale of love and desire in their raw state, the story of the implacable and destructive passion of a young woman, Solange, played by Dominique Laffin, to whom Catherine Breillat gave her best role ever. The film was banned to anyone under 18 and its failure in theatres distanced the filmmaker from film sets."

While Allmovies.com describes it as, "A completely routine drama involving sexual situations and rough characters, this story directed and written by Catherine Breillat looks at the liaison between Solange (Dominique Laffin) and Bruno (Bertrand Bonvoisin). Solange is the female version of a womanizing film director who is confident about her conquests and her ability to figure out men. Along comes Bruno, and Solange's faith in her knowledge of men is put to a test and found wanting. In spite of her better judgment, she is undeniably attracted to Bruno though the man is going to be trouble in a big way."

Breillat herself has said of the film, "[t]his is a film about desire and seduction. The heroine keeps going to the limits of her desires. She repeatedly seeks new experiences, because desire soon fades." But I wouldn't know about all of that, because it's never been distributed on DVD in any region - it's only been released on VHS as an untranslated, French PAL VHS. >:[ Somebody really needs to get on this, pronto!

Films She Acts In

2008-04-23T19:28:00.012-04:00

Catherine's sister, Marie-Hélène Breillat, is an actress who worked a lot in the 60's and 70's perhaps best known for playing the Claudine in a series of TV movies based on the novels of Colette: Claudine à l'école, Claudine à Paris, Claudine en ménage, and Claudine s'en va. She even starred in Catherine's film Nocturnal Uproar (Tapage nocturne), and did some voice-over for the lead character in A Real Young Girl. But our Catherine has done a bit of acting herself, essentially playing small roles in three films:

She and her sister both appear in Bernardo Bertolucci's 1972 classic, The Last Tango In Paris. MGM has put this film out uncut in a nice anamorphic widescreen transfer in almost every market. The discs are all essentially the same, though different regions are apparently framed slightly differently: the UK disc is framed at the standard UK ratio of 1.78:1, as opposed to the US which is in 1.66:1, while the French, German, Australian (and probably others I haven't bothered to research) are all in the more generic 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

They appeared in another film together a few years later, in 1976. Her sister, who working steadily at that time, was probably responsible for getting her the work on both films they acted in together. Dracula and Son (Dracula père et fils) was one of Christopher Lee's French speaking roles, with Lee reprising his famous Hammer role of "The Count" (not referred to as Dracula, strictly speaking, in the original version) in a strange satire. It's recieved a terrible reputation in the US after being released here with about 20 minutes(!) edited out, and most of the badly dubbed dialogue is actually very changed. The only DVD of this film is of the original, uncut (94 minute) French language version, in its original aspect ratio. Pretty f'in' sweet; but unfortunately there are only French and German language options. Our best bet is to pick up one of the many budget VHS copies that were released in the US, of the crappy 75 minute altered-dialogue cut - yuck! Personally, I'm holding out for the proper version on DVD (Christopher Lee in a Dracula film... somebody's gotta put it out eventually, right?)

More recently, Catherine Breillat returned to acting to play a small role of the estranged wife in Claude Berri's The Housekeeper (Une femme de ménage) - this time thanks probably to her own celebrity rather than her sister's efforts. It's been released in the US by Palm Pictures in both R-rated and Unrated editions (of course, you'll want to stay far away from the R-rated cut which is missing approximately 3 minutes of footage). A lot of sites online (including Amazon) ist this DVD as being full-frame, but in fact both versions (the R & unrated) are in their correct 2.35:1 aspect ratio. So the unrated version is a pretty good option, although the case lists a making-of featurette as an extra, which doesn't actually appear on the DVD. :(

The French DVD from Fox Pathé Europa is not only uncut and 2.35:1, it features a slew of extras including interviews, the making-of featurette missing from the US disc, a short film by Berri titled Le Poulet (his first film, which won the Oscar for best short subject in 1966) and a commentary... but of course there are no English language options. This DVD is also available as part of a 17(!) DVD boxed set of Claude Berri's films - definitely one for us prisoners of the English language to drool over in envy.

Those are all the films, but Catherine acted in one television project as well: Le Dialogue dans le marécage (roughly translating to Dialogue In the Swamp - 1973), again with her sister. There is no DVD release, and I wouldn't expect one anytime soon.

And the Ship Sails On (1983)

2008-04-22T20:48:00.011-04:00

After her first two films based on her movels struggled at the box office, despite polarizing critical response, Catherine Breillat spent some time writing scripts for other filmmakers before making her directorial comeback in 1988 with 36 Fillette. One of those scripts was And the Ship Sails On (E la nave va in Italy, or Et vogue le navire in Breillat's France)... sort of. According to the IMDB, she shares both story and screenplay credit with Tonino Guerra and director Frederico Fellini; but in the actual credits initial credit goes to them and she's credited separately as "Sceneggiatore" (scriptwriter) under "Troupe Francese."

This was released in the US by Criterion in 1999. It's a pretty solid, widescreen transfer, albeit non-anamorphic and with no extras (except for a nice, little 6-page booklet).

The film was rereleased, this time for the British market, in 2006 by Infinity. In some ways their transfer is better - brighter and more vibrant; but it's misframed at 1.66:1 (as opposed to 1.85:1, thus cropping the sides of the image) and also non-anamorphic. They do, however, include a second disc with a hefty collection of extras: an hour-long documentary called Fellini: a Self Portrait (released in the US as an extra on Criterion's La Strada DVD) and two half-hour episodes of a television series on Fellini. Infinity also included 2-disc set as part of a larger boxed set, simply titled Fellini, with two of his other films, Ginger and Fred and Orchestra Rehearsal, and the rest of that Fellini TV series.

So, in the end, it's up to you. Both choices are non-anamorphic... I'd have to go with the Criterion because it's framed correctly. But the UK disc comes in at a close second, and does have a nice collection of bonus material (although none of it's really specific to this film or relates much to Breillat). You might just go with whichever is easier for you: the PAL European disc or the NTSC Criterion here in the states.

As much as double-dips generally annoy me, an updated disc from Criterion might be nice - a prettier, anamorphic transfer and some new extras (including a Breillat interview, of course!) would be pretty sweet.

Breillat Boxed Set

2008-04-22T07:56:00.006-04:00

Ok, let's say for a minute that you do speak French (even though that goes against the very premise of this blog! haha)... or maybe you've got your French/English dictionary in your lap and you're up for a challenge. Well, then this set, which I've already mentioned in four previous posts, is what you want.

The box, released in late 2007 by from Editions Montparnasse is simply titled Catherine Breillat (or Catherine Breillat X, depending whether you think that X from the Romance poster is part of the title or just graphic design). It's four movies on four discs: 36 Fillette, Romance, Fat Girl and Sex Is Comedy... all are top-notch transfers. In fact, as I mentioned in my post for that film, the 36 Fillette transfer is light-years behind the god-awful transfer from Fox Lorber we English speakers have been saddled with (see that post for screenshot comparisons). So you already want this for the vastly superior 36 Fillette transfer.

But then you also want this because three of the four films come with additional making-of featurettes that aren't available anywhere else. Only Sex Is Comedy is missing one. Of course, like the films themselves, none of these extras come with English language options, so we're left out of the fun. :(

Anatomy of Hell (2004)

2008-04-21T20:35:00.017-04:00

Anatomy of Hell (Anatomie de l'enfer) took a little while to hit DVD... it first came out on a nice, widescreen and uncut DVD from Russia (CP Digital), but unfortunately it only featured French and Russian language options. I've seen a bunch of US dealers sell it - so I guess there was a market for people who were keen enough to see the controversial bits that they'd watch it without being able to speak the language, but the rest of us would have to wait.

Eventually, Tartan picked it up and put it out in both the US (NTSC R1) and UK (PAL R2) markets. It was a top quality release: an excellent, anamorphic widescreen transfer, and it's uncut (unlike Tartan's release of Fat Girl). They also included a terrific 65 minute(!) interview with Breillat on the film (included on both editions).

The Canadian release from Mongrel Media is a heavily cut, R-rated edition, though, so avoid that (it does still include the Breillat interview, however).

The French disc from Aventi actually has it a little over on the Tartan discs... they have the same, long interview with Breillat, but they've also included a short making-of featurette. As usual, though, there are no English language options on that disc, so we miss out. And by the way, compare the French cover image to the others: exactly the same photo, but they apparently photoshopped a shirt onto Amira Casar in the American, UK, and Canadian markets!

There's also an Australian DVD, by the way, with an uncut, widescreen print (as well as an uncut cover), but it's missing both the Breillat interview and the making-of. So, unless you speak French, take your pick (PAL or NTSC) between the Tartans.

A Real Young Girl (1976)

2008-04-21T07:19:00.006-04:00

The question of the ideal DVD release for Christine Breillat's debut starring Charlotte Alexandra, A Real Young Girl (a.k.a. Une vraie jeune fille) is a no-brainer. There's only one English subtitled DVD of the film available. It's the NTSC R1 disc from Fox Lorber, but it's not too bad. The picture quality could definitely stand to be better - it's somewhat murky... definitely not up to par with their Perfect Love disc, but not as bad as 36 Fillette either, and at least the subtitles are sharp and removable - but it's in its original, widescreen aspect ratio.

For a while this DVD was included in a boxed set with five other, non-Breillat-related films (Lies, In the Realm of the Senses, Erotique, Pola X, and L' Ennui) called the International Erotic Collection, but it's now long out of print. The disc in the collection was no different than the one sold separately, anyway.

There is a more recent Italian market R0 DVD (released in April '07 under the title L' Adolescente) out from Minerva Video which supposedly features a better quality, anamorphic transfer and the theatrical trailer, but it has Italian subtitles only.

So, like I said. Fox Lorber: no-brainer.

Brief Crossing (2001)

2008-04-20T20:30:00.008-04:00

Brief Crossing (Brève traversée in its homeland), about a chance encounter between an English woman in her mid 30's (Sarah Pratt) and a 16 year-old French boy (Gilles Guillan) during an overnight ferry ride, is a more subdued film, at least by Breillat standards. It's essentially available on two DVDs: the US edition from Wellspring (which has since been absorbed into the Weinsteins' Genius Products company) and the UK one from Second Sight Films.

Both are fine, anamorphic widescreen transfers, so essentially the difference would just boil down to your preference between an NTSC Region 1 or a PAL region 2 disc. However, Wellspring went the extra mile and recorded a new interview with the director for their edition, making it the obvious choice for me. Plus, I think I prefer the darker cover. ;)

Pornocracy (novel)

2008-04-20T19:22:00.010-04:00

As I wrote in my introductory post, Catherine Breillat has - in addition to being an acclaimed filmmaker - written many best-selling novels in France... and now in 2008, one of them is finally being translated and released in the United States. Pornocracy (or Pornocratie in its native language), which her film Anatomy of Hell was largely based on, is being released in June (though MIT press seems to have it early) from Semiotext(e) publishing, with a new introduction by Chris Kraus and afterword by Peter Sotos. ISBN: 1584350474

Now, Semiotext(e) claims on their website that "Pornocracy is the first of her novels to be published in English," but strictly speaking, her first book published here was actually her debut novel A Man for the Asking (also known as L'Homme facile or The Easy Man). Originally published in 1968, it was apparently rather scandalous (no surprise, considering the young author) and the translated version arrived stateside in 1969. It's long out of print, but devoted fans shouldn't have too hard a time finding a copy.

Romance (1999)

2008-04-20T18:00:00.009-04:00

Controversial upon its original release, Romance (or Romance X) is a film that was censored heavily in most regions for its original home video release, but on DVD we're finally given the 99 minute director's cut. All DVD editions of this film feature nice looking 1.66:1 transfers and include the theatrical trailer (on the US disc from Trimark, left, it's a hidden "easter egg").

The UK DVD from Bluelight - while essentially the director's cut - is still slightly edited, so stay away from that. It's out of print and a bit hard to find, now, anyway.

The French disc from Éditions Montparnasse once again has it best - featuring an interview with Breillat - but does not feature English subtitles. It also has a much better cover than the ultra-cheesy US DVD (to be fair, yes, the US cover is based on the film's poster... but the US poster was super cheesy; and the French DVD cover is based on the far superior, original French poster). It's also included in Éditions Montparnasse's Catherine Breillat boxed set.

Perfect Love (1996)

2008-04-20T05:42:00.006-04:00

Another one from Fox Lorber, but this disc is not the travesty that 36 Fillette was. Perfect Love (Parfait amour!) is a little bit different than the "usual" fare from Breillat, though a lot of her themes are still evident. And this US disc is actually pretty decent. It's got a sharp picture, much clearer subtitles than 36 Fillette had, and it's in its original aspect ratio. It's got nothing by way of special features, but that's really the only mark against it.

And it's a good thing, too; because this seems to be the only DVD edition of this film available anywhere. There's no UK or even untranslated French DVD. Breillat fans all around the world are watching the same disc this go 'round.

Sex Is Comedy (2002)

2008-04-19T20:36:00.011-04:00

It took a few years for a DVD to hit the US, but now Sex Is Comedy, a fictional play on the making of Fat Girl with Anne Parillaud essentially playing Catherine Breillat, is a nice and easy one. It was finally released here in the US by MGM in 2005. It's a top quality, anamorphic widescreen transfer, albeit with no extra features. You may notice through the course of this blog, that Breillat extras are pretty rare - especially in English - making them all the more valuable when they are included.

Anyway, I personally picked up the UK edition from Artificial Eye, because it came out well before the MGM disc and so, for a long time, was the only way to see this film in English. But both editions are essentially the same: top-notch transfers and nothing more, so now it's really just down to the question of your preference between NTSC R1 or PAL R2.

Oh, and the the French Éditions Montparnasse edition (sold seperately or in the boxed set - and as always, with no English subtitles) is also an anamorphic, widescreen transfer with no features. Perhaps Breillat and/or the studios already consider the entire film to be an extra in and of itself, so didn't feel the need to add anything more? :P

Fat Girl (2001)

2008-04-19T19:30:00.013-04:00

It took years for Fat Girl (first released in France as A ma Soeur!, but Breillat has written that Fat Girl was always her original and preferred title) to come out on DVD, and for a while the prospects seemed pretty bleak. It was very well received in its limited theatrical run - I caught it at the 2 Boots Theatre in NYC, and couldn't wait for it to come out on DVD a few months later. A couple years later, I began to think I'd never see it.

Eventually, though, it came out on a budget Hong Kong DVD from Winson. I bought it right away from Poker Industries. It left a lot to be desired, it was a pretty dark and murky print. Almost all information online (including Poker) decalre this to be a fullscreen transfer, but I swear my copy was non-anamorphic but decidedly widescreen. Either one person got it wrong initially, and the misinformation has spread around the internet like wildfire, or possibly Winson released two versions? Maybe one was a bootleg? At any rate, the picture quality stunk.

So it was a very happy moment announced that Tartan was releasing this in the UK. Tartan is a great little label that releases high quality transfers of art films, even if they tend not to include a lot of extras. So I preordered it and was a happy guy right up until the day it arrived and I opened it. Inside the liner notes explain why they had to cut(!) the film. I don't want to throw otu an spoilers, but let's just say it was the key, final scene and it renders the DVD essentially unwatchable. Shame, because the transfer was a real revelation compared to the HK disc.

Even before the Tartan disc, however, rumors had been circulating about a Criterion edition of this for its US release. Now, rumors have circulated about a lot of films; but apparently they'd screened a print of this at some convention to show off their new way of doing transfers or something. But years later no DVD surfaced. That is, until well after the Tartan disc - finally it did come out. And it is the decided definitive edition of the film: a great, uncut transfer (even nicer than the Tartan), as well as some nice, exclusive extras (chiefly: behind-the-scenes footage and two interviews with Breillat).

Since then, the film has come out uncut in other regions: Australia (from Madman) and Korea (Cinexus, pictured left) both have nice, uncut transfers with English subs, too. But all things considered, the Criterion is still the way to go, hands down.

And yes, there is also a quality, untranslated French disc from Éditions Montparnasse (also included in that boxed set I mentioned in my previous post), with some of the same extras as the Criterion (the short behind-the-scenes feature and one of the two interviews). But for once, we have not been short-changed! In fact, we actually have the best edition availble.

36 Fillette (1988)

2008-04-19T01:31:00.006-04:00

36 Fillette (in some markets known as Virgin) is one of Briellat's earlier but highest regarded films. It has long been out on DVD in the US from Fox Lorber for ages, but the transfer is terrible. It's cropped to full-frame (though the trailer included is widescreen), and the picture is murky, dark and looks like it was ripped from an old VHS tape - in fact, on a new tape that hasn't been over-worn, the picture would actually look a bit brighter and clearer. The folks at Fox Lorber should be genuinely ashamed for putting out such shoddy, low quality work.

So, now here's another reason to be jealous of the French:

In late 2007, Éditions Montparnasse put out a new DVD of 36 Fillette in it's original aspect ratio with an anamorphic, quality image revealing that the movie was shot on actual film, as opposed to wax paper as Fox Lorber would have us believe! It was released seperately, or as a 4-disc boxed set of Breillat's films, also including Romance X, A ma soeur! (b.k.a. Fat Girl in the US) and Sex Is Comedy. The DVD also features a brief making-of featurette. But unfortunately - of course - they didn't include bother to English subtitles on this edition.

Check out these screenshot comparisons (see if you can guess which are which):

The Last Mistress (2007)

2008-04-18T22:24:00.010-04:00

Her latest film is Une vieille maîtresse (The Last Mistress to us, though I believe the actual title in France translates to An Elderly Mistress), her adaptation of 19th century French novelist Jules-Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly's final work, starring Asia Argento. The novel was criticized for immorality at the time of its publication - so it should be right up Breillat's alley. ;)

This is already available as a Region 2 DVD from Studio Canal in France (pictured left), and looks to be a nice special edition (including a nice 1:1.85 transfer, a 25 minute interview with Briellat, two deleted scenes with commentary, an animated poster gallery and the trailer). But unfortunately, there are no English subtitles ... either for the extras or the film itself.

While it opened last May in France, the film is still apparently due to get a limited release here in the US this summer, from IFC Films. So we probably won't see a DVD until at least a few months after that. Here's hoping IFC/Genius Products don't sit on this film indefinitely, and that they carry over and translate the DVD extras (as well as provide new material).

Introduction

2008-04-18T21:56:00.008-04:00

So, after having spent enough time searching the 'net only to come up with very little, I've decided to make a little blog to compile information about the films of Catherine Breillat for English speaking audiences. It's really frustrating trying to find a lot of her work if you don't speak French! She sometimes acts in films, but she's primarily a writer/director, which will be the main focus of this blog. She's also a published author... she's written a bunch of books, none of which have English translations. Go and look her up on Amazon.fr.

So, yeah... I may talk about other Catherine Breillat topics as well, but the chief interest is her films and their DVD presentations. Hope this will be of some use to her fellow fans. =)