Police on Blu-ray!

Whoops!  This one slipped under my radar.  I've done a couple posts on Police already, a 1985 film starring Gérard Depardieu that Breillat wrote but didn't direct.  Originally, there was a great French DVD, but it wasn't English friendly.  Then, in 2008, Artificial Eye put out an excellent, English friendly special edition DVD in the UK.  But what I missed was in 2017, Olive released it on blu-ray here in the US, and in Canada.  And not only that, it's been getting alternate blu-ray editions around the world, some of which are arguably even better.

Olive's blu is a pretty impressive looking 1.66:1 transfer, an upgraded DTS-HD soundtrack, but unfortunately it's barebones.  And here's where it gets frustrating.  Gaumont had already released it on blu in France back in 2013.  That one features the same transfer as Olive's blu, but not only does it import all of the special features from the previously French and UK DVDs, it also features new on-camera interviews with Pascale Rocard and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli.  Sounds like the way to go, right?  Sure, if you speak French, but otherwise, not so much.  The film itself features English subtitles, but none of the special features do.

So, for us English speakers, the ideal experience would be to get both the Olive blu-ray and Artificial Eye DVD, which would give you the best edition of the film and most of the special features.  There's a Japanese blu, but it's essentially the same as the Olive, English subs on the feature, but no special features.  It sure would be nice if they would issue an English-friendly blu with everything, but here at breillat.blogspot.com, I think we're used to these kind of disappointing compromises.  But hey, at least we got the film in HD now, that's a step forward.

New English Police DVD

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.

Police (1985)

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.