8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Julien is a student at a French boarding school in Nazi-occupied France. As the winter term begins, three new students, including the reserved Jean Bonnet, are enrolled at the school. Rivals at first, Julien and Jean bond and become friends, but this newly formed friendship is put to the test once a secret is revealed.
Starring: Gaspard Manesse, Raphaël Fejtö, Francine Racette, Stanislas Carre de Malberg, Philippe Morier-GenoudDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 95% |
War | 15% |
Coming of age | 9% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
French SDH, English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Winner of Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, Louis Malle's "Au revoir les enfants" (1987) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Gaumont. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film and new documentary film produced by Pierre-Henri Gibert. In French, with optional English and French SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Jean and Julien
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Louis Malle's Au revoir les enfants arrives on Blu-ray courtesy French label Gaumont.
I don't have any technical information to share in our review, but it is clear that the release is sourced from a recent 2K master. The film looks very healthy. Depth is very good and many of the outdoor sequences boast pleasing clarity. Close-ups look particularly good, even during sequences where light is either restricted or subdued. Grain is retained and visible throughout the entire film. It has been gently toned down, but the film has a a very solid organic appearance. More importantly, there are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Colors are stable and there are a variety of healthy nuances. Overall image stability is excellent.
I did some direct comparisons with Criterion's release and I certainly prefer the tighter and cleaner look of this release. Especially during close-ups the difference becomes quite obvious -- lines and details are better defined. Without the minor grain adjustments mentioned earlier, however, the technical presentation would have been even more impressive. All in all, currently this is the best presentation of Au revoir les enfants on the home video market. (Note This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English and French SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
Depth and clarity are very good, but dynamic intensity is fairly modest. There are no balance issues and separation is very good. The dialog remains stable and clean throughout the entire film. There are no pops, cracks, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in our review.
Based on events from director Louis Malle's life, Au revoir les enfants is a quiet but powerful film about childhood friendship. It is superbly acted and thoroughly absorbing. This recent release from French label Gaumont is sourced from a new master which is quite nice. Also included on the release is a very good new documentary film from Pierre-Henri Gibert, but unfortunately for English speakers it does not come with optional subtitles. Nevertheless, fans of Au revoir les enfants should consider adding the release to their collections. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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