Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.5

Baxter, Vera Baxter Blu-ray Movie Review

Pretty white people with problems.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III February 14, 2023

Marguerite Duras dabbled in countless artistic endeavors during a writing and filmmaking career that lasted more than four decades, but is perhaps best known for writing the screenplay to Alan Resnais' Hiroshima mon amour and for her autobiographical novel The Lover, which was adapted into a 1992 film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. Her own films are a different beast: static and slow-moving, they prioritize experimental imagery over plot and dialogue, which is a diplomatic way of saying they're often as fun as watching paint dry. A pair of her mid-1970s films, India Song and Baxter, Vera Baxter, are available from Criterion in the forthcoming set Two Films by Marguerite Duras.

Baxter, Vera Baxter sounds like some sort of cheeky James Bond spoof -- and treads similar thematic territory to India Song -- but is actually less interesting than both. This time, our titular character (Claudine Gabay) recounts her sad, sorry life, particularly regarding her failing marriage to husband Jean, who is heard once during the film but never seen. On the received end of this story is a stranger (Delphine Seyrig, again) who overhead the conversation of Vera's current lover Michel (Gérard Depardieu, in a very early role) at a hotel bar, and portions of its thin narrative include potential lies and misdirection. Sadly, the film is bogged down by slow pans across her empty, ultra-modern house... and for some unknown stylistic reason, a singular and aimless piece of flute and guitar background music loops during the entire film. It's implied that the music is from a party held at a neighboring house and is the only thing keeping Vera from committing suicide, but ironically will make most viewers want to jump off a goddamn cliff.

Though sporadically interesting with beautiful shots of then-modern architecture and the surrounding landscapes, its much more pretentious style (and that music!) makes Baxter, Vera Baxter a tepid and frustrating affair. It feels like an even longer film than India Song, even at just 95 minutes, and is for die-hard fans of the director only.

Baxter, Vera Baxter Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For my thoughts on this Blu-ray's 1080p transfer, which is sourced from a recent 2K restoration that includes new color grading, please read my review of Two Films by Marguerite Duras.

Baxter, Vera Baxter Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For my thoughts on this Blu-ray's LPCM mono track, please read my review of Two Films by Marguerite Duras.

Baxter, Vera Baxter Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As part of Two Films by Marguerite Duras, Baxter, Vera Baxter includes these extras on the movie disc:

• Marguerite as She Was (62:53) - This near feature-length 2002 documentary was assembled by Duras' long-time friend, editor, and collaborator, Dominique Auvray, who's still active in the film industry. It's a somewhat dry but nonetheless engaging and accessible retrospective supported by a broad collection of archival materials and rarely-seen interviews that, among other topics, sheds light on Duras' childhood in Vietnam, life in Paris, and her body of work as a novelist, playwright, and filmmaker. In French, with optional English subtitles.

• Marguerite Duras (3:51) - During this very brief 1977 segment from an episode of the French television series Pour le cinéma, writer-director Marguerite Duras discusses her then-recent film Baxter, Vera Baxter, its key characters, and the different women who inspired it. In French, with optional English subtitles.

Baxter, Vera Baxter Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Baxter, Vera Baxter is an experimental film by Marguerite Duras and, though not entirely dissimilar to her earlier India Song, is less engaging due to its inert narrative, too many slow panning shots, and irritating music that feels repetitive long before the credits roll. It's clearly the lesser half of Criterion's Two Films by Marguerite Duras, but the included extras -- especially the long-form 2002 documentary Marguerite as She Was -- add broader appeal to this disc.