7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Based on Juliusz Słowacki’s 19th-century play Mazepa but relocated to 13th-century France, Blanche tells the story of the beautiful young wife of a nobleman many decades older. As innocent as her name suggests, Blanche becomes the unwilling centre of attention in a power struggle between her husband, the visiting King and his page, the latter a notorious womaniser.
Starring: Michel Simon, Georges Wilson, Jacques Perrin, Ligia Branice, Denise PéronneForeign | 100% |
Drama | 59% |
Period | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.65:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Walerian Borowczyk's "Blanche" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an introduction by director Leslie Megahey; and new video program featuring interviews with first assistant director Andre Heinrich, second assistant director Patrice Leconte, camera assistant Noel Very, and associate producer Dominique Duverge-Segretin. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
The wanted girl
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.65:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Walerian Borowczyk's Blanche arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.
The release appears to have been sourced from the same restored master that Arrow Video used for this release in 2014. I did some direct comparisons between the two releases and I could not see meaningful discrepancies between the two. The native fluctuations that I mentioned in the initial review are once again present, while the overall appearance of the film boasts the same solid organic qualities. The color scheme is identical -- color values, saturation and nuances are the same. I would like to mention that the same minor specks and blemishes that pop up on the previous release are also noticeable here. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The film has a simple but effective baroque score that easily shines in different parts of the film. Dynamic intensity, however, is modest. The dialog is clean, stable, and very easy to follow. There are no distracting audio dropouts, pops, cracks, hiss, or purely digital distortions to report.
This upcoming release of Walerian Borowczyk's adult fairy tale Blanche has been sourced from the same restored master that was used a couple of years ago for the Region-B release of the film. Also included on it are some of the supplemental features from the previous release. If you have been curious about Borowczyk's work, I think that Blanche is a great starting point that will almost certainly convince you to continue experimenting with Immoral Tales, and then perhaps some of the director's more challenging films. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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