Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Blanche Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 19, 2017

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

A medieval castle somewhere in France. Blanche (Ligia Branice) is married to a much older nobleman (the great Michel Simon, Boudu Saved From Drowning, L'atalante) who has given her everything a young and beautiful woman like her deserves. They both seem happy.

When the King (Georges Wilson, Don't Torture a Duckling) and his page, Bartolomeo (Jacques Perrin, Cinema Paradiso, Girl With a Suitcase), arrive in the castle, Blanche’s life suddenly changes -- she loses her identity and becomes a sexual object. Bartolomeo, a notorious seducer, is the first to approach Blanche. But he is promptly rejected and then confronted by Blanche’s stepson, Nicolas (Lawrence Trimble), who has fallen madly in love her. Then the King attempts to seduce Blanche, but much like Bartolomeo he is also unceremoniously rejected. Meanwhile, the nobleman becomes convinced that Blanche has a secret lover and demands that she reveals his identity. When she attempts to prove that she has remained faithful to him, all hell breaks loose and blood is spilled.

Polish director Walerian Borowczyk’s second feature film is not easy to deconstruct. It is loosely based on Juliusz Slowacki’s 1839 play Mazepa and for the most part looks appropriately calm and elegant, a lot like a period fairy tale about pure love. But there is something really odd about all of its protagonists -- they all have thoughts of impure or forbidden love. In other words, they seem completely out of sync with the film’s period atmosphere.

Blanche, who is hardly as innocent as the title of the film suggests, is used as a litmus test. After the men approach her there are character transformations that expose weaknesses and complicate old and new relationships.

The film’s visual design is just as unique. For example, the framing is very unusual -- there are sequences where bodies are closely observed but the faces are ignored. There are specific lighting choices that further enhance the already very unusual atmosphere in the film as well.

The film is complemented by various medieval compositions performed with replicas of traditional period instruments. The sound is raw, lighter and far more direct than that produced by contemporary instruments.

Borowczyk shot Blanche with cinematographer Guy Durban, with additional support from André Dubreuil. The great French director Patrice Leconte (The Hairdresser's Husband, The Girl On The Bridge) was second assistant director on Blanche. Also assisting Borowczyk was Bernard Cohn, who collaborated with Robert Bresson’s on Lancelot on the Lake and Akira Kurosawa on Ran.

Blanche Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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).

Blanche Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

Blanche Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction by Director Leslie Megahey (2014) - director Leslie Megahey introduces Blanche and explains what makes it unique. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

• Ballad of Imprisonment: Making Blanche (2014) - this new video program focuses on the rather difficult production history of Blanche (co-producer and star Jacques Perrin's desire to have Catherine Deneuve play Blanche apparently created some serious issues), Walerian Borowczyk's experimental framing and unique use of light, Michel Simon's friendship with the Polish director, etc. Included in the program are new interviews with second assistant director Patrice Leconte (The Hairdresser's Husband), first assistant director Andre Heinrich (La Jetée), camera assistant Noel Very, and associate producer Dominique Duverge-Segretin. In French, with optional English subtitles. (29 min, 1080p).

Blanche Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.