Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Blue Is the Warmest Colour Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 11, 2014

Abdellatif Kechiche's "La vie d'Adèle - Chapitres 1 et 2" a.k.a. "Blue Is the Warmest Color" (2013) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; deleted scenes; and exclusive new video interviews with the French director and actress Adele Exarchopoulos. In French, with imposed English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"But I have to say, I miss this a lot..."

Loosely based on Pierre de Marivaux’s novel La Vie de Marianne, Tunisian-born French director Abdellatif Kechiche’s latest film La Vie d’ Adèle: chapitres 1 et 2 a.k.a. Blue Is the Warmest Color explores the very intense relationship between two young girls who meet in a gay bar and fall madly in love with each other. The film is very beautiful but so raw and intense that at times it feels like it is heading for self-destruction.

Structurally and stylistically Blue Is the Warmest Color has plenty in common with Kechiche’s coming-of-age drama L'esquive a.k.a. Games of Love and Chance, which follows closely a group of teenagers living in the unfriendly banlieues on the outskirts of Paris. In it Kechiche’s camera acts as a casual observer while the teenagers try to survive, fall in and out of love, and eventually realize that their prospects for success as adults are extremely bleak. The film never slows down and ends very abruptly, like many contemporary documentaries do.

Blue Is the Warmest Color is set in Lille and it is substantially longer but its energy is identical to that of Games of Love and Chance. It has a similar episodic structure as well – there are obvious gaps between important events that are never addressed; periodically, the viewer is simply directed to the next stage of the relationship between the two girls.

Kechiche spends more time with the younger girl, Adele (Adele Exarchopoulos, Tête de turc), who is a 15-year-old high-school student and comes from a fairly conservative middle-class family. Early on, his camera frequently observes her as she quietly struggles to decode the signals her body is sending. The second girl, Emma (Lea Seydoux, Farewell, My Queen, Grand Central), is a blue-haired slightly older college art student. Unlike Adele, she is openly gay and very comfortable with her lifestyle. The two girls make contact in a gay bar and almost immediately realize that there is potential for something special between them. After a few casual dates, they finally kiss.

The two big and widely discussed sex scenes give the film its identity. They are very raw and intense, borderline intimidating. Both also happen to be quite long - possibly a lot longer than they should be. (Since the film’s success at the Cannes Film Festival, Exarchopoulos has publicly stated that Kechiche pushed her too far). But the rawness and intensity are also infused in the drama that ensues later, thus proving, or at least for the duration of the film, that sex and love are inextricably linked.

Shot digitally, the film looks notably sharp and clean. It also boasts a wide range of exceptionally rich and vibrant colors. The endless close-ups (also very prominent in other Kechiche films) frequently look like digital photographs.

The film, which runs at approximately 179 minutes, had five different editors: Ghalia Lacroix, who also wrote the film’s script with Kechiche, Sophie Brunet (Safe Conduct), Camille Toubkis (The Secret of the Grain), Jean-Marie Lengelle (Eat, For This is My Body), and Albertine Lastera (Black Venus).

In 2013, Blue Is the Warmest Color won the prestigious Palme d’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival. For the first time ever, it was also awarded to two actors (Exarchopoulos and Seydoux).

Blue Is the Warmest Colour Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.38:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue Is the Warmest Color arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.

The high-definition transfer is not identical to the one Criterion used for their Blu-ray release of this award-winning film in the United States, but the foundation for it appears to be the same digital master that was produced at Eclair Laboratories. Unsurprisingly, the film looks fantastic on Blu-ray. The numerous close-ups boast outstanding depth and sharpness, making it extremely easy to see even tiny pores and facial hair. Even the darker footage from the nightclubs impresses with terrific clarity. Contrast levels remain stable throughout the entire film. Colors are exceptionally rich, solid, and very natural. There are no serious transfer-specific anomalies to report in this review. When blown through a digital projector, the film also remains tight around the edges and impresses with a smooth yet vibrant and very clean look. All in all, I think that this is a wonderful presentation of Blue is the Warmest Color that is guaranteed to please its fans. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Blue Is the Warmest Colour Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French LPCM 2.0. For the record, Artificial Eye have provided imposed English subtitles for the main feature. (They cannot be turned off from the main menu or via the remote control). The subtitles appear inside the image frame.

The film has a very organic sound design. During select sequences different music clips are used, but the film does not have a prominent soundtrack. Different natural sounds and noises, however, are very easy to identify. The dialog is always crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. The English translation is excellent.

Blue Is the Warmest Colour Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original UK theatrical trailer for Blue is the Warmest Color. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (2 min).

• Deleted Scenes - three deleted/extended scenes. In French, with optional English subtitles. (9 min).

• Interview with Adele Exarchopoulos - in this brand new video interview, actress Adele Exarchopoulos discusses the casting process, Abdellatif Kechiche's directing methods, the lovemaking sequences, the shooting process (which lasted approximately five months, an unusually long period for a French production), etc. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Interview with Abdellatif Kechiche - in this brand new video interview, director Abdellatif Kechiche explains how Blue is the Warmest Color came to exist, and discusses how characters are portrayed in his films, the unique framing of the film as well as the use of colors and light, the editing process (and specifically his work with multiple editors), etc. In French, with optional English subtitles. (10 min).

Blue Is the Warmest Colour Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Artificial Eye's upcoming Blu-ray release of director Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue is the Warmest Color should make English-speaking fans of the film residing in Region-B territories very happy. The film looks fantastic in high-definition and there are some very good supplemental features on the Blu-ray. Enjoy! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.