Casque d'Or Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Casque d'Or Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 28, 2017

Winner of Silver Ribbon Award for Best Director granted by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, Jacques Becker's "Casque d'Or" a.k.a. "Golden Marie" (1952) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include an archival interview with actress Simone Signoret; the documentary "At the Heart of Emotions - The Legend of Golden Marie"; and video interview with Ginette Vincendeau. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

In a bistro somewhere on the outskirts of Paris, former gangster-turned-carpenter Georges Manda a.k.a. Jo (Serge Reggiani, La Ronde, Army of Shadows) meets Marie (Simone Signoret, Les diaboliques, César et Rosalie), a stunningly beautiful blonde. The two are instantly attracted to each other - and this is something that Marie’s man, Roland (William Sabatier), who is in Felix Leca's gang, immediately notices. Barely able to contain his anger, Roland vows to get rid of Jo before the night is over. Felix (Claude Dauphin, Le Plaisir, The Tenant), who wants Marie for himself, senses that this might be the perfect opportunity for him to eliminate Roland.

A few drinks later, Jo and Roland agree to have a duel in the back of the bistro. Felix and the rest of his men surround them and they begin fighting. Jo quickly kills Roland. Then, shortly after a group of cops storms the bistro, Jo, Felix, and his men disappear into the night.

In the days that follow Jo and Marie spend plenty of time together. They walk around the city, visit the countryside and make love, and talk about their lives. Jo feels that Marie is the first woman his heart has truly desired, while Marie feels that Jo is the first man to treat her like a real woman. Eventually, the two come to realize that they were meant for each other.

Meanwhile, Felix, who has been hoping to win Marie’s heart, tells a corrupt police inspector that Raymond (Raymond Bussières, Le Gang), one of his no so bright men, is responsible for Roland’s death. Felix knows that when Raymond is arrested and the news reaches the countryside, Jo will return to the city to claim responsibility and free the innocent gangster. With Jo behind bars, Felix will have all the time in the world to make Marie fall in love with him.

Widely considered to be Jacques Becker’s masterpiece, Casque d’Or was inspired by true events -- very similar to the ones chronicled in the film -- that involved Manda and Leca. The project was initially offered to the great French director Julien Duvivier (Pépé Le Moko, Anna Karenina), but eventually ended up with Becker, who agreed to complete it in eight weeks.

The beauty and power of Casque d’Or are in its simplicity. This is a film that never attempts to play with the viewer’s imagination -- its story is notably transparent and the main characters are very much real people with real feelings and emotions.

Set in Paris at the beginning of the century, the film has an elegant period look. Many of the scenes where Jo and Marie are seen together remind of the work of the French impressionists -- they are bright, lush, and full of beautiful reflections. The camera work is very precise -- throughout the entire film, Becker treats natural light and shadows with the same attention the main protagonists get. The result is a very poetic yet at the same time firmly grounded in reality film that lingers long after the final credits roll.

Signoret is terrific as the determined to stay with her new lover Marie. It is difficult to explain precisely why, but when she is around Reggiani she does look like a woman who has found her soul mate. There are no dramatic confessions meant to reveal how she feels. When she looks at Reggiani and tells him that she loves him, it is easy to believe her because her eyes reveal that she means it.

Reggiani is perfect as Jo. His reformed gangster is an ordinary man who has chosen to live his life like a real man. He looks calm, relaxed, and ready to accept the hand fate has dealt him.

*In 1953, Casque d’Or won BAFTA Award for Best Actress (Simone Signoret).

Casque d'Or Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jacques Becker's Casque d'Or arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

There might have been some confusion that this release is sourced from a different, newer master, but it is in fact sourced from the same master that StudioCanal used when they prepared the 2012 release of Casque d'Or. This is actually very good news because I thought that the old master was already excellent. Indeed, detail and clarity, in particular, are terrific, and the entire film has that distinctive organic fluidity that properly done masters offer. Depth is also very pleasing, especially during scenes with an abundant light. The grading is also convincing, promoting stable and nicely saturated primaries and beautiful nuances. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. Image stability is very good. There are no distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, or stains to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Casque d'Or Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The same restored lossless audio track is used here that was used on the initial release. Clarity and stability are very good. Also, age-related imperfections -- such as hiss, pops, cracks, and distortions -- have been been removed as best as possible.

Casque d'Or Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Ginette Vincendeau - in this video interview, professor Ginette Vincendeau explains why Jacques Becker has been difficult to categorize as a director, and discusses the versatility of his films and the original project for Casque d'Or. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• At the Heart of Emotions - The Legend of Golden Marie - in this documentary, writer and director Alain Jessua (The Killing Game), writer Valerie Vignaux ("Jacques Becker ou l'exercice de la liberte"), and Jacques Becker's daughter Sophie Vaneck discuss the unique qualities of Casque d'Or and its production history. Also included is an excerpt from an archival interview with Jean Renoir in which he talk about his admiration for Jacques Becker and his work. In French, with optional English subtitles. (33 min).

• Interview with Simone Signoret - in this archival video interview, actress Simone Signore quickly discusses the character she plays in Casque d'Or. The interview was conducted in 1973. In French, with optional English subtitles. (4 min).

Casque d'Or Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This brand new release of Jacques Becker's classic film Casque d'Or is sourced from the same restored master that StudioCanal accessed when they prepared the 2012 release, but there are some new bonus features that are not present on the previous release. If you don't have Casque d'Or in your collections yet, consider a purchase now. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.