Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Cop au Vin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 20, 2022

Note: This version of this film is available on Blu-ray as part of Lies and Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol.

Claude Chabrol has been decently served by the high definition era, with several of the French master's outings having been released on Blu-ray, including several by Cohen Media Group and/or their Cohen Film Collection imprint. I've personally reviewed a bunch of Cohen releases of Chabrol films, including Merci pour le Chocolat and The Color of Lies. More saliently in terms of this new release from Arrow, however, are two previous Cohen releases, The Inspector Lavardin Collection, which Cohen put out in 2014, and 3 Classic Films by Claude Chabrol, which followed in 2017. Those two releases together feature four of the five films that Arrow has aggregated in this set, and I'll be referring to my earlier reviews for things like plot recaps, as well as more technical aspects in terms of how video and audio quality stack up between the two. As tends to be the case, the Arrow release is stuffed to the gills with supplements, which is one element in the Blu-ray world where Cohen tends not to offer much.

Cop au Vin was included in The Inspector Lavardin Collection from Cohen, and for those interested in a plot recap and my thoughts on the film, my The Inspector Lavardin Collection Blu-ray review will hopefully suffice. That review also offers a chance to compare the looks of the two transfers.

Cop au Vin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Cop au Vin is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.66:1. Arrow's insert booklet really doesn't provide any substantial information on any of the transfers in this set, offering only a generic statement that the high definition masters were restored and provided by MK2. Detail levels are perfectly comparable with the previous Cohen release of this film, but there are some pretty noticeable differences in brightness and color timing in particular that may catch the interest of videophiles. The Cohen release is much brighter and looks a little flushed and tipped toward red tones. This release on the other hand is somewhat shaded and looks a good deal cooler, with a prevalent blue and/or greenish tint in evidence, with occasional yellow undertones noticeable as well. This presentation didn't strike me as artificial looking in any way when actually watching it, but when stacking screenshots up against each other from the two releases, the differences are unmistakable. The relative darkness of this presentation may actually increase perception of a healthy and tightly resolved grain field. The encode is fine, and I noticed no compression anomalies whatsoever.

Cop au Vin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track on this release sounded pretty much identical to the LPCM 2.0 Mono track on the Cohen release. As I mentioned in my review of the original Cohen release of this film, I'm not especially enthused by the score of Chabrol's son Matthieu, but the music sounds full bodied and distortion free. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Cop au Vin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Ben Sachs


• Ian Christie on Claude Chabrol (HD; 12:35) features Christie reminiscing about his 1994 interview with Chabrol (also included, see below), while giving an overview of Chabrol's career.


• Claude Chabrol at the BFI (HD; 1:14:35) is that 1994 interview with Ian Christie. Spoken French is accompanied by English subtitles.


• Introduction by film scholar Joël Magny (HD; 3:14) is in French with English subtitles.


• Scene Commentaries by Claude Chabrol (HD; 21:43) are in French with English subtitles.


• Interview with Claude Chabrol, Jean Poiret and Stephane Audran (HD; 29:38) is culled from a 1985 episoe of the Swiss TV series Special Cinema. In French with English subtitles.


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:16)


• Posters and Stills

Cop au Vin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The mystery here isn't overly complex, but Chabrol stages things with finesse and there's a fun almost Agatha Christie-esque aspect to a small town being torn asunder by various subterfuges. While the color timing in particular is quite different from the earlier Cohen release and those interested should compare and contrast screenshots to see how they feel about things, technical merits are generally solid and the supplements very well done. Recommended.