Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Day for Night Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 23, 2015

Winner of Oscar Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Francois Truffaut's "Day for Night" a.k.a. "La Nuit Américaine" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; exclusive new video interviews with cinematographer Pierre-William Glenn and assistant editor Martine Barraque; archival interviews with cast and crew members; and a lot more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring David Cairns' essay "Are Movies Magic?". In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The director

Francois Truffaut is Ferrand, an energetic film director who is getting ready to start shooting a new film, Meet Pamela, about a British girl who falls madly in love with her husband’s father. The story is unusual, but Ferrand and his producer, Bertrand (Jean Champion, Le Cercle Rouge), are convinced that the film will be special. They have the actors they wanted and a terrific crew of professionals to make it happen.

Soon after the cameras begin rolling in the Victorine Studios in Nice, however, various problems drive Ferrand on the verge of a nervous breakdown. First he discovers that the film’s star (Alexandra Stewart, Emmanuelle 3) is pregnant and won’t be able to complete the shoot, but can’t be fired because of a tricky clause in her contract. Then another aging star (Valentina Cortese, Le Amiche) with a drinking problem begins struggling with her lines. After wasting plenty of time with an ambitious crew girl (Dani, Love on the Run), the male lead (Jean-Pierre Leaud, The 400 Blows) also begins an affair with the beautiful British star (Jacqueline Bisset, Bullitt), whose relationship with an older doctor has been less than ideal. Finally, a prominent veteran actor (Jean-Pierre Aumont, Hotel du Nord) surprises everyone when he goes looking for his boyfriend. On top of all this, a number of technical accidents further complicate the shoot and force an insurance advisor (played by the great Graham Greene) from London to demand that various cuts and compromises are made if the film is to be completed.

During the chaos, Ferrand improvises as best as he can while the majority of the cast members make important decisions that effectively redirect their lives.

The original French title of the film, La Nuit Américaine, refers to the process of shooting a night sequence during the day while using a special filter. Just about every sequence in it also tells a tiny story from another film.

The film is playful and charming, but behind the endless jokes there are various serious observations about the crucial choices people make in their lives, the price they are willing to pay for success, and the ways in which they discover true love. Most are familiar, but because Truffaut places cinema above life the film forces one to consider them in a new context.

The director’s frustration reminds of Federico Fellini’s 8½. It temporarily opens up a dreamy world and much like the aging Guido Anselmi in Fellini’s film he visits it and experiences joy and happiness in a way that no longer seems possible in the real world. (In one of the best sequences, he is in a dream as a young boy and steals a few promo stills for Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane from a closed movie theater). So he attempts to recreate the magic in his new film, but is constantly bombarded with ‘practical’ questions he can’t answer and distracted by the ‘real’ dilemmas of cast and crew members that aren’t even as remotely as passionate about cinema as he is.

There are numerous subplots that focus on the constantly evolving relationships between the different characters, but it isn’t necessary to remember every little detail to understand and appreciate Truffaut’s vision. Indeed, the film is a like a giant mosaic whose pieces can be arranged in multiple ways that ultimately reveal the same brilliance and beauty.

Truffaut shot the film with cinematographer Pierre-William Glenn, with whom he also worked on A Gorgeous Girl Like Me. The lush orchestral score, which very effectively enhances many key sequences, was created by award-winning composer Georges Delerue (The Conformist).

Day for Night Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, François Truffaut's Day for Night arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"Supervised by director of photography Pierre-William Glenn, this new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on a Lasergraphics Director film scanner from a 35mm interpositive at MPI in Los Angeles. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, and warps were manually removed using MTI's DRS, while Digital Vision's Phoenix was used for small dirt, grain, noise management, flicker, and jitter. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from the 35mm magnetic tracks. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum, and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD, AudioCube's integrated workstation, and iZotope RX 4.

Transfer supervisors: Pierre-William Glenn, Lee Kline.
Colorist: Gregg Garvin/Modern VideoFilm, Burbank, CA."

The film looks vibrant and very healthy. Even the opening credits look strikingly rich and clean. Close-ups boast wonderful depth while the larger panoramic shots impress with very good fluidity. Contrast levels remain stable. Colors are also stable, healthy, and very natural. In fact, the color grading is one of the best that I have seen on a recent restoration of a classic European film -- all major color tonalities are very well balanced. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. Density probably could be marginally better, but the end result truly is very convincing. Finally, it is easy to tell that debris, scratches, cuts, and damage marks have been carefully removed as the film is virtually spotless. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Day for Night Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French LPCM 1.0 (with very small portions of English and Italian). Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio has been fully remastered and clarity and depth are simply outstanding. Georges Delerue's wonderful soundtrack also easily breathes throughout the entire film and effectively enhances a number of different sequences. Separation is excellent and during mass sequences -- such as the group shoot early into the film -- it is very easy to identify random sounds, noises, and voices. The dialog is clear, clean, stable, and exceptionally easy to follow. Finally, there are no audio dropouts, pops, or digital distortions to report in our review.

Day for Night Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Day for Night. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Dreams of Cinema - presented here is a new video essay by filmmaker ::kogonada which focuses on the evolution of François Truffaut's style, as well as the key themes and narrative structure of Day for Night. Also included in the essay are clips from an archival interview with François Truffaut. The essay was created exclusively for Criterion. In English and French, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (12 min, 1080p).

• Dudley Andrew - in this new video interview, professor Dudley Andrew discusses the famous feud between François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard that emerged after the release of Day for Night and split the core group of the New Wave directors. Dudley Andrew references the many colorful letters the two iconic directors exchanged. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in May 2015. In English, not subtitled. (21 min, 1080p).

• "Day for Night": An Appreciation - in this documentary, professor Annette Insdorf discusses the production history of Day for Night, its placement in Francois Truffaut's body of work, the diverse cast (a mix of young and established actors), the unique camera movement throughout the film, Georges Delerue's score and its function in the film, the significance of the dream sequences, etc. The documentary was produced in 2003. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080i).

• Truffaut: A View from the Inside - a short behind-the-scenes documentary with raw footage from the shooting of Day for Night. The documentary was produced in 1973. In English, not subtitled. (7 min, 1080i).

Interviews

• Francois Truffaut - presented here are two archival interviews with the French director in which he discusses Day for Night.
  
  1. Pour le cinema - Francois Truffaut is interviewed for the French television series Pour le cinema, directed by Pierre Mignot, on May 4, 1973. In French, with optional English subtitles. (9 min, 1080p).
  
  2. Cannes Interview - Francois Truffaut is interviewed by Raymond Tortora at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 1973. In French, with optional English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).

• Pierre-William Glenn - in this brand new video interview, cinematographer Pierre-William Glenn discuses his professional relationship with Francois Truffaut, their collaboration on Day for Night, the filmmaker's directing style (and specifically the fact that he had to rely on the DP) and his framing preferences for Day for Night, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2015. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).

• Jacqueline Bisset - in this archival interview, actress Jacqueline Bisset recalls how she was approached to play Julie Baker, and discusses her interactions with Francois Truffaut before and during the shooting of Day for Night and his attention to detail, the various outfits she purchased so that she can look as impressive as Valentina Cortese and Alexandra Stewart, how the film changed her career, etc. The interview was conducted in 2003. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, 1080i).

• Jean-Pierre Aumont - in this archival interview, actor Jean-Pierre Aumont discusses his contribution to Day for Night and Francois Truffaut's directing style. The interview was conducted by Colette Thiriet for the French television series Le dernier des cinq, and was broadcast on May 27, 1973. In French, with optional English subtitles. (7 min, 1080p).

• Nathalie Baye - in this archival interview, actress Nathalie Baye recalls how she was offered the role of Joelle, the script girl, and her first encounter with Francois Truffaut, her initial reaction to the script for Day for Night, the similar passion for cinema Francois Truffaut and Steven Spielberg shared (the French director appeared in Close Encounters of the Third Kind), etc. The interview was conducted in 2003. In French, with optional English subtitles. (12 min, 1080i).

• Bernard Menez - in this archival interview, actor Bernard Menez recalls how he was cast in Day for Night and discusses his interactions with Francois Truffaut and the rest of the cast during the shooting of the film. The interview was conducted in 2003. In French, with optional English subtitles. (4 min, 1080i).

• Dani - in this archival interview, actress Dani discusses her contribution to Day for Night. The interview was conducted in 2003. In French, with optional English subtitles. (5 min, 1080i).

• Yann Dedet - in this archival interview, film editor Yann Dedet explains how Francois Truffaut's films changed during the editing process and why in Day for Night some seemingly small details in key sequences are important. The interview was conducted in 2003. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080i).

• Martine Barraque - in this brand new interview, assistant editor Martine Barraque discusses her work with Yann Dedet and Francois Truffaut during the editing process of Day for Night. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2015. (13 min, 1080p).

Archival Footage

• Truffaut Shoots Day for Night - presented here is a newsreel documenting the shooting of Day for Night. Included in it are clips from short interviews with actor Jean-Pierre Aumont and Francois Truffaut. The newsreel was broadcast on October 4, 1972. In French, with optional English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

• "On Day for Night" - presented here is an archival episode of the French television series Pour le cinema, directed by Pierre Mignot. Included in it are clips from archival interviews with Francois Truffaut, Jacqueline Bisset, and Valentina Cortese. The episode was broadcast on June 8, 1973. In French, with optional English subtitles. (12 min, 1080p).

• Truffaut at the National Society of Film Critics - presented here is an archival episode of the series JT nuit in which Roland Mehl reports on Francois Truffaut's appearance at the National Society of Film Critics in New York. Included in it is a short clip from an archival interview with the French director. The episode was broadcast on January 23, 1974. In French, with optional English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).

• Leaflet - illustrated leaflet featuring David Cairns' essay "Are Movies Magic?". (The author is a Scottish filmmaker and critic).

Day for Night Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

An energetic director played by the great Francois Truffaut faces a number of different dilemmas in Day for Night, a charming and very witty film about romance, sex, ambitions, and a lot more. The film has been recently restored with the assistance of its cinematographer, Pierre-William Glenn, and it looks absolutely terrific on Blu-ray. As usual, Criterion's Blu-ray release also offers a wealth of outstanding supplemental features. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.