Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Frank & Eva Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 5, 2018

Pim de la Parra's "Frank and Eva" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Cult Epics. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; exclusive new audio commentary by director Pim de la Parra; filmed audio conversation with actress and director Willeke van Ammelrooy and director Eddy Terstall; and more. In Dutch, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

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If one were to ever speculate that Holland had produced a local answer to Francois Truffaut’s iconic Jules and Jim then Pim de la Parra’s Frank and Eva is probably the only film that could make such a speculation legit. While set in an entirely different period and having a very distinct Dutch sense of humor, Frank and Eva embraces romance with the same unbridled enthusiasm and then refuses to judge the morality of its characters pretty much exactly like Jules and Jim does. An ambitious speculator would likely even find some significance in the fact that sometime during the late ‘60s Truffaut helped Parra secure the rights to some previously composed music from Bernard Hermann, which he enthusiastically used in his thriller Obsessions.

In a new audio commentary that is included on this release director Parra clarifies that the film is set during the pre-AIDS era -- in Holland this must have been no later than the early ‘70s -- and in a busy district of Amsterdam where plenty of couples like Frank (Hugo Metsers) and Eva (Willeke van Ammelrooy) once enjoyed what now would be considered an ‘open relationship’. However, their relationship is so wide open that Frank is essentially a freelance lover who has time for Eva only when he wants to wake up in her cozy bed and get served some fresh breakfast. Because she genuinely loves him and hopes that eventually his aging hormones will normalize his sex drive Eva tolerates him, but insists that he occupies a different room right above her. As if the whole arrangement wasn’t strange enough Frank also spends plenty of time with his ‘regular’ girlfriend, Sylvia (Sylvia Kristel), and Eva does not object so long as eventually he chooses to have that real and permanent relationship with her.

The popular lover is forced to reconsider his lifestyle and relationship with Eva when she reveals to him that she is pregnant. The death of an older friend (Lex Goudsmit) who for years had lived the same ‘happy life’ then permanently erodes his confidence.

There are a couple of important details that need to be highlighted so that a potential non-Dutch viewer can get an accurate idea of what Parra’s film is about. The first is that it is not an erotic film and in it Kristel is not a sex star. She has a small role, and though there are a few scenes where her sex appeal becomes very obvious, Parra’s camera never becomes enchanted by her figure. The second is that the film is actually defined by its very quirky sense of humor, which is produced through the blending of typically Dutch directness, measured cynicism, and zest for life. In other words, it is virtually guaranteed that a non-Dutch viewer will require a bit of time to get used to the film’s playful attitude and the manner in which it observes the evolution of Frank and Eva’s relationship.

It also needs to be said that the film has very effectively preserved the spirit and authentic energy of the old safe and full of life Amsterdam that existed before the EU was created in the early ‘90s. It is beautiful.

Frank & Eva Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Pim de la Parra's Frank and Eva arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cult Epics.

The release is sourced from a brand new remaster which was struck from a 35mm element, and director Parra has apparently seen it. I mention this because the current presentation is reportedly proper, but my guess is that the film was likely composed for the 1.66:1 ratio. Whatever the case might be, the current framing does not produce any notable anomalies and enjoying the film is quite easy.

Depth and clarity are quite good, though in some of the darker areas the limitations of the element that was utilized become obvious -- at times shadow definition isn't optimal and there is even light black crush that sneaks in. However, there are no troubling digital anomalies to report and this makes a huge difference. Delineation is frequently very pleasing and there is even proper fluidity. A meticulous restoration would undauntedly produce a superior and better balanced grain, but for the most part the current exposure remains adequate. Colors are stable, but there is no doubt in my mind that ideally saturation and nuances should be more convincing. Image stability is very good. A few large damage marks remain, as well as some minor specks and scratches. All in all, while there is room for plenty of meaningful improvements, this is a mostly pleasing organic presentation of the film that could very well remain its definitive presentation. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Frank & Eva Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Dutch DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I don't know if any specific work was done to optimize the lossless track when the remaster was finalized, but if there ever were any serious age-related imperfections it is impossible to tell now. There is only one segment where I felt that balance was slightly unconvincing, but the rest of the film sounded excellent. Dynamic intensity, however, is predictably modest.

Frank & Eva Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction by director Pim de la Parra - a short, exclusive new audio introduction by the director, which can be heard before the film. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Audio Commentary by director Pim de la Parra - this is a truly wonderful commentary that provides a tremendous amount of very interesting factual information about the evolution of the Dutch film industry, the cultural image of Amsterdam during the 1970s, the career and popularity of the late Dutch star Sylvia Kristel, the typical budgets that Dutch filmmakers had to work with at the time, sex in Dutch films, the significance and legacy of Scorpio Films (Wim Verstappen and Pim de la Parra's famous production company), etc. In English.

• Up Front & Naked: Sex in Dutch Films - in this recent filmed video conversation, actress and director Willeke van Ammelrooy (who plays Eva) and director Eddy Terstall (Sextet, Simon) discuss the image of Dutch cinema during the 1970s and the important role that sex supposedly had for the popularization and success of Dutch films as well Pim de la Parra's pioneering work and the success of Frank and Eva. The conversation is moderated by film journalist Jan Doense. In Dutch, with optional English subtitles. (13 min, 1080p).

• Frank and Eva Original Trailer - original theatrical trailer for Frank and Eva. In Dutch, with optional English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

• Obsessions Original Trailer - original theatrical trailer for Pim de la Parra's film Obsessions. In Dutch, with optional English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

• Frank and Eva Photo Gallery - a large collection of original vintage promotional materials for Frank and Eva. With music. (4 min, 1080p).

• Sylvia Kristel Film Poster Video Gallery - a large collection of original vintage promotional materials for many of Dutch star Sylvia Kristel's most popular films. With music. (4 min, 1080p).

Frank & Eva Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I am going to leave a bold speculation here and even if it turns out that I am completely wrong, I think that it will be quite helpful to folks who are curious about Pim de la Parra's film Frank and Eva. So this film was completed a decade after Francois Truffaut's Jules and Jim and having viewed it twice over the last couple of days I have a gut feeling that it was at least partially influenced by it. It is very possible that Parra did not fully realize it while he was working on it, but it embraces romance with the same unbridled enthusiasm and then refuses to judge the morality of its characters pretty much exactly like Truffaut's film does. Of course the time period and the location are different, and on top of this the film is about as authentically Dutch and proud of it as it could have been, but forty-five years later it just feels like Holland's quirky answer to Truffaut's classic. Until now, the film was apparently never officially distributed in the United States, so I am very grateful that Cult Epics produced this Blu-ray release. I thoroughly enjoyed it and consider it one of my best discoveries from recent years. The release also features a terrific new audio commentary by Parra with fantastic information about the production history of the film and the evolution of the Dutch film industry over the years. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.