Going Places Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Going Places Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 17, 2022

One of the ironies about the English language title of Going Places is not only its complete variance from the original French title (along with that title's euphemistic meaning), but the fact that the two focal characters of the film, ne'er-do-wells named Jean-Claude (Gérard Depardieu) and Pierrot (Patrick Dewaere), spend the entire film traveling hither and yon (in a variety of stolen vehicles), but actually never end up really getting anywhere. Along with a somewhat cheeky finale that relies on screeching tire sound effects which further suggest this "road movie" may end in a culvert rather than on a freeway (so to speak), the entire "movement" in the plot of this film is arguably delivered more through a series of vignettes than with an articulated approach that clearly defines so-called "character arcs". Going Places was extremely controversial at the time of its release, though that controversy probably helped to catapult Depardieu into the top ranks of French film superstardom, and his characterization of an often out of control, impulse driven and at least occasional feral "petty" criminal set the stage (no pun intended) for a whole litany of roles the iconic actor played subsequent to this 1974 outing. The film is intentionally provocative, and in fact in its own way skewers a "lower class" of people and those around them in at least somewhat the same way that Luis Buñuel did with folks a bit higher up the socioeconomic ladder in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie , which at the time of Going Places' release, would have been a relatively recent phenomenon. That said, there's a potentially disturbing (as in "triggering") aspect to some of the sexual dalliances and outright assaults in this story that may make it a challenging viewing experience for some.

Going Places received a domestic Blu-ray release over a decade ago by Kino Lorber. Those wanting a plot recap are encouraged to read Svet Atanasov's Going Places Blu-ray review of that version. As I often repeat, different reviewers means different opinions, and those who keep track of scores will notice a slight variance as a result.

Going Places Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Going Places is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Cohen Film Collection, an imprint of Cohen Media Group, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.67:1 (Cohen Film Collection has its own sub-imprint, Classics of French Cinema, which is utilized here as well). Based solely on screenshots and Svet's comments in his review, this seems virtually interchangeable with the Kino Lorber release (and kind of interestingly Kino Lorber is now distributing Cohen's titles, for what that's worth). Duplicating some comments that Svet mentions in his review, this presentation offers a secure reproduction of an appealing palette, and detail levels are typically very good to excellent throughout. There's an obvious and in fact in some exterior scenes pretty gritty looking grain field which supports an organic viewing experience. There are some very minor signs of damage.

Going Places Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Going Places features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track that I suspect is very nearly identical, if it actually varies at all, from the DTS- HD Master Audio Mono track that was on the Kino Lorber release. One of the inarguable highlights of the film is the wonderful chamber jazz score from Stephane Grappelli, and it sounds nicely full bodied and warm throughout the presentation. Dialogue and occasional sound effects (like the one closing the film) are rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. This is yet another release from Cohen that curiously has forced English subtitles. I can't imagine the masters are being provided to Cohen this way, especially since according to Svet's review of the Kino Lorber release, the English subtitles on that version were optional. I think Cohen is doing itself a minor but still noticeable disservice with this approach, especially perhaps for French films, since many cinephiles are at least somewhat conversant (no pun intended) with that language and might prefer to watch the film without the constant text additions.

Going Places Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio commentary track by Professor of Film Studies at Columbia University Richard Peña


• Trailer (HD; 1:08)

Going Places Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

At least part of the hue and cry that arose when Going Places was originally released was the perception that it was unabashedly misogynist, but in a very real way the film is also blatantly misanthropic, and for proof one need look no further than the way that both Jean-Claude and Pierrot are presented throughout the story. These characters may be lovable for some, but their behaviors are often scurrilous, and Blier makes no bones about portraying the moral turpitude as exactly that. This release offers secure technical merits and an appealing commentary. Recommended.