Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Jane B. par Agnès V. Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 21, 2016

Agnes Varda's "Jane B. for Agnes V." (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent U.S. distributors Cinelicious Pics. The supplemental features include an original trailer for the film and exclusive new video interview with director Agnes Varda. Also included in the two-disc set is the rarely seen film "Kung-Fu Master!" (1988). In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The other Jane

There is a good theory that explains why Agnes Varda’s Jane B. for Agnes V. was never officially distributed in the United States. Apparently, the few distributors that saw it after Varda completed it in 1988 concluded that it was too abstract and therefore too risky to sign. So until recently, it had been screened only a few times at festivals and retrospectives.

Having just viewed Jane B. for Agnes V. for the first time ever, I can agree that it is different. It is a fluid experimental project that matches the audacity of Jean-Luc Godard’s early films and the quiet elegance of Eric Rohmer’s best films, but feels distinctively modern. There is a side of it that easily could have been envisioned by the late Chantal Akerman as well. There was a script for it, but once Varda started shooting the film evolved and actually expanded in different directions. (Le Petit Amout aka Kung-Fu Master! emerged as a natural continuation of this expansion).

The basic idea behind Jane B. for Agnes V. was to sum up Jane Birkin, the legendary actress and singer whose work and relationship with Serge Gainsbourg defined an entire era, but not in a conventional manner. So its foundation would be similar to that of a traditional documentary feature, but because Birkin’s persona was so complex it was agreed that it would be best if the film explored it from a variety of different angles and without any restrictions. In other words, Varda and Birkin were free to experiment and mix facts with ideas which would also recreate the environment in which Birkin emerged.

In a long and very informative interview included on this release, Varda describes Jane B. for Agnes V. as a fictional portrait. It is a good description if one focuses only on the fact that the film attempts to understand Birkin and deconstruct her legacy. But it is also a slightly misleading description because it ignores the fact that Varda is an integral part of it. Indeed, the visual style and tone of the film, both of which are essential to understanding Birkin the artist and Birkin the dreamer, also allow one to explore Varda’s creative genius. So when the final credits roll one walks away not only with a much richer mental image of Birkin, but also of Varda and her art.

There are a couple of unexpected cameos. Jean-Pierre Léaud (Bed & Board) pops up and instantly makes an impression with some typically excellent facial expressions. Alain Souchon (One Deadly Summer) is a quiet charmer. The iconic Italian actress Laura Betti (Novecento) becomes Lardy. A very young Charlotte Gainsbourg (Nymphomaniac) also quickly steps in front of the camera.

Varda did not have a big budget to work with, but many of the dream sequences look strikingly stylish. She was assisted by award winning production designer Olivier Radot, whose credits include such visually impressive films as Queen Margot, Gabrielle, and Coco Before Chanel.

Jane B. for Agnes V. arrives in the United States after a new 2K restoration which was undertaken by Cine Tamaris and completed at Eclair Laboratory. Varda supervised the film’s color grading. The sound was restored by L.E. Diapason from the original 35mm sound negative.

Jane B. par Agnès V. Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Agnès Varda's Jane B. for Agnes V. arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cinelicious Pics.

The release is sourced from a new 2K restoration which was undertaken by Cine Tamaris and completed at Eclair Laboratory. The color grading was supervised by Agnes Varda. The sound was restored by L.E. Diapason from the original 35mm sound negative.

The restoration is excellent. Typically, depth and clarity are very good. There are a few segments where the imaginary memories overlap and small fluctuations emerge, but they are intended (see screencapture #4). Close-ups look sharp and well balanced. I feel that there is a slight push towards a warmer range of color tonalities, but I have never before owned a copy of this film and have not seen it in a theater and therefore do not know how it may have originally looked. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. Overall image stability is outstanding. Debris, damage marks, scratches, and all other age-related imperfections have been carefully eliminated. My one and only criticism here pertains to the presence of some light compression artifacts that occasionally sneak in. They do not become distracting, but there are two, possibly three sequences where a few are rather easy to spot (see screencapture #19). My score is 4.25/5.00. (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).

Jane B. par Agnès V. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film does not have an elaborate music score, but from time to time different music themes can be heard in the back (there are simple but effective piano and flute solos). Rather predictably, dynamic intensity remains quite modest. Random sounds and noises are easy to identify, but the separation is natural, not carefully managed and mixed. The dialog/narration is stable, clean, and always easy to follow. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report in our review.

Jane B. par Agnès V. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Jane B. for Agnes V. Music only. (2 min).

• Interview with Agnes Varda - in this new video interview, director Agnes Varda recalls her initial encounter with Jane Birkin, and discusses the unusual structure of Jane B. for Agnes V, the manner in which time is treated in the film (and specifically in the different 'memories'), Jean-Pierre Léaud's contribution to the film, some of the key similarities and differences between this film and Vagabond, the recent restoration of the film, etc. The interview was conducted by Dennis Bartok in Los Angeles in 2015. In English. (22 min).

• Booklet - 14-page illustrated booklet featuring Sandy Flitterman-Lewis's essay "Agnes Varda's Brilliant Alchemy" and "Agnes Varda in Conversation with Miranda July".

Jane B. par Agnès V. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Jane B. for Agnes V. is a dreamy experimental project that sets out to deconstruct the life and legacy of iconic actress and singer Jane Birkin, but in the process also reveals a lot about the creative genius of its director, Agnes Varda. Never before distributed in the United States, the film has been recently restored in 2K and is now available on a two-disc set with the equally intriguing Kung-Fu Master!. Fans of Birkin, Varda, and auteur cinema should not miss it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.