Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Jules and Jim Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 8, 2014

Francois Truffaut's "Jules and Jim" (1962) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; archival interviews with the French filmmaker; video interview with cinematographer Raoul Coutard; video interview with film scholars Robert Stam and Dudley Andrew; archival interview with co-writer Jean Gruault; two audio commentaries, one with Suzanne Schiffman, co-writer Jean Gruault, and editor Claudine Bouche, and another with actress Jean Moreau; and more. The release also arrives with a 32-page illustrated booklet featuring a revised version of John Powers' essay "On Jules and Jim"; Francois Truffaut's essay "Henri-Pierre Roche Revisited"; and script notes on "Jules and Jim" written by Francois Truffaut. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

After the run

The film begins in pre-war Paris where students Jules (Oskar Werner, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Fahrenheit 451) and Jim (Henri Serre, Le Combat dans l'ile, The Fire Within) try to live life to the fullest. Jules is Austrian and Jim French, but both are equally passionate about literature, art, and women.

After a trip to Greece, the two friends are introduced to the free-spirited Catherine (Jeanne Moreau, Elevator to the Gallows, La Notte), who quickly forces them to see the world they live in differently. They begin fantasizing about having families and growing older with someone they love dearly. Initially Jules and Jim are afraid to admit that the special someone is Catherine, but eventually they admit to each other that she is the woman that can make their dreams come true.

Catherine loves both men, but chooses the slightly more conservative Jules and they marry. Soon after, WWI begins and Jules and Jim are forced to head in different directions. During the war they frequently think about Catherine and how horrible it would be if they had to face each other in a battle.

After the war, Jim, now making ends meet as a reporter, visits Jules and Catherine on their chalet on the Reine. Jim is convinced that their union could not be stronger, but Jules quickly confesses to him that Catherine is no longer the woman he once fell in love with -- through she is a good mother, she’s had many lovers and has become nostalgic about her bohemian past. Deeply concerned about his friends and still madly in love with Catherine, Jim decides to stay with them for as long as possible in order to restore the harmony in their lives.

Francois Truffaut’s legendary film does not look or feel as groundbreaking today as it did during the early 60s because for the most part the easiness with which it accepts and celebrates the relationship between its protagonists is no longer controversial. But without it the likes of Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Dreamers, Andrzej Zulawski’s La fidelite, and Xavier Dolan’s Heartbeats undoubtedly would have looked very, very different.

The title singles out the two male protagonists, but the film actually belongs to Moreau’s Catherine. Her quirkiness and passion for life really set the tone for the entire film and force the audience to care about the relationship it chronicles. The lack of moralistic statements makes the film even more attractive.

It is important to clarify, however, that Jules and Jim isn’t a light and breezy romantic period piece. With only a couple of sequences Truffaut effectively captures the ugliness of war and the essence of the insecurity war brings in people’s lives. War also breeds suffocating fear and in Jules and Jim its presence is easily felt.

Truffaut was only 29 when he completed Jules and Jim with the great cinematographer Raoul Coutard (A Woman Is A Woman, Weekend), but the film’s visual style is remarkably mature. The camera moves freely, but the frequently unorthodox close-ups and zooms never feel rushed or disorganized. Some raw documentary footage and different framing are used to enhance the sense of realism, but they do not affect the rhythm of the film. Light and shadow are also carefully employed and balanced.

Throughout the film a narrator also describes events or highlights important facts for the viewer. The technique, which Truffaut admired and used in many of his films, makes the frequent transitions between different periods easy and effective.

Jules and Jim Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, François Truffaut's Jules and Jim arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

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

"This new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on a 2K Spirit DataCine from the 35mm original camera negative at Digimage in Joinville-le-Pont, France, in consultation with director of photography Raoul Coutard. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered in 24-bit from the 35mm magnetic and sound negative. Both image and sound were restored at Digimage.

Colorist: Pauline Bassene/Digimage, Joinville-le-Pont, France."

Direct comparisons with Criterion's R1 DVD release of this legendary film reveal dramatic improvements in every single area we typically address in our reviews. Indeed, close-ups and panoramic shots (see the beach footage) boast notably better image depth, while clarity is substantially improved even when light is captured in some rather unique ways. Contrast and sharpness levels are stable throughout the entire film. Also, I would like to point out that the blacks, grays, and whites are far better balanced than they are on the DVD release, and this makes quite the difference when one projects the film. Furthermore, grain is beautifully and evenly resolved throughout the entire film. There are absolutely no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Lastly, there are no large scratches, debris, cuts, warps, or stains to report in this review. To sum it all up, Criterion's new Blu-ray release of Jules and Jim represents a substantial upgrade in quality over previous home video releases of the film, and I am convinced that fans of the film as well as viewers who will experience it for the first time in high-definition will be enormously pleased with it. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Jules and Jim Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French LPCM 1.0. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

Georges Delerue's score benefits the most from the lossless treatment, though the range of nuanced dynamics is rather limited. Still, direct comparisons with the lossy track from Criterion's DVD release immediately reveal better depth and fluidity. The dialog is crisp, very clear, and free of background hiss. The English translation is excellent.

Jules and Jim Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Jim and Jules. In French, with optional English subtitles. (4 min, 1080i).

• The True Story -
  
  1. Truffaut on Roche - in this video excerpt from the French program Bibliotheque de poche, director Francois Truffaut discusses Henri-Pierre Roche's novel Jules and Jim. The program was directed by Yannick Bellon and aired on October 12, 1966. In French, with optional English subtitles. (8 min, 1080i).
  
  2. The Key to "Jules and Jim" - an excerpt from Thomas Honickel's documentary Jules and Jim (1985), which focuses on the lives of Helen and Franz Hessel and Henri-Pierre Roche, whose relationships inspired Francois Truffaut's film. In German, with optional English subtitles. (32 min, 1080i).

• Truffaut on Truffaut - five interviews with Francois Truffaut in which he discusses his directing methods and the production history and structure of Jules and Jim. One of the interviews also includes comments from Jeanne Moreau and Jean Renoir, and in another professor Annette Insdorf translates the answers given by the French director. In French, with optional English subtitles.
  
  1. Cineaste de notre temps (1965) (9 min, 1080i).
  2. L'invite du dimanche (1969) (33 min, 1080i).
  3. Truffaut and Roud (1977) (10 min, 1080i).
  4. AFI's Dialogue on Film (1979) (29 min, 1080i).
  5. Truffaut and Philippe (1980) (29 min, 1080i).

• Raoul Coutard - in this video interview, legendary cinematographer Raoul Coutard, who worked with many of the greatest French New Wave directors, discusses his collaboration with Francois Truffaut on Jules and Jim. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in Paris in 2003. In French, with optional English subtitles. (20 min, 1080i).

• Jean Gruault - this video interview with Jules and Jim co-writer Jean Gruault was conducted in April 1986 at the Cinematheque francaise in Paris for Rainer Gansera's documentary Working with Truffaut, produced by Westdeutscher Rundfunk in Cologne. However, only a few minutes of the interview were used in the film. Later on, Criterion gained access to the interview, which is presented here in its entirety. In French, with optional English subtitles. (21 min, 1080i).

• Robert Stam and Dudley Andrew - in this video conversation, film scholars Robert Stam and Dudley Andrew discuss the unique qualities of Francois Truffaut's Jules and Jim. The conversation was filmed exclusively for Criterion in 2004. (24 min, 1080i).

• Commentaries - the following two audio commentaries were also included on Criterion's 2005 DVD release of Jules and Jim.
  
  1. Truffaut's Collaborators - featuring director Francois Truffaut's long-time collaborator Suzanne Schiffman, co-writer Jean Gruault, and editor Claudine Bouche. Also included are comments by professor Annette Insdorf. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Criterion in 1992.
  
  2. Jeanne Moreau - this audio commentary with the legendary actress was conducted by critic Serge Toubiana. It was recorded in 2000. In French, with optional English subtitles.

• Booklet - 32-page illustrated booklet featuring a revised version of John Powers' essay On Jules and Jim; Francois Truffaut's essay Henri-Pierre Roche Revisited, which originally appeared as the introduction to a 1981 German edition of the novel Jules and Jim; and script notes on Jules and Jim written by Francois Truffaut.

Jules and Jim Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fans of Francois Truffaut's legendary Jules and Jim will be impressed with the film's transition to Blu-ray. Recently restored in 2K, the film looks lush and very healthy, undoubtedly the best it ever has. Also included on the Blu-ray release are all of the excellent supplemental features that initially appeared on Criterion's DVD release. Do not hesitate to upgrade, folks. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.