L' Argent Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

L' Argent Blu-ray Movie Review

A silent era production, L'Argent is a drama (with twists and turns throughout) which was based on the novel (of the same name) by Émile Zola. Produced by Jean Sapene (Mandrin, Gossette), the film explores themes around greed and corruption. Met with mixed reviews upon it's initial release, L'Argent is highly regarded as a classic by some and a frustrating experience by others. Modern audiences: take note.

The tale of L'Argent begins to unfold by exploring the lives of two rival bankers and their ongoing feud in the marketplace. Nicolas Saccard (Pierre Alcover) is the central protagonist of the story and a banker attempting to find success in his commercial endeavors. On the other end of the banking system is his rival Alphonse Gundermann (Alfred Abel). The clash ensues (and takes some unexpected turns with drama at every corner).

Looking for ways to enhance his business, Saccard decides to fund a mission aviator Jacques Hamelin (Henry Victor) embarks on. Things are off to a brisk start and Saccard hopes for glory. Yet Saccard's lust for the beautiful wife of his aviator business-partner, Line Hamelin (Marie Glory), gets in the banker's way. As does his ex-flame: the drop-dead-sexy La baronne Sandorf (Brigitte Helm), a seductress who has her own complicated agenda at play in the story. Will Saccard find success?

The cinematography by Jules Kruger (Wooden Crosses, End of the World) is a complicated element to consider. The style of the photography seems strangely experimental. There are so many out-of-focus shots and obscured images with the foreground looking soft. The visual conundrum may have been partially intentional as a way to reflect the chaos of the banking system and the mad-dash energy in exploration throughout the story. Though there are some impressive visual moments, L'Argent also manages to be equally frustrating at times for having a peculiar photographic effect that left me cold.

The production design elements are elaborate and showcase a number of impressive components to the craft. The complex art direction constructed by André Barsacq (N'aimer que toi, Lumière d'été) and Lazare Meerson (Under the Roofs of Paris, Knight Without Armor) showcases a luxurious high-end landscape that shows the budget in the picture from scene-to-scene. The sets look highly detailed and if there was a modern production to compare it to one might think of a gem such as Baz Luhrmann's epic re-telling of The Great Gatsby. The filmmaking aims for being elaborate. Indeed, the stylistic flourishes seem to be the top priority.

The costumes designed by Jacques Manuel (The Great Temptation, Three Waltzes) are beautiful and one of the most impressive aspects of the silent production. The gowns worn by the goddess Brigitte Helm as La baronne Sandorf are elaborate and highly detailed. The final moments of the film feature some of the best costumes and the beauty of Brigitte Helm is further enhanced by the craftsmanship of her sensual attire. There is much to appreciate about these costumes. A high point in the film.

Presented with two separate score options, L'Argent features score music composed by Olivier Massot and performed by the Orchestre National De Lyon as well as the score composed by Rodney Sauer as performed by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. Either option will provide viewers with some compelling music. The score by Massot is particularly beautiful and has some fantastic orchestration.

Where L'Argent finds trouble is in the simplistic screenplay written by Arthur Bernède (Judex, Tao). The storytelling is underwhelming and frustrating (in good measure). The characters feel paper-thin in depth and are less compelling than anything else about the filmmaking. Co-written and directed by Marcel L'Herbier (Scent of the Woman in Black, The Citadel of Silence), L'Argent feels like an enormous spectacle of the time-period: a showy 1928 production which is more style than substance. A frustrating experience, L'Argent lacks the necessary ingredients to be a true classic.

L' Argent Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Flick Alley, L'Argent features a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio. The release presents a 4K restoration which was compiled from the B negative. The original negative could not be used and the end results are decidedly mixed. Though a 4K scan is always welcome, the transfer was ultimately a surprising disappointment.

The remastered presentation has less clarity than expected and many scenes and individual frames are inherently soft in appearance. Foreground objects appear to often be obscured and blurry. The visuals are never as sharp as desirable. Though some of these visual imperfections might be the intended cinematographic effect at play, the end result is disappointing nonetheless. The title cards (newly reconstructed) appear excellent nonetheless.

Ultimately, the remastered presentation from Flicker Alley is a consistently inconsistent one and the sequences which are underwhelming leave too strong an impression. The brightness seems overly boosted and black levels are never as satisfactory as desirable. Thin scratches can also be seen during many sequences of the film. While there are scenes in the presentation that are clean and crisp, the 4K remaster just doesn't manage to succeed on a level of consistency one would expect for a remaster of this nature.

L' Argent Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio quality is significantly more impressive than the video-presentation. The release includes two lossless audio options (both of which are presented in uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo in 16 bit depth). Both score selections sound terrific and offer exceptional clarity and fidelity for the music. Enthralling, mesmerizing, and proficient on every level, the scores add a sense of majesty to the filmmaking. There is something breathtaking about the precise clarity of the score compositions. Throughout the experience, the audio fidelity dramatically expands upon the quality of the film presentation.

L' Argent Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release is packaged in an attractive clear case and includes a printed booklet featuring writing about the film and production credits.

The Making of L'Argent (HD, 39:17) has been newly scanned in 4K resolution and is presented with either the original score (1971) or a new score composed by Tempsion (2019). The behind-the-scenes making of is an early example of a documentary exploring the production of a film. As this is rarely a feature available for a film of this age, it is remarkably impressive to find an extensive documentary accompanying the release.

The Two Restorations of L'Argent (HD, 5:07) compares an earlier restoration of the film produced in 1971 to the brand new restoration completed for the 4K scan.

Prometheus Banker (HD, 16:07) is a short film from L'Argent director Marcel L'Herbier which fans of the filmmaker will want to further explore.

Lastly, the release includes a photo gallery available as a click-through selection of high-resolution still photography taken during the production of the film.

L' Argent Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Though some highly regard L'Argent as a classic, the film can also be a bit overbearing at times. The filmmaking has some impressive elements (including some unique performances) but the film also struggles to be as compelling as it wants to be. The Blu-ray release is equally frustrating: the disc includes a 4K remaster which is underwhelming (though the lossless audio tracks are downright exceptional).

The extras include a 4K remastered making-of documentary and this inclusion is certainly going to be satisfactory for fans of the film. Despite reservations about the release, fans may consider it the best available option for viewing the film and may wish to consider the release if at a reasonable price. Consider the pros and cons of the release and decide.