Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

La Cage aux Folles Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 17, 2013

Nominated for three Oscar Awards, including Best Director and Best Costume Design, Edouard Molinaro's "La Cage aux Folles" a.k.a. "Birds of a Feather" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers for the the film; exclusive new video interview with director Edouard Molinaro; archival television footage from three plays featuring Jean Poiret and Michel Serrault; and an exclusive new video interview with professor Laurence Senelick. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic David Ehrenstein. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

"His father is a diplomat"

Renato (Ugo Tognazzi, La grande bouffe, L'udienza), the owner of La Cage aux Folles, the wildest drag club in St. Tropez, and his partner Albin (Michel Serrault, Une hirondelle a fait le printemps, Mortelle randonnée), the club’s flamboyant star, are presented with a difficult dilemma when the former’s son (Remi Laurent) announces that he is going to marry a beautiful girl (Luisa Maneri) – be themselves when the girl’s parents meet them or assume new identities and act like ‘normal people’.

Renato quickly comes to the conclusion that the ‘normal people’ option would be the more appropriate one since the girl’s father (Michel Galabru, Subway, Belle Epoque) happens to be the outspoken leader of a very popular party called the Union of Moral Order. Renato also realizes that it is probably best if Albin’s place is taken by his former wife, Madame Deblon (Claire Maurier, The 400 Blows), even though she has not seen her son in years. Albin is deeply disappointed by Renato’s decision to replace him, but still proceeds to help with the redecorating of their place – the provocative paintings and statuettes, the plush pillows, and even the colorful bed covers are quickly replaced with more ‘respectable’ items. Finally, the couple’s unusually playful black butler is instructed to watch his voice and talk like a real man.

When the girl’s parents eventually arrive in St. Tropez they are surprised to discover that a respected diplomat – which is how the girl has described Renato to impress her father – has chosen to live right next to a disrespectful place like La Cage aux Folles. By the end of the important meeting, the girl’s father also discovers that he has been followed by a group of reporters from a newspaper affiliated with his political opponents who have besieged Renato’s home.

Based on the popular play by Jean Poiret, La Cage aux Folles employs a tremendous amount of cliches but with a relaxed attitude that immediately wins the viewer’s sympathy. The lack of vulgarity also helps tremendously.

In an exclusive new video interview included on this release director Molinaro recalls that Tognazzi was not particularly comfortable playing the owner of the club, but he is magnificent. In fact, his better balanced reactions to the riskiest scenes in the film are far more effective than Serrault’s. Serrault’s performance gives the film its exotic flavor, but is also responsible for the few misfires that occur during the second half.

The film’s message is about acceptance and tolerance. It is delivered with plenty of humor, but it would be a mistake to think that it was meant to be taken lightly. The film’s unprecedented success, and especially here in America, clearly proves that its message was both timely and relevant.

La Cage aux Folles was lensed by cinematographer Armando Nannunzzi (Luchino Visconti’s Ludwig, Vaghe stelle dell'Orsa...(Sandra)). The film’s lighthearted soundtrack was composed by the legendary Ennio Morricone.

In 1996, Mike Nichols directed The Birdcage, an English-language remake of La Cage aux Folles, starring Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Diane West, and Nathan Lane. Hollywood-produced remakes of French films are rarely good, but this one was just as hilarious as the original film.

La Cage aux Folles Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Edouard Molinaro's La Cage aux Folles 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 Spirit 4K film scanner from a 35mm interpositive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, and warps were manually removed using MTI's DRS, while Image Systems' Phoenix was used for small dirt, grain, noise management, jitter, and flicker.

Transfer supervisor: Maria Palazzola.
Colorist: Gregg Garvin/Modern VideoFilm, Burbank, CA."

The Blu-ray release represents a massive upgrade in quality over the old R1 non-anamorphic DVD release which MGM produced many years ago. The film has the intended by director Molinaro soft and warm look with a wide range of natural colors. The footage from inside the club, in particular, is quite subdued. Image depth and clarity, however, are consistently pleasing. Contrast levels are also stable. Sharpness does fluctuate, but the fluctuations are directly linked to the original photography (compare screencaptures #3 and 5). There are no traces of problematic filtering corrections. Compromising sharpening adjustments have not been performed either. Predictably, from start to finish the film has a solid organic look. Lastly, it is obvious that debris, scratches, cuts, and damage marks have been removed as best as possible. All in all, excluding a few scattered light compression artifacts, this is indeed a fabulous presentation of La Cage aux Folles which is guaranteed to please fans of the film. (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).

La Cage aux Folles 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.

The lossless track has a good range of nuanced dynamics. In sequences where Ennio Morricone's score becomes prominent, depth is especially good. The dialog is clean, stable, dynamically well-balanced, and easy to follow. For the record, there are no pops, cracks, problematic background hiss, or audio distortions to report in this review. The English translation is excellent.

La Cage aux Folles Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Edouard Molinaro - in this terrific new video interview, director Edouard Molinaro recalls how La Cage aux Folles came to exits, and discusses his difficult relationship with Ugo Tognazzi on and off the set, the film's reception in France and America, his body of work, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2013. In French, with optional English subtitles. (19 min, 1080p).

• Archival Footage - Jean Poiret and Michel Serrault, who appeared in the original 1973 stage production of La Cage aux Folles, began their careers working together as a comedy duo on French television in the late '50s. Included here is archival television footage from three different plays featuring the two actors.
  
  1. Les antiquaires - directed by Francois Chatel, Les antiquaires was original broadcast on the program La cle des champs on April 27, 1959. B&W. In French, with optional English subtitles. (11 min, 1080p).
  
  2. Le monsieur qui veut vendre sa voiture - directed by Jean-Paul Carrere, Le monsieur qui veut vendre sa voiture was originally broadcast on the show Numero special on October 13, 1959. B&W. In French, with optional English subtitles. (7 min, 1080p).
  
  3. La Cage aux Folles - this excerpt from a television broadcast of the original theatrical production of La Cage aux Folles first aired on February 1, 1973, and was directed by Pierre Mondy. Color. In French, with optional English subtitles. (11 min, 1080i).

• Laurence Senelick - in this new video interview, professor Laurence Senelick, author of The Changing Room: Sex, Drag and Theatre, discusses the evolution of different perceptions of drag performance in theater, La Cage aux Folles and its reception in America, and the film's significance for the mainstream acceptance of drag characters in modern cinema. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in May 2013. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, 1080p).

• Trailers - original English and French trailers for La Cage aux Folles. With optional English subtitles where necessary. (5 min, 1080i).

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic David Ehrenstein.

La Cage aux Folles Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Edouard Molinaro's charming and very important comedy "La Cage aux Folles" has never looked this good before. Criterion's Blu-ray release truly allows one to experience the film in an entirely new way. Also included on the Blu-ray are two outstanding new video interviews, one with director Molinaro, and another with professor Laurence Senelick. Buy with confidence, folks. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.