Le Quai Des Brumes Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Le Quai Des Brumes Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 17, 2025

Marcel Carne's "Le quai des brumes" a.k.a. "Port of Shadows" (1938) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the release include the recent documentary "The Poetry of Misfortune"; the archival documentary "On the Port of the Shadows"; archival introduction by Ginette Vincendeau; and alternate credits. In French, with optional English, French SDH, and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The deserter

Jean (Jean Gabin, La Grande Illusion, Love Is My Profession), a military deserter, arrives in Le Havre looking to board the first ship that will get him out of the country. While wandering around, he is approached by a local drunk (Raymond Aimos, Wooden Crosses), who directs him to a cheap bar on the docks where he could spend the night. The place is owned by a bubbly old man (Edouard Delmont, Jean Renoir's Toni) with a big hat who does not mind helping outcasts.

In the bar, Jean meets Nelly (Michele Morgan, Obsession, The Fallen Idol), a beautiful young girl, who is also on the run. The two discuss the things that separate men and women, as well as the mistakes they make when falling in love. By the morning hours, the two are already attracted to each other. They decide to take a walk to the docks, where they meet local thug Lucien (Pierre Brasseur, Eyes Without A Face) and his goons who have been looking for Zabel (Michel Simon, Boudu Saved From Drowning, L'atalante), Nelly’s creepy guardian. Lucien begins harassing Nelly, but Jean steps in, and he quickly disappears into the night, accompanied by his men. Before they part ways, Nelly sneaks some money into Jean’s pocket.

When he discovers the money, Jean immediately decides to buy Nelly a gift. He heads to a nearby shop, which turns out to be owned by Zabel. When the surprised Nelly appears, Zabel quickly realizes that she is already madly in love with Jean and that he is on the run. Zabel offers him a drink and a deal -- if Jean gets rid of Lucien, he will give him enough money to buy a new passport and help him leave the country. But Jean rejects his offer and walks away. Outside Zabel’s shop, Nelly and Jean arrange to meet again at the docks.

Soon after, Jean dumps his uniform and gets a new passport. He also arranges to get on a ship bound for Venezuela. On the night before he leaves, he makes love to Nelly in a cheap hotel. However, in the early morning hours, on his way to the docks, Jean is spotted by Lucien.

Marcel Carne’s Le Quai Des Brumes a.k.a. Port of Shadows is a stunningly beautiful film about an impossible love. It is based on the famous novel by Pierre Dumarchais and scripted by Jacques Prevert, who also collaborated with Carne on Children of Paradise, a film many consider one of the greatest ever made.

In Le Quai des Brumes, the atmosphere is incredible. While Jean wanders around Le Havre, most of the time, there is a heavy fog. Almost immediately after he meets Nelly, a sense of fatalism enters the film, too. This type of tense atmosphere is quite common in some of the best American film noirs from the early 1940s. In France, during the 1930s, this particular style of filming became known as "poetic realism".

Shortly after its premiere in Paris in 1938, Le Quai Des Brumes was screened at the Venice Film Festival, where it went on to win the Best Director award. Despite its success, back home, Le Quai Des Brumes was quickly banned, and later on, recut. The French censors thought that it was too "depressing, morbid, immoral, and unfortunate for youth". However, while there are indeed some quite obvious pessimistic overtones in it, particularly during the second half, Le Quai Des Brumes is easily one of the most romantic films Carne directed.

Gabin and the young Morgan look incredible together. The latter has some of the most beautiful eyes to have ever looked in a film camera. The final sequence, where the two exit the hotel, and she looks at him while holding his arm, can melt even a heart of stone. Stunning film.

Le Quai Des Brumes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Le Quai Des Brumes arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

Le Quai Des Brumes made its high-definition debut with this Region-B release, also produced by StudioCanal, in 2012. In America, Kino Lorber produced this Region-A release in 2019. Both releases were sourced from a very good master that was sourced from an older restoration.

This upcoming release introduces an exclusive new 4K restoration, completed at TransPerfect Media in France on behalf of StudioCanal. According to press materials, the 4K restoration is a reconstruction job that used "a combination of the film's incomplete original negative and a 1938 standard nitrate fine grain. Color grading referenced a vintage 35mm nitrate print to faithfully capture Eugène Schüfftan's haunting cinematography and honor Alexandre Trauner's iconic set design."

Le Quai Des Brumes is one of my all-time favorite films, so I could not wait to view the new 4K restoration. After doing so late last night, I am thrilled to report that the 4K restoration is very, very good. It looks terrific on Blu-ray as well.

A wide range of visuals, and especially different close-ups, look sharper and more attractive. I would describe the entire grain field as more even and healthier as well. I noticed that in several areas there are adjustments that strengthen the grayscale in different but effective ways. However, I must also make it clear that the native fluctuations that have always existed on previous presentations of the film are retained -- the softer footage is still there, the grainier footage is still there, and some of the uneven transitions remain. Of course, it all makes sense because some of the surviving elements are not in optimal condition, which was very obvious on the previous, also very good, restoration of the film. The new 4K restoration tightens up all visuals and extracts as much detail as possible, and together with the grayscale adjustments, most areas of the film are clearly more attractive now. This becomes particularly obvious on a larger screen. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. The entire film looks as clean as possible as well. In summary, because of certain source limitations, and because previous restoration work was already very good, the new 4K restoration of Le Quai Des Brumes is impossible to describe as a big upgrade in quality. However, the 4K restoration is still a very good upgrade in quality -- it is done right and it strengthens all areas of the film in the best possible ways. It is great that it materialized, and I could not be happier to have it on Blu-ray in my library. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Le Quai Des Brumes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English, French SDH, and German subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The French track is very good. Obviously, it has limitations, but you will never be able to tell that the 4K restoration is a reconstruction job. Clarity and stability are very good, and all transitions are perfectly fine. I would describe the upper register as very healthy, though some small thinning can be noticed in a few places. The English translation is excellent.

Le Quai Des Brumes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Poetry of Misfortune - this recent documentary examines the history, style, and reputation of Le Quai Des Brumes, as well as the career of its creator, Marcel Carne. Included in it are clips from interviews with several French critics. In French, with English subtitles. (59 min).

• On the Port of the Shadows - a wonderful documentary about the production history of Marcel Carne's Le Quai Des Brumes and its various reincarnations and legacy of its stars, Jean Gabin and Michele Morgan. The documentary contains different interviews with film historian N.T. Binh, journalist Philippe Morisson, La Cinematheque Francaise restoration supervisor Camille Blot-Wellens, acclaimed directors Claude Lelouch (A Man and a Woman, And Now Ladies & Gentlemen) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, Delicatessen), and writers Jean-Pierre Berthome and Bernard G. Landry, among others. Also included is a phone interview with actress Michelle Morgan from May 2012. In French, with English subtitles. (45 min).

• Introduction - this archival introduction features Professor Ginette Vincendeau. In English, not subtitled. (7 min, 480/50i).

• Alternate Credits - presented with an English text. (4 min).

Le Quai Des Brumes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is probably not a secret that Le Quai Des Brumes is one of my all-time favorite films. There are only two or three other films that I like just as much, so I could not wait to see the new 4K restoration of it that was recently prepared on behalf of StudioCanal. The 4K restoration is an all-around winner. It is done right, with tremendous care, and helps Le Qaui Des Brumes look as best as it can. Needless to say, I am very happy to have it on Blu-ray in my library and will mention it on my Top Ten list at the end of the year. Hopefully, a local label will bring the 4K restoration to America so that film lovers and collectors here can enjoy it, too. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.