Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Le souffle au coeur Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 20, 2015

Nominated for Palme d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Louis Malle's "Murmur of the Heart" a.k.a. "Le souffle au coeur" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Gaumont. The only bonus feature on the disc is a documentary film featuring interviews with cinematographer Ricardo Aronovich, actor Benoît Ferreux, sound editor/mixer Jean-Claude Laureux, and assistant director Ghislain Uhry. In French, with optional English and French SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"What a dope. He does not understand you."

Louis Malle’s once rather controversial film is set in Dijon during the early ‘50s, where 14-year old Laurent (Benoit Ferreux, I Hate Actors) feels like a fish out of water. He is part of a big and wealthy French family whose members have different ideas about what it means to enjoy life. In the past, Laurent has successfully managed to ignore them, but lately it has become almost impossible to coexist with them. Laurent’s two older brothers (Fabien Ferreux and Marc Winocourt) have been particularly annoying because they have managed to lose their virginity and are now routinely reminding him that he has some catching up to do. Bad news reports from Indochina have also exposed the worst side of his typically very diplomatic father (Daniel Gélin). Laurent has also discovered that his beautiful Italian mother (Lea Massari, L'Avventura) has a younger lover.

Things temporarily return back to normal when Laurent is diagnosed with heart murmur and is given more freedom to enjoy what matters the most to him -- reading books and listening to his Charlie Parker records. Eventually, he is sent to a popular sanatorium where he finally meets a girl (Jacqueline Chauvaud) that he likes. But while he enjoys her company, his mother, who is staying with him at the sanatorium, gets her heart broken and he shifts his attention to her, hoping that he could quickly help her recover.

Malle’s film does not look bold or risky now, but there was a time when it certainly felt like it had stepped into a dangerous territory. The film isn’t explicit, but its frankness and refusal to judge its characters made some viewers feel a bit uneasy.

The events in the film are observed from two completely different angles. The majority of them are seen through Laurent’s eyes as he struggles to remain independent and slowly begins to realize that life is a series of triumphs, failures, and compromises – some trivial and easily forgettable, some important and capable of transforming one’s entire life.

There is a balanced distance between Laurent and the rest of the characters that also allows the viewer to gain a better understanding of his family’s value system and see its major flaws. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that everyone is vulnerable and like Laurent undergoing some sort of a transformation. It is where the bulk of the humor comes from -- initially it looks like Laurent is the most naive and inexperienced member of the family, but later on the boy actually emerges as the most rational person.

The famous love sequence appears towards the end of the film and during that particular moment it actually makes perfect sense. (Taken out of context it does not). There is a connection that occurs before the sexual act that reveals the vulnerability mentioned earlier. It is what Malle focuses on and then quickly moves away from it. (There is a longer and riskier sequence earlier in which Laurent meets a suave priest played brilliantly by Michael Lonsdale).

The film has aged very well. Perhaps only some of the sarcasm now feels a bit weak, but the acting and the direction are unquestionably first-class.

Le souffle au coeur Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Louis Malle's Murmur of the Heart arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Gaumont.

Excluding a few darker sequences where shadow definition could be more convincing, the film looks very healthy and natural. Typically, during close-ups clarity is lovely, while larger panoramic shots boast pleasing fluidity. Depth is very good. Colors are stable and natural, never appearing artificially boosted. Contrast and sharpness levels are also well balanced. There are no traces of problematic degraining corrections. Grain could be slightly better defined, but it is visible throughout the entire film and well managed. There are no traces of sharpening adjustments. Overall image stability is very good. Finally, there are no large cuts, damage marks, splices, debris, or specks to report in our review. All in all, this is a lovely organic presentation of Murmur of the Heart that is guaranteed to please fans of the film. 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. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Le souffle au coeur Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English and French SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film does not have a prominent music score. Naturally, dynamic movement is rather modest. However, clarity and depth are very good and during the mass scenes (see the celebration at the end) separation and balance are excellent. The dialog is always clean, stable, and easy to follow. There are no no pops, cracks, distracting background hiss, or digital distortions to report in our review.

Le souffle au coeur Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Portrait de famille - this documentary film takes a closer look at the production history of Murmur of the Heart and some of its key themes. Included in it are interviews with cinematographer Ricardo Aronovich, actor Benoît Ferreux (Laurent), sound editor/mixer Jean-Claude Laureux, and assistant director Ghislain Uhry. The documentary was produced by Dominique Maillet. In French, not subtitled. (50 min, 1080p).

Le souffle au coeur Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Louis Malle's Murmur of the Heart is one of the best coming-of-age films ever made. This isn't an exaggeration. Indeed, I don't know if there is anyone that has seen the film that hasn't been touched by its honesty. Countless directors have also copied what Malle did in it. French label Gaumont's Blu-ray release is sourced from a new restoration of the film, which I like a lot. I think that it is only a matter of time before the film transitions to Blu-ray in the U.S. as well. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.