Les Risques du métier Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Les Risques du métier Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 24, 2014

Andre Cayatte's "Les Risques du metier" a.k.a. "Risky Business" (1967) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Gaumont. The supplemental features on the disc include a new documentary film produced by Pierre-Henri Gibert and an archival video piece featuring clips from interviews with Jacques Brel, director Andre Cayatte, and writers Simone and Jean Cornec. In French, with optional English and French SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"It seemed normal to talk about schoolwork in the forest..."

The premise of French director Andre Cayatte’s Les Risques du metier a.k.a. Risky Business is quite similar to that of Danish director Thomas Vinterberg’s Jagten a.k.a. The Hunt. However, the former was completed in 1967, while the latter was completed in 2012 and is currently nominated for Oscar for Best Foreign Language film. I mention this because I found the relaxed tone of Cayette’s film to be truly quite extraordinary.

Here’s the plot for Risky Business: Jean Doucet (Mon oncle Benjamin, Franz) is a teacher in a small town somewhere in the French countryside. He is married to Suzanne Doucet (the great Emmanuelle Riva, Hiroshima mon amour, Amour), who is also employed as a teacher in the same school. The two lead a quiet life and most people seem to genuinely like them. One day, someone leaves a small gift on Jean’s desk. The gift, a very expensive lighter, confuses Jean because he is convinced that it is from one of his students but does not understand the intention behind it. Jean’s confusion quickly disappears when a few days later he is accused of raping Catherine (Delphine Desyeux), one of his brightest students. The town’s mayor (Rene Dary, Touchez Pas Au Grisbi) immediately informs the police and Jean is arrested. While he is questioned, two other girls step forward and accuse Jean of trying to force himself upon them. At this point everyone in the small town is outraged. One angry father even attempts to punish the monster before he is officially found guilty. Knowing and trusting her husband, Suzanne does her best to remain composed and assist the police, but the more she hears from the three girls, the more she begins to realize that for her and Jean life will never be the same again.

A number of important events are shown as flashbacks. The film opens up with a short prologue in which Catherine is seen running with her blouse ripped off and then entering her home. When she reveals to her parents what Jean has done to her, everyone panics. In another flashback Jean is seen talking to his students and trying to figure out who left the expensive gift on his desk. When no one steps forward, he becomes angry. Then in another flashback he repeatedly confronts Catherine while looking unusually tense.

There is a good reason why these important events are shown as flashbacks - because depending on how one arranges them, they can almost prove that Jean is a monster. Cayatte knows it and this is precisely the reason why later on the audience is presented with a slightly different arrangement. But at this point the truth almost seems irrelevant. It is the damage that has been done which everyone is concerned with.

The finale is very unusual for a film from the '60s. Very bold is one way to describe it, though-provoking is another.

The cast is outstanding. Brel, the great Belgian singer and songwriter, is terrific as the handsome and temperamental school teacher whose life suddenly spins out of control. Riva is wonderful as his quiet and supportive wife. The three young girls are also fantastic.

Risky Business was lensed by the legendary French cinematographer Christian Matras (Jean Renoir’s La Grande Illusion, Max Ophuls’ The Earrings of Madame de..., Luis Bunuel's The Milky Way).

Les Risques du métier 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, Andre Cayatte's Risky Business arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Gaumont.

Using a brand new high-definition transfer struck from a new digital restoration, Risky Business looks beautiful on Blu-ray. There are some minor brightness fluctuations that are introduced during select flashbacks, but clarity and image depth are very good. Most close-ups, in particular, look terrific (see screencapture #8). There is a wide range of very warm and soft colors that support the country atmosphere quite well. Also, there are no traces of color boosting. The best news, however, is that there are no traces of compromising degraining and sharpening corrections. Some noise and dirt have been removed, but the integrity of the image is intact. Finally, there are no serious stability issues to report in this review. The encoding and compression are also good. To sum it all up, this is a very beautiful organic presentation of Risky Business that should please fans of the film as well as those who will see it for the first time on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Les Risques du métier Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. For the record, Gaumont have provided optional English and French SDH subtitles for the main feature.

The dialog is exceptionally crisp, clean and stable. Despite the fact that dynamic movement is limited, there is a good range of nuanced dynamics as well. However, Jacques Brel and François Rauber's music score has a small role so you should expect to see a film with a fairly modest sound design. There no pops, cracks, background hiss, or distortions to report in this review. The English translation is excellent.

Les Risques du métier Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Andre Cayatte: la justice dans l'ange mort - new documentary featuring interviews with production dierctor Ully Pickardt, Andre Cayatte's assistant Jean Valere, actors Nathalie Nell (Helene), Emmanuelle Riva (phone interview), Delphine Desyeux (Catherine), and Nadine Alari (Mrs. Arnaud). The documentary was produced by Pierre-Henri Gibert in 2013. In French, not subtitled. (31 min, 1080p).

• Les risques du metier... du livre a l'ecran - archival video piece featuring clips from interviews with Jacques Brel, director Andre Cayatte, and writers Simone and Jean Cornec (Risky Business was based on their novel Les risques du metier). In French, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).

Les Risques du métier Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you have already seen Danish director Thomas Vinterberg's Oscar nominated The Hunt and its subject appealed to you, I encourage you to import this terrific film directed by the late Andre Cayatte. It is a minor classic which has been recently restored by Gaumont in France. As usual, Gaumont's Blu-ray release is Region-Free and English-friendly. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.