Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Lourdes Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 22, 2012

Winner of multiple awards at the Venice Film Festival, Austrian director Jessica Hausner's "Lourdes" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer and a video interview with actress Sylvie Testud. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Pilgrims

The film tells the story of a lonely young woman, Christine (Sylvie Testud, Fear and Trembling, The Round Up), affected with multiple sclerosis, who decides to visit Lourdes, the famous site of pilgrimage in the Pyrenees Mountains. She is not devoutly religious, but the journey is one that she believes will have a positive, long-lasting effect on her self-esteem.

Christine’s roommate in the local hotel is the exact opposite of her - she is a deeply religious Catholic woman (Linde Prelog, Revanche) who expects a miracle cure. During the trips to the sacred cave and later on the group sessions organized by the Catholic Church, the two become close.

Christine is assisted by a beautiful young nurse, Maria (Lea Seydoux, The Last Mistress, Farewell, My Queen), who has fallen in love with an Order of Malta officer, Kuno (Bruno Todeschini, Those Who Love Me Can Take The Train, Son frère). Maria does her best to remain professional, but occasionally she slips. Christine does not mind, but there are times when she becomes upset she isn’t as healthy as Maria to enjoy life.

The rest of the pilgrims are men and women with different expectations. Some desire immediate physical cure, others hope for spiritual illumination. They discuss past miracles, traditions, the power of faith. But these are not passionate religious debates, rather respectful exchanges of personal observations.

Eventually, the unthinkable happens – Christine regains her ability to walk again. The miracle immediately unleashes a sea of comments and speculations amongst the pilgrims and the staff assisting them. Christine’s attitude towards life and religion also dramatically changes, as she realizes that she could possibly experience everything she has been dreaming about, including falling in love.

The tone of Austrian director Jessica Hausner’s Lourdes could not have been more appropriate. The film is respectful, free of populist preaching and focused enough to effectively engage a wide range of viewers. The dilemmas Christine faces during the journey as well as her character transformation are easy to understand because for a long period of time she simply observes the proceedings just like the viewer does.

The film’s most effective point is the clear distinction it makes between faith and human strength. Both are addressed in manners that force the viewer to consider different points of view and understand different attitudes. This isn’t to say that Hausner tries to educate, but that her film clearly shows why there is a distinction between the two.

Testud is excellent as the frustrated and angry young woman whose world dramatically changes after she arrives at Lourdes. Her attitude toward 'faith' and the people around her seems genuinely sincere. And in this film, this is a major accomplishment.

Shot with the Red One Camera, the film looks notably vibrant and crisp. The panoramic vistas, in particular, look quite remarkable. Also, the big groups of people seen during the ceremonies were real pilgrims who were visiting Lourdes at the time when the film was shot.

Note: In 2009, Lourdes was screened at the Venice Film Festival where it won multiple awards, including Brian Award and Sergio Trasatti Award.

Lourdes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jessica Hausner's Lourdes arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.

Shot with the Red One Camera, Lourdes looks stunning on Blu-ray. Many of the long static shots look like digital photos - detail, sharpness, and clarity are outstanding, especially when there is plenty and evenly distributed light. The outdoor footage is also notably vibrant, boasting perfect contrast and crisp and lush colors (see screencaptures # 12 and 17). I did not notice any transfer specific anomalies. Compression, in particular, is very good and there isn't any distracting scaling flicker. All in all, Lourdes is easily one of the very best looking Blu-ray releases produced by Artificial Eye. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. 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).

Lourdes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 For the record, Artificial Eye have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

Lourdes has a fairly modest sound design. Excluding the party at the end, the rest of the film is comprised of long sequences with basic dialog and the occasional random noises. Unsurprisingly, there is practically no serious movement in the rear channels. The dialog, however, is exceptionally crisp, stable, and very easy to follow. There are no distortions or audio dropouts to report in this review.

Lourdes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: The supplemental features on this disc are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3.

• Interview - actress Sylvie Testud discusses her acting career and the message of Lourdes. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 720p).

• Trailer - the original French theatrical trailer for Lourdes. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (2 min, 720p).

Lourdes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Jessica Hausner's Lourdes should appeal to both believers and non-believers. It is very well balanced, objective, and, most importantly, respectable to the subjects it addresses. British distributors Artificial Eye's presentation of the film is mighty impressive. Their release is Region-Free, but there is also a U.S. release, courtesy of Palisades Tartan. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.