Madame Bovary Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Madame Bovary Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 20, 2022

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Lies and Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol.

Claude Chabrol has been decently served by the high definition era, with several of the French master's outings having been released on Blu-ray, including several by Cohen Media Group and/or their Cohen Film Collection imprint. I've personally reviewed a bunch of Cohen releases of Chabrol films, including Merci pour le Chocolat and The Color of Lies. More saliently in terms of this new release from Arrow, however, are two previous Cohen releases, The Inspector Lavardin Collection, which Cohen put out in 2014, and 3 Classic Films by Claude Chabrol, which followed in 2017. Those two releases together feature four of the five films that Arrow has aggregated in this set, and I'll be referring to my earlier reviews for things like plot recaps, as well as more technical aspects in terms of how video and audio quality stack up between the two. As tends to be the case, the Arrow release is stuffed to the gills with supplements, which is one element in the Blu-ray world where Cohen tends not to offer much.

Madame Bovary is the sole film in this collection from Arrow which has not had a prior release from Cohen Media Group. This oft adapted classic from the pen of Gustave Flaubert might seem to be an odd choice for Claude Chabrol, since it would seem to harken back to period romantic dramas perhaps like Far from the Madding Crowd or Ryan's Daughter, but as I've mentioned in some reviews of Chabrol's films, there's often a kind of "class consciousness" at play in the director's work which informs at least part of the story of Emma (Isabelle Huppert). Emma is in fact a precursor to Rose Ryan from the Lean film in that she yearns for "something more", whatever that might mean. A frustrating marriage to a less than thrilling man is just part of the many problems that accrue in what is almost a Dickensian litany of horrors visited on both those without any means, and those who may pretend to have means.

This version can seem a trifle emotionally remote at times, but it can then resonate surprisingly strongly at others (the final act is especially gruesome from a tragic outcome standpoint). That said, this version features a really handsome production design and some colorful supporting performances. Huppert received a Best Actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival for her work in the film.

Madame Bovary Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Madame Bovary is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.67:1. Arrow's insert booklet really doesn't provide any substantial information on any of the transfers in this set, offering only a generic statement that the high definition masters were restored and provided by MK2. Without any Cohen release to compare it to, this transfer may come off as the most appealingly color timed of the bunch, though even without a comparison to look at it, it instantly struck me as having less of the overt blue, green and/or yellow tones that are noticeable in some of the other transfers in this set. The outdoor material in particular pops beautifully in this transfer, with lush greenery and naturally blue looking skies. Fine detail on the Academy Award nominated costume designs is noticeably excellent almost all of the time. Grain resolves naturally and I noticed no compression anomalies.

Madame Bovary Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Madame Bovary features LPCM Mono audio, with the track providing capable support for a rather talk heavy enterprise (including some narration). Outdoor scenes have natural sounding ambient environmental effects, and the score (once again partially credited to Matthieu Chabrol) is rendered without any issues whatsoever. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Madame Bovary Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Kat Ellinger


• Imagining Emma: Madame Bovary on Screen (HD; 16:06) is an insightful visual essay by historian Pamela Hutchinson about the various film adaptations of the Flaubert source novel.


• Introduction by film scholar Joël Magny (HD; 2:31) is in French with English subtitles.


• Scene Commentaries by Claude Chabrol (HD; 37:59) are in French with English subtitles.


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:22)


• Posters and Stills (HD)

Madame Bovary Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There have been so many adaptations of Madame Bovary that Chabrol's version may have been largely overlooked for one reason or another. It is a gorgeous looking film, and it provides Huppert with a memorable star turn. Technical merits are solid, and the supplementary package well done. Recommended.