Manon Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Manon Blu-ray Movie Review

. . .of the desert (not the spring) this time.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 10, 2020

If, as is suggested by Geoff Andrew in one of the supplements on this release, it’s really not all that “helpful” to compare Henri-Georges Clouzot to Alfred Hitchcock, despite some surface resemblances courtesy of such legendary Clouzot films as Diabolique and The Wages of Fear, then perhaps that removes the urge to figure out how Manon is “Hitchcockian”, if indeed it is. It might be salient if one were to try to make that kind of connection to point to such “unusual” Hitchcock adaptations of a literary source like Jamaica Inn, though even that comparison is probably stretching things to the breaking point. Manon was based on a source novel entitled Manon Lescaut by Antoine François Prévost (also frequently known as Abbé Prévost), a source which had already been adapted — repeatedly — by a number of operatic composers, including Jules Massenet and Giacomo Puccini (there are at least three domestic Blu-rays available of the Puccini version, if you are interested and utilize our search box). Clouzot kind of interestingly reimagined the piece as a World War II drama that also rather interestingly dovetails with Jews attempting to get to Palestine for supposed safety. It’s a rather odd mix, and one that perhaps doesn’t ever build any significant amount of suspense (at least in a traditionally “Hitchcockian” or indeed even “Clouzot-esque” way), but which features some fascinating performances and a rather bizarre and troubling denouement.

The original Manon Lescaut took place in early 18th century France and Louisiana (!), and was mostly concerned with a star-crossed and probably doomed love affair between an upper crust sort named the Chevalier des Grieux and his somewhat less "classy" lover, Manon Lescaut. Manon has a taste for wealth, perhaps because it's been denied to her, and the Chevalier spends most of the story trying to satisfy her, to intermittent effect. Why Clouzot would have thought this basic tale would make an interesting World War II era saga, especially with its frankly weird addition of Jews on the hunt for a safe homeland, is a question for a more incisive critic than yours truly, but I will at least go on record as saying that these changes are, to quote a certain Geoff Andrews and the tendency to describe Clouzot as a "French Hitchcock", not especially "helpful".

The film is also structurally a little wobbly. It begins with a ship taking on a bunch of Jewish refugees, all of whom are placed in the hold and who break out into a rousing chorus of "Hatikvah" (which aims for but probably misses the mark set by the ardent nationalists singing "La Marseillaise" in Casablanca). In the chaos of all these refugees clamboring on board, two additional stowaways are discovered. They turn out to be a wanted supposed murderer, Robert Dégrieux (Michel Auclair), and his main squeeze, Manon Lescaut (Cécile Aubry). The first part of the film deals with the captain (Henri Vilbert) imprisoning Robert, and Manon's desperate measures to try to see him while he's held captive in the brig. This section, while arguably too long, at least makes it clear that Manon isn't above using her feminine wiles to at least try to achieve a goal, even if her attempt in this case isn't successful.

When the captain finds out that Manon has been paying off the ship's doctor in order to see Robert, he at least lets Robert out for a while, and the film then launches into a long and involved set of flashbacks that detail what brought the couple to this sad state of affairs. Manon, it turns out, was on the cusp of being tarred and feathered as a Nazi sympathizer (and perhaps collaborator) in her small French village in the waning days of World War II, and was rescued by Robert. The two kind of instantly fall in love, though there's always the hint that Manon is on the hunt for something more. She desperately wants to reunite with her brother Leon (Serge Reggiani), and basically drags Robert along, with the two ultimately getting sucked into a world of crime and, for Manon, prostitution. Disaster strikes when Robert's jealousy gets the best of him, leading them to their current predicament.

But then the film returns to "present" time for a completely peculiar third act (actually almost more like a coda), where Robert and Manon join a bunch of haggard Jewish refugees as they make their way through a desert being patrolled by Arabs with guns. Let's just say this is one love story that doesn't have a particularly happy ending, but the whole Jewish refugee angle is just downright weird in this particular context. The underlying foundation of an obsessive love gone wrong is certainly still evident here, but why Robert continues to obsess over the status conscious Manon is perhaps not made clear enough. Aubry definitely has a coquettish quality which is almost Lolita-like at times, but Manon is one adaptation that might have been better had it hewed more closely to its source.

Manon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Manon is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Academy with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. There's really not much information offered in Arrow's insert booklet, with the "about the transfer" verbiage stating only that:

Manon is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1 [sic] with 1.0 mono audio. The master was prepared in High Definition by Les Films du Jeudi and delivered to Arrow Films.

There are two very brief text cards at the beginning of the presentation stating that the film was digitally remastered, but that's about it. My hunch is at least some of this transfer was culled from a secondary source, or perhaps more accurately a source that is secondary to whatever the main element used was. There are some distinct changes in both clarity and grain structure at various moments that seem to indicate more than one element may have been used, or at least that if one element was used, it has some significant damage. A lot of this presentation is decently sharp and well detailed, though contrast can fluctuate even in the best moments, and there are some darker scenes where blacks look a bit hazy. At certain moments (the "reunion" with Manon and her family is a notable example), things suddenly get a good deal grittier looking, with less abundant fine detail levels and an overall fuzzier appearance. I noticed no huge issues with regard to age related wear and tear, and compression is solid throughout the presentation. My score is 3.75.

Manon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Manon features an LPCM Mono track in the original French which is kind of unavoidably boxy sounding at times, but which delivers dialogue and the musical elements without any major issues. There are some well done ambient environmental effects added into the mix courtesy of things like a huge torrential downpour when the two focal characters are on board the ship, or even later in the desert with the marauding Arabs on horseback, but some effects can sound a little anemic at times. I noticed no major issues with regard to distortion, dropouts or other damage.

Manon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Bibliotechque de poche: H.G. Clouzot (1080p; 46:26) is an archival documentary from circa 1970 featuring Clouzot, who offers some interesting comments about adapting literary works to the screen. In French with English subtitles.


• Woman in the Dunes (1080p; 22:21) is an "appreciation" of Clouzot in general and this film in particular by Geoff Andrews.


• Image Gallery (1080p; 10:30)

Additionally, Arrow has provided its typically nicely appointed insert booklet, this one with a rather interesting essay by Ginette Vincendeau which may help to explain some of the choices Clouzot made in this adaptation.

Manon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Clouzot completists may well want to check this odd film out, but it's an outlier in Clouzot's oeuvre, though it's notable that the film took home the Golden Lion Award at the 1949 Venice Film Festival. Why Clouzot chose to so radically tweak the source material is kind of a head scratcher, especially with what I personally consider to be the, yes, "unhelpful" addition of Jews seeking a homeland in the wake of World War II. Technical merits are generally solid, if occasionally a bit variable, for those considering a purchase.