Marcel Pagnol: 2-Film Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Marcel Pagnol: 2-Film Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 18, 2023

Marcel Pagnol's name is rather strangely largely unknown or at least unremembered these days, though the fact that the back cover of Film Movement's "double feature" release of two films based on Pagnol's writings mentions Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring may help to spark some recognition. I'd personally also add in other Pagnol based efforts such as Fanny and the much earlier Marius, Fanny and César that tell more or less the same story as the Joshua Logan "non musical film version of a stage musical". It's salient to note that Pagnol was a filmmaker himself as well as being a writer, and in fact César was one of his directorial efforts, but in terms of his writing, Pagnol had a unique ability to capture both a specific time and place, setting many of his pieces in a general timeframe of the late 19th to early 20th centuries, and with at least an occasional emphasis on rustic rural types. The rural element is very much in play in both My Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle even if the socioeconomic side of things might suggest a considerably more middle class existence. Neither of these films is long on melodrama, which is actually one of the more refreshing things about both of them, but they're both unbelievably evocative and heartfelt, and they have the added benefit of providing a virtual travelogue of some of France's most stunningly beautiful locations.

For reviews of the two films in this set, please click on the following links:

My Father's Glory Blu-ray review

My Mother's Castle Blu-ray review

Marcel Pagnol: 2-Film Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Marcel Pagnol: 2-Film Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Marcel Pagnol: 2-Film Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Supplements included on each disc in this set are detailed in the above linked reviews. Additionally, this comes with a nicely appointed insert booklet featuring an interesting essay about Pagnol by Kat Ellinger.

Marcel Pagnol: 2-Film Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Take a deep breath. There are charming films that are almost completely absent of traditional "conflict" and yet which still manage to tell a captivating story, and two of them are wonderfully collected here. Technical merits are solid and the supplements very appealing. Recommended.