Nana Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Nana Blu-ray Movie Review

Nana is an outstanding cinematic achievement. The film was only Jean Renoir’s second production. An adaptation of the novel by Émile Zola, Nana is one of the most ambitious early silent films produced. Almost three hours long, Nana is a sweeping epic and opus by the filmmaker. Nana is an essential masterwork of the silent era and a brilliant showcase for the genius of auteur filmmaker Jean Renoir.

Nana explores the tale of its central protagonist and her experiences with life and romance. As the young woman would become one of the most prolific and notorious well-known courtesans of the time period, Nana (Catherine Hessling) goes on a turbulent journey of ups and downs. Nana loses her father at a young age and ultimately finds herself living with her own uncle.

After a rough upbring, Nana ultimately runs away, deciding to live out the life of a vagabond. As Nana finds herself living in a forest, she struggles, yet becomes a successful actress known for having a loose set of morals and she becomes a mistress. Exploring Nana’s notorious love affairs and the whirlwind of emotions Nana experiences during these turbulent times, the film tackles a story quite unexpected and ahead of its time.

The lead performance by Catherine Hessling is astonishing. Hessling had to explore her character with an abundance of subtle nuance and creativity in her performance. The role required a lot of her and silent film performances are never easy on a star- let alone on the lead for a major production. The performance exudes confidence and an understanding of the craft of performance. Hessling sinks in to her role with a sense of vitality and charisma. The performance showcases the strengths of the actress.

The costumes by Claude Autant-Lara (Devil in the Flesh, Man of the Sea) add a sense of sophistication to the production. Autant-Lara delivered great costumes for the film and each of the central characters is highlighted well. The costumes for Nana make the biggest impression. The efforts enhance the film in significant ways: the characterization and arc of Nana all the more compelling as a result. Autant-Lara also handled the complex art direction for the production and imbued Nana with a sense of artistry as a production.

The cinematography by Jean Bachelet (The Rules of the Game, Tarass Boulba) and Edmund Corwin is an exceptional element of the filmmaking. The cinematographic style is vibrant and engaging – a stunning visual achievement. This is a beautiful looking silent era production and those who appreciate the fine lensing of Bachelet will appreciate the efforts on this classic.

The score composed by Antonio Coppola (The Divine Voyage, Crainquebille) adds a sense of charm, energy, and vitality to the experience. Coppola is a gifted composer and the music adds a lot of remarkable energy to the filmmaking. The score is a perfect accompaniment to the drama.

The script by Pierre Lestringuez (Monseigneur, Pamela) is enthralling and engaging. The story is one with a lot of interesting and compelling dramatic merits. Alongside the intertitles by Denise Leblond, Nana is superb and an example of classic storytelling of the finest order. The tale is epic and the journey is one that audiences will appreciate going on.

Directed by Jean Renoir (The Rules of the Game, The Grand Illusion), who also edited the film, Nana is a brilliant silent film and a wonderful showcase for the genius of Renoir. The directing is visually hypnotic and well stylized. The pace and rhythm of the filmmaking is exquisite. There is so much to appreciate with Nana. The beautiful filmmaking and storytelling make it a first-rate production by Renoir.

Nana Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Nana is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The release presents a new 4K restoration. The 4K restoration of Nana is marvelous. This is a beautiful looking scan of the film and detail looks remarkably sharp.

 The level of detail and clarity on the release is astonishing. It is wonderful to see the degree of care and attention given to restoring classic silent films in 4K. An engaging presentation and one that capably provides a new sense of vitality to the film.

Nana Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The lossless audio quality for the music-only audio is exceptional sounding. The new music score composed by Antonio Coppola sounds beautiful and haunting. The music is remarkably crisp sounding and the level of detail on the release is impressive. This is a great audio presentation and one capably matching the quality on display with the 4K restoration effort. Intertitles are in French and are provided with English subtitles.

Nana Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Critic Nick Pinkerton

Before and After Restoration Comparison (HD, 2:19)

Ponette Trailer (SD, 2:30)

Tous les matins du monde Trailer (SD, 2:01)

Under the Sand Trailer (SD, 1:57)

Nana Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Nana is a remarkable cinematic achievement. The filmmaking is exquisite and the silent era classic represents a major accomplishment by filmmaker Jean Renoir. With haunting imagery and a great performance by star Catherine Hessling, Nana is a wonderful cinematic feat with stunning costumes, production design, and more. The filmmaking is superb and the journey the film takes audiences on is rewarding.

The Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber is sourced from a new 4K restoration. The 4K restoration is stunning and provides a remarkable degree of detail and clarity. The lossless score composed by Antonio Coppola sounds crisp and engaging as well. The presentation is certainly astonishing and it is wonderful to see so much love and care go in to preserving silent classics. A first-rate release from Kino Lorber. Highly recommended.