Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		5.0

Out 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 22, 2015

Jacques Rivette's "Out 1" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Carlotta Films U.S. The supplemental features include the film's edited theatrical version, "Out 1: Spectre", and Robert Fischer and Wilfried Reichart's brand new documentary film "The Mysteries of Paris". The release also arrives with an exclusive 120-page illustrated booklet featuring critical writings on the film, plot notes, technical information, and stills. In French, with optional English or French SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Decoding the message

My first experience with Jacques Rivette’s Out 1 was during the mid-1990s and it was a very frustrating one. A good friend sent me a couple of video tapes with an incomplete version of the film which was overdubbed in Polish. A man basically translated all of the exchanges between the main characters and his voice was recorded on top of their voices. It was absolutely terrible because I could not understand what was being said. The image quality was also horrendous. Obviously, the tapes were not legit, but at the time this was the only way to see the film.

During the DVD era Out 1 remained an incredibly elusive film. Only recently a five-disc set emerged in Germany (via Arte), but the quality of the presentation was once again questionable. In North America, the film remained persona non grata.

Carlotta Films’ upcoming Blu-ray release will change that. For the first time ever Rivette’s complete version of Out 1 -- which is 12 hours and 55 minutes long -- as well as the edited theatrical version, Out 1: Spectre -- which is 4 hours and 15 minutes long -- will be officially introduced on the home video market here. What is even more remarkable is that both versions of Out 1 have been fully restored in 2K under the supervision of cinematographer Pierre-William Glenn.

So what kind of film is Out 1?

At its core Out 1 is a very, very ambitious experimental project. It challenges and breaks all sorts of different narrative rules in the same way some of Jean-Luc Godard’s most radical films from the 1960s do. There is a plot but it is so fluid that different parts of it can be easily rearranged and nothing would change. Basically, the film creates a very unique reality and then welcomes you into it. Here you will meet many different characters -- some you will find easy to get along with, some will puzzle you, and some will quickly annoy you. The confusion you will initially experience and the struggle to understand the conspiracy theory that supposedly brings logic to the chaos will eventually force you to see the film from an entirely different angle. Your imagination will then be unlocked and you will finally realize that the film is not about characters and the evolution of different relationships but about the unique pulse of an era that united, divided and ultimately disappointed a generation of dreamers who genuinely thought that they had the power to make a change.

Viewing Out 1 can truly be a very unusual experience. I would not go as far as to say that it resembles an acid experience, which is how director Claire Denis once described her viewing of the film, but it will definitely make you feel awkward. The film does play with the mind, and even after it ends, it stays with you and forces you to reexamine its “story” over and over again.

The cast list includes many of French cinema’s most prominent actors from the post- 'May 68' era. Michael Lonsdale and Michele Moretti are the leaders of two experimental theater groups. Jean-Pierre Leaud plays an odd character who sends and receives some perplexing secret messages. Bulle Ogier is the owner of a small hippie shop. There are also memorable cameos by the great Eric Rohmer, who becomes a respected Balzac scholar, and Barbet Schroeder.

Out 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jacques Rivette's Out 1 arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Carlotta Films. U.S.

The box set contains 6 Blu-ray discs and 7 DVDs. The complete version of Out 1 (12 hours and 55 minutes) is placed on four Blu-ray discs. The edited theatrical version, Out 1: Spectre (4 hours and 15 minutes), is placed on a single Blu-ray disc. Robert Fischer and Wilfred Reichart's documentary The Mysteries of Paris is also placed on a single Blu-ray disc. The main menu of each disc can be set in English or French. Therefore, I assume that the French release and the U.S. release of Out 1 are identical.

The film was restored in 2K by Technicolor, for Sunshine, with the financial support of CNC. The color grading was supervised by its cinematographer, Pierre-William Glenn.

Producers and Editorial Directors: Vincent Paul-Boncour, Robert Fischer.
Executive Producer and Editorial Manager: Fabien Braule.
Associate Producer: Celine Cleris.

I viewed the complete version of the film and thought that it looked absolutely spectacular. Depth and clarity are fantastic throughout the entire film and contrast levels remain stable. Obviously, because the film was shot on 16mm there are certain areas where density could fluctuate a bit, but these fluctuations are part of the film's original cinematography. (See some of the black-and-white footage). Grain is prominent, as it should be, and wonderfully resolved. There are absolutely no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. The color scheme is beautiful. Colors appear wonderfully saturated, there are excellent nuances, and stability is fantastic. Image stability is excellent. Finally, the film looks incredibly healthy.

I also viewed the edited version of the film. Its basic technical characteristics are the same, but there are a couple of spots where I noticed some tiny skips. I don't know if there is an issue with my disc. An example can be seen at 01.06.30.

(Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Out 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French LPCM 1.0. Optional English and French SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film has a very distinctive organic sound design. Rather predictably, dynamic intensity is quite modest. However, depth, clarity, and balance are excellent. There are no pops, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in our review.

Out 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Out 1: Spectre - the edited theatrical version of the film is placed on a separate Blu-ray disc. In French, with optional English and French SDH subtitles. (264 min, 1080p).

• The Mysteries of Paris - this wonderful new documentary film focuses on Out 1's unusual history and revisits key locations where various sequences from Out 1 were shot. Included in it are brand new interviews with cinematographer Pierre-William Glenn, actors Michael Lonsdale, Hermine Karagheuz and Bulle Ogier, assistant director Jean-François Stévenin, and producer Stéphane Tchalgadjieff. Also included are clips from archival interviews with actors Jacques Doniol-Valcroze and Michel Delahaye as well as archival footage with director Jacques Rivette. The film was produced by Robert Fischer and Wilfried Reichart for Fiction Factory. In French, with optional English subtitles. (110 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - an exclusive 120-page illustrated booklet featuring critical writings on the film, plot notes, technical information, and stills. The booklet is in English and French. (All texts are translated into English).

Out 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is no other film quite like Jacques Rivette's Out 1. It is an incredibly ambitious experimental project that has to be seen to be believed. Carlotta Films U.S. is releasing on Blu-ray a brand new 2K restoration of the film which was supervised by its cinematographer, Pierre-William Glenn. It looks sensational and there is no doubt in my mind that people who have been trying to see the film during the years will be enormously pleased with it. Also included on this upcoming release is a wonderful new documentary film from Robert Fischer and Wilfried Reichart that features some outstanding new and archival interviews with Jacques Rivette and different cast and crew members. Brilliant release. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.