Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		2.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Plein Soleil Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 13, 2013

Rene Clement's "Plein soleil" a.k.a "Purple Noon" (1960) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc a brand new interview with Alain Delon, Dominique Maillet's documentary film "Rene Clement au coeur de la Nouvelle Vague", and a restoration demonstration. In French, with optional English or German subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Perfecting the signature

Alain Delon is Tom Ripley, a handsome but poor American who is in Rome to convince his wild and extravagant friend Philippe Greenleaf (Maurice Ronet, The Swimming Pool, Elevator to the Gallows) to go back home to San Francisco. If he succeeds, Philippe's father, a wealthy businessman, will pay him $5000.

Philippe isn't cooperating, but Tom isn't complaining. The two party as much as they can and spend without worrying that they will ever run out of money. Occasionally, Marge (Marie Laforet, Because, Because of a Woman, How Not to Rob a Department Store), Philippe's beautiful fiancee also joins them. Marge does not particularly like how Philippe treats Tom, but Tom also annoys her because he often imitates Philippe.

One day, Philippe invites Tom and Marge on his expensive yacht and they head to Taormina. Soon after, Philippe pulls a prank on Tom but it goes wrong and unleashes a string of unfortunate events.

Based on Patricia Highsmith's novel, Rene Clement's Plein Soleil a.k.a Purple Noon is a classic European thriller that works for a number of different reasons. The tension that enters the film after the yacht trip, for example, is well maintained essentially until the final credits roll. The direction in which the film should be heading is obvious, but the manner in which the narrative evolves is far from predictable.

Another reason is Delon. Looking irresistibly handsome, the Frenchman's character transformation is easily one of the very best from his large body of work. It is the type of performance that very effectively alters the viewer's initial perception not only of his character but the entire film. Such great performances could be seen in Hitchcock's best thrillers.

Then there is also legendary cinematographer Henri Decae's (Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows, Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samourai) beautiful lensing of Purple Noon. Shot on location mostly around Ischia Island and Procida Island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, the film is so beautiful that at times it feels almost unreal. There is one particular sequence where Philippe's yacht is seen from afar entering a small port that is absolutely stunning.

The film is also complimented by an excellent soundtrack composed by the great Nino Rota (Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita, Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather). The music is barely noticeable while watching the film, but after it ends the viewer remembers many sequences precisely because of the beautiful music themes.

Released in 1960, Purple Noon was the film that instantly placed Delon on the radar of many big European directors. Soon after, he would appear in Luchino Visconti's Rocco and His Brothers (1960) and The Leopard (1963), Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Eclisse (1962), and Melville's Le Samourai (1967).

Notes: During the years Purple Noon has influenced a number of different directors, including Martin Scorsese. The late Anthony Minghella also directed The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), a loose remake starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law.

Plein Soleil Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Rene Clement's Purple Noon arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

The disc's main menu can be set in one of the following languages: English or German. Naturally, I assume that this exact same disc will also be sold in Germany.

The high-definition transfer has been sourced from the same new 4K restoration which we also discussed in our review of StudioCanal's French release of this classic film. Unfortunately, this isn't good news.

The same traces of problematic filtering corrections are visible throughout the entire film. Unsurprisingly, close-ups and larger panoramic shots frequently look very flat. In select indoor shots image depth is very problematic (see screencapture #14). Contrast levels are also very inconsistent. This is especially easy to see early into the film. The filtering corrections have also seriously destabilized the film's color-scheme. As it usually happens when such corrections are performed, the blacks are frequently replaced by large blocks of gray. This being said, the film looks exceptionally healthy - there are absolutely no debris, cuts, scratches, or damage marks to report in this review. All in all, I have to repeat one more time that this new presentation of Mr. Clement's classic film is indeed enormously frustrating. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Plein Soleil Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, StudioCanal have provided optional English and German subtitles for the main feature.

The lossless track is identical to the one found on StudioCanal's French release of Purple Noon. Depth and clarity are very good. There is also a nice range of nuanced dynamics that allow Nino Rota's terrific soundtrack to impress in all the right places. The dialog is clean, crisp, stable, and very easy to follow. The English translation is excellent.

Plein Soleil Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Alain Delon - in this brand new video interview, legendary French actor Alain Delon discusses his contribution to Purple Noon and Rene Clement's directing style. The same interview appears on StudioCanal's French release of Purple Noon. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (19 min).

• Rene Clement at the Heart of the New Wave - a documentary film by Dominique Maillet focusing on Purple Noon and director Rene Clement's legacy. The documentary features interviews with director and scenarist Jean-Charles Tacchella (Cousin cousine, Croque la vie), actress Brigitte Fossey (Forbidden Games), Alain Delon, film historian Aldo Tassone, director and producer Dominique Delouche (L'homme de désir), assistant cameraman Jean-Paul Schwartz (Purple Noon), producer Renzo Rossellini (Don Giovanni, Death Watch), and costume designer Piero Tosi (The Leopard, The Damned). The same documentary appears on the French release. In French and Italian, with imposed English subtitles where necessary. (67 min).

• Plein Soleil: The Restoration - before and-after restoration demonstration. In French, not subtitled. (5 min).

Plein Soleil Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you want the best current presentation of Rene Clement's Plein Soleil, you should try to obtain the Blu-ray release Criterion produced last year. However, I also urge you to seriously consider purchasing StudioCanal's Blu-ray release for the supplemental features. The exclusive new interview with the great Alain Delon is one of the best I've seen produced for a film of this caliber.