Rider on the Rain 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Rider on the Rain 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 11, 2026

Rene Clement's "Rider on the Rain" (1970) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson; archival audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson; and vintage trailers. In French or English, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

It is somewhat ironic that Rider on the Rain is arguably the most sophisticated European film that Charles Bronson appeared in because he never emerges as a formidable character in it. In fact, his presence essentially completes the character that Marlene Jobert plays.

A man arrives in a sleepy provincial town somewhere in the South of France and hours later breaks into a secluded home. He rapes a beautiful young woman (Jobert) and then hides in the cellar. When the woman recovers from the shock, she kills him with a rifle and then ditches his body in the sea. On the following day, the woman decides not to tell her husband (Gabrielle Tinti), who is a pilot and on his way home, and resumes her life as if the rape never occurred. She even manages to fool her observing mother (Annie Cordy), who runs the town’s only bowling alley.

Soon after, however, a second man (Bronson) arrives in town, meets the woman, and makes her realize that he knows plenty about her horrific experience. Then he demands that she give him a large red bag that her attacker carried with him. When the woman refuses to cooperate, at first because she can’t recall the bag and later because she becomes concerned about her safety again, the man threatens to reveal her secret to her family. Meanwhile, the local authorities launch an investigation, and shortly after a body is recovered on a nearby beach, they announce that they have the ‘killer’ -- a waitress from Paris. The woman then decides it is her duty to help the innocent waitress regain her freedom, but she struggles to evade the impatient visitor.

The great director René Clement gives this deceptively simple thriller a very interesting, dreamy quality, and the exact manner in which he does so is what makes it irresistibly attractive. Indeed, on one hand, Clement allows the violence and the ugly to flood the film, and this instantly adds a thick dark vibe to it that would be perfect for one of those tough noirish crime dramas Jean Gabin frequently appeared in (see The Night Affair). However, instead of ramping up the tension, Clement does precisely the opposite and, in the process, casually begins eroding the dark vibe with old-fashioned romance. This overlapping of contrasting qualities then becomes so distinct and lasts so long that it begins to look as if Jobert’s character is moving through a dream. (In And Hope to Die, another good thriller from the same period, Clement does the same, even though the subject matter there is different. The dark crime story is effectively overshadowed by a warm romantic story in which Jean-Louis Trintignant’s character begins to fall in love with the wrong woman and at the wrong time).

Two different versions of this film were shot at the same time. The French version is slightly longer, but it does not have any additional/alternate content. Basically, it took a couple of extra minutes for Clement to shoot the exact same material in French.

This writer thinks that the French version is preferable because the overwhelming majority of the actors were native French speakers. Bronson looks great in both versions, and the overdubbing in the French version sounds really good.

*Jim Morrison, the iconic vocalist and frontman of The Doors, apparently saw the film multiple times when it was released and fell in love with it. It is said that the band’s cult hit “Riders On The Storm” was directly inspired by it.

Rider on the Rain 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Rider on the Rain is a two-disc set. Both discs are Region-Free 4K Blu-rays.

The first 4K Blu-ray presents a new 4K restoration of the English version of Rider on the Rain. The second 4K Blu-ray presents an earlier 4K restoration of the French version of Rider on the Rain. Both versions are presented in SDR. (This means that they are not garded with Dolby Vision or HDR).

Please note that all screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

Screencaptures #1-16 are taken from the English version.
Screencaptures #19-27 are taken from the French version.

In America, Rider on the Rain made its high-definition debut with this Blu-ray release, produced by Kino Lorber in 2019. The Blu-ray release also presented the English and French versions of Rider on the Rain.

On the 4K Blu-ray release, both versions of Rider on the Rain look unconvincing. I prefer the French version, which has a good organic appearance on the previous Blu-ray release. Also, the older master that was used to source it for the previous Blu-ray release was graded well.

Now, both versions of the film are poorly regraded. The French version is unwatchable because it is heavily tealed, producing visuals with seriously compromised dynamic range. In many darker areas, for instance, there is digital flatness because black levels switch to gray levels. Also, entire ranges of supporting nuances are lost. Unsurprisingly, from start to finish, the film has an odd artificial appearance.

The English version is tealed, too. However, here the tealing destabilizes primary blue, white and brown nuances. It is not introduced as a strong cast. Nevertheless, the overall impact on the color temperature is very similar to that observed on the French version. You can see how the tealing alters primary blue and white nuances if you compare this screencapture and this screencapture from the previous Blu-ray release. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. I noticed several blemishes and stains, so the film has not been meticulously cleaned. All in all, the French version on the previous Blu-ray release still has the most satisfying and convincing appearance.

Rider on the Rain 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (on the English version) and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (on the French version). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the English version. Optional English subtitles are provided for the French version.

I tried viewing the French version of the film because I prefer it. However, I spent more time with the English version. Both lossless tracks are very good. Dynamic contrasts are limited. However, this is a limitation introduced by the original soundtracks. On the French version, there are a few uneven spots as well, which are also replicated properly. On the previous Blu-ray release, the French lossless track was equally strong.

Rider on the Rain 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC ONE - ENGLISH VERSION

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary features critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson. The three gentlemen share plenty of factual information about the production of Rider on the Rain, its fluid style, Francis Lai's soundtrack, and Charles Bronson's career. The commentary first appeared on Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release of Rider on the Rain.

• Trailers - presented here are a couple of trailer for Rider on the Rain. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

4K BLU-RAY DISC TWO - FRENCH VERSION

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage French trailer for Rider on the Rain. In French, with English subtitles. (4 min).

• Cover - a reverisble cover with vintage poster art for Rider on the Rain.

Rider on the Rain 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are only a couple of films in Charles Bronson's body of work that can legitimately be called arthouse thrillers, and Rider on the Rain is the best one. I like it a lot because it has different layers of atmosphere that overlap in some very interesting ways, and Marlene Jobert and Bronson have some wonderful moments together. For what it's worth, I prefer the French version of Rider on the Rain.

Kino Lorber's two-disc set brings a new 4K restoration of the English version and an earlier 4K restoration of the French version of Rider on the Rain. I think that both are problematic. Fortunately, Kino Lorber's previous Blu-ray release of Rider on the Rain has a good presentation of the French version. If you want this film in your collection, grab the Blu-ray release.