Série Noire Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Série Noire Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 6, 2025

Note: This version of this film is available on Blu-ray as part of the Hardboiled: Three Pulp Thrillers by Alain Corneau set from Radiance Films.

Alain Courneau is a perhaps curiously underrecognized name on this side of the pond in at least some film circles, and in fact it's arguable that he is remembered over here these days chiefly for Tous les Matins du Monde. The three earlier Corneau efforts Radiance Films has aggregated for this collection are a good deal more, well, hardboiled than Corneau's historical epic, but they offer visceral viewing experiences, and at least two of the three films boast considerable star power, with Corneau semi-regular Yves Montand starring in both Police Python 357 and Choice of Arms, and with Montand's then wife Simone Signoret co-starring in the former and Catherine Deneuve and Tous les Matins du Monde's own Gérard Depardieu co-starring in Choice of Arms. Those two look like they're getting their Region A Blu-ray debuts, whereas Série Noire had a Film Movement release on Blu-ray around five years ago.

As mentioned above, this film had a prior release on Blu-ray several years ago from Film Movement. Those wanting a plot summary are encouraged to read my Série Noire Blu-ray review. That review also lists that disc's supplements as well as providing my reaction to Film Movement's technical presentation.

Série Noire Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Série Noire is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.67:1. Radiance tends not to provide a ton of technical information with their releases, and that's once again the case here, with only a simple mention of all three films in this set being "supplied to Radiance as high resolution digital files" in the insert booklet. This presentation boasts many of the strengths I outline in my old Série Noire Blu-ray review of the Film Movement release, and some may find that review of interest in any case since I link to a news post here that had information about an ostensible 4K restoration. Those who like to do side by side comparisons between screenshots of various versions will find this Radiance presentation to be noticeably darker and with a more brown-red color timing, both of which I actually prefer to the Film Movement presentation, which at the time I found stellar, and still basically do, even if it's different looking than this one. The darker and somewhat warmer look here can lead to a somewhat splotchier appearance at times. Interestingly, to my eyes some of the cooler blue outdoor material actually benefits the best in this new version (contrast screenshot 6 of this review with screenshot 7 of the old Film Movement review to get an idea of what I'm talking about).

Série Noire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This disc's LPCM 2.0 Mono track struck me as basically indistinguishable from the LPCM 2.0 Mono track on the old Film Movement disc. As was mentioned in the old review, the track easily supports this dialogue (and monologue) heavy film perfectly well. There are a number of archival source cues, including "Moonlight Fiesta" by Duke Ellington, which is the same name shown as a subtitle on a copy of the screenplay seen in the Making of featurette mentioned below in the Supplements section. Some of those recordings of course are on the boxy, shallow sounding side, but the newly recorded elements all sound fine. Optional English subtitles are available.

Série Noire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This disc ports over the supplements from the Film Movement disc, while offering some new bonus items as well, indicated below with an asterisk (*).

• Série noire: The Darkness of the Soul (HD; 52:33) is a really engaging retrospective, featuring new and archival interviews which get into the genesis of the project and the filming.


• Interview with Alain Corneau and Marie Trintignant (HD**; 28:52) is an archival piece from 2002, with the two (interviewed separately) remembering the film. For those who don't know, rather shockingly Trintignant was severely beaten by her boyfriend in 2003, which led directly to her death.


• On Set Interviews* (HD; 10:56) offer some 1981 Belgian television pieces with Alain Corneau, Patrick Dewaere and Miriam Boyer. Subtitled in English.


• A Hollyhock in a Cornfield: Jim Thompson On Screen* (HD; 29:41) is a fun and insightful overview by Paul Martinovic of the sometimes controversial film adaptations of Thompson's inimitable writing.


• Trailer* (HD; 2:21)

**Note: 720. This was in SD on the Film Movement disc.

Série Noire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Francophiles who are also cineastes may have read my comment above about two out of the three films boasting considerable star power, and immediately thought in umbrage, "Hey, was Patrick Dewaere chopped liver?" For those unaware of this actor who, somewhat like Corneau himself tends not be overly recognized over here in the bone headed west, he delivers an absolutely unnerving and unforgettable performance in this film. Unfortunately both Dewaere and Marie Trintignant (whose surname may provide more immediate "marquee value" for some) met tragic ends. Technical merits are solid and the supplements very appealing. Highly recommended.