Tartarin de Tarascon Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Tartarin de Tarascon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 22, 2018

Raymond Bernard's "Tartarin from Tarascon" (1934) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Pathe. The only bonus feature on the disc is a documentary about the life and legacy of the great actor Raimu. In French, with optional English and French SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The great hunter

A long time ago Orson Welles apparently declared that Raimu was “the greatest actor who ever lived”. I am sure that there are plenty of people that will take issue with this statement, but I think that I have a pretty good idea why Welles was so impressed with Raimu. He was a truly special actor who could create magic with a single look or a casual gesture, much like Michel Simon, Bourvil, and Louis de Funes did. Also, when you watch him act before the camera, you never question the authenticity of his character because for a short period of time he would essentially become someone else. This probably reads like a very simple explanation of Welles’ statement, but if you can see a few of Raumu’s films you will very quickly understand exactly what I mean.

Raimu plays the title character in Raymond Bernard’s pre-war comedy Tartartin de Tarascon (Tartarin from Tarascon) who has become a celebrity in the sleepy provincial town of Tarascon. However, the old-timer is not admired because he has done something great for the local community, but because he is a brilliant storyteller. Day after day the men and women of Tarascon rush to reserve a spot around Tartarin’s favorite table at the local inn and while sipping their favorite beverages imagine that they are with him as he visits exotic corners of the world and faces formidable foes. In a place where nothing exciting ever happens it is a ritual that benefits everyone, and especially Tartarin, who sometimes gets even more perks than the town’s snotty mayor.

But an odd misunderstanding threatens to destroy Tartarin’s reputation and with it his comfortable lifestyle. After a quick exchange with a friend in front of a caged lion, Tartarin is informed that the town is getting ready to honor him with a grand celebration before he goes on an extremely dangerous hunting trip in Africa. At first the old-timer assumes that a few of his friends are playing a trick on him, but after a series of failed attempts to tell the truth he realizes that the town folk are in fact determined to boycott him until he honors his 'promise to leave'. Then reluctantly he packs up his bags, his favorite rifles and a pair of hunting boots and heads to the deserts of Algeria.

Tartarin de Tarascon is a very old-fashioned French comedy that relies almost exclusively on Raimu’s charm to impress and easily succeeds in delivering exactly the type of entertainment that its producers must have hoped it would. It blends light humor, a bit of exotic action, and some lovely music from Darius Milhaud that basically make Tartarin‘s journey appropriate for viewers of all ages.

In addition to Raimu, the cast includes Fernand Chaprin (Pépé Le Moko), Paul Ollivier (Under the Roofs of Paris), Jean d’Yd (The Passion of Joan of Arc), and Sinoel (Angel and Sinner).

*Tartarin de Tarascon was reconstructed and restored in 2K at L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, on behalf of Pathe, in 2015. For the reconstruction, secondary sources were used for areas of the film where the original camera negative was in poor condition.

Tartarin de Tarascon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Raymond Bernard's Tartarin de Tarascon arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Pathe.

The release is sourced from 2K restoration and reconstruction of the film that was completed at L'Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, on behalf of Pathe, in 2015. Despite a few segments where it becomes obvious that second generation elements were used the entire film has a very solid and stable organic appearance. The noticeable fluctuations typically have less than optimal density and in some cases slightly uneven dynamic range, with the most prominent unevenness present during darker footage. However, grain is retained as best as possible, which means that even when unevenness emerges the footage is free of digital anomalies. Image stability is very good, even during transitions. Lastly, there are no distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, or torn frames to report. (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. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc''s main menu).

Tartarin de Tarascon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English and French SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is stable, clean, and nicely rounded. If there ever were any serious deterioration it is impossible to tell now because overall the audio is very healthy. As it is typically the case with these types of pre-war films, the equipment limitations have ensured a rather modest native dynamic range. The English translation is very good.

Tartarin de Tarascon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Raimu, le plus grand acteur du monde - this documentary focuses on the career and legacy of Raimu. Included in it are interviews with Micheline Boudet, Karin Hann, Isabelle Nohain-Raimu, and Nicolas Pagnol. In French, not subtitled. (18 min).

Tartarin de Tarascon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I discovered Raimu some years ago while reading a book about Louis de Funes, who apparently was greatly influenced by this somewhat forgotten giant of French cinema. Raimu's acting style has some interesting similarities with that of Michel Simon, but in my opinion he is a much more authentic charmer. Raymond Bernard's Tartarin from Tarascon is an old-fashioned pre-war comedy with a heavy exotic flavor that highlights quite well a lot of what makes Raimu unique, so it could be a very good introduction to his legacy. The film has been recently restored and reconstructed by Pathe and looks lovely on Blu-ray. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.