Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

The Bronte Sisters Blu-ray Movie Review

Portrait of the artists as young women.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 27, 2013

Considering the fact that the real lives of the Brontë family were so notable and in some ways unbelievable, it’s odd that no one really thought to exploit them in a feature film before André Téchiné made Les Soeurs Brontë (known in English speaking markets as The Brontë Sisters) in 1979. The literary works of the Brontë sisters had been fodder for films since the early days of silent cinema, but only 1946’s highly fictionalized Devotion ever dealt with the actual Brontës themselves, albeit in this particular instance in a way far removed from reality. Téchiné on the other hand takes an almost anthropological approach toward his subjects. Yes, he slightly tweaks history now and again to suit his artistic purposes, but as Brontë scholar Sue Lonoff de Cuevas mentions in the fascinating commentary included on this Blu-ray, he does so much less than might initially be supposed, given the spotty history of “based on a true story” films. The Brontë Sisters picks up after a string of tragedies had already beset the Brontë family, including the death of the Brontës’ mother and, later, two other sisters. The surviving Brontës include Charlotte (Marie-France Pisier), Emily (Isabelle Adjani) and Anne (Isabelle Huppert), as well as their brother Branwell (Pascal Greggory) and their father, Reverend Brontë (Patrick Magee). A spinster Aunt, Elizabeth Brontë (Alice Sapritch), is also in attendance acting as a surrogate mother. The family interrelationships actually provide the bulk of the drama in this quiet, introspective film, rather than the truly incredible feats of the Brontë sisters managing to get their writing published (though that of course is part and parcel of the plot). The film has a rather langorous quality, appropriately European in feeling, and builds its momentum out of seemingly small building blocks. But with a rigorously effective production design and some very real feeling performances by a top flight cast, The Brontë Sisters makes history come alive in a rather visceral manner.

The first half of The Brontë Sisters introduces us to the characters and gives us a window into their already well developed interrelationships. Charlotte, the eldest and in some ways at least willing to conform to the norms of what a proper young Victorian lady should be, dreams of getting out of Haworth and eventually teaching English in Brussels. Emily on the other hand resolutely refuses to conform to the norms of what a proper young Victorian lady should be, and rather scandalously marauds around the moors wearing men’s trousers (something Lonoff de Cuevas discounts as something that never would have happened, even given Emily’s predilections to defy the current morés of her era). Anne, the youngest, is probably the most incurable romantic of the bunch, given over to rampant daydreams. All three sisters have a somewhat unhealthy fixation on their troubled brother Branwell, a well meaning young man who has a gift for painting but who, as the film progresses, lets his broken heart lead to a (brief) life of dissolution, including alcoholism and, eventually, drug addiction.

The girls are all shepherded into what were considered “suitable” roles for women in those days, with both Charlotte and Emily allowed to travel to Brussels to pursue English teaching and piano teaching, and Anne ultimately becoming governess to a demanding family who lets her know regularly that she’s not of the same station that they are. Both Charlotte and, later, Branwell discover they can’t always have the love they desire. While Charlotte seems relatively well consigned to her romantic lot in life, Branwell reacts very badly indeed, especially since his love affair was in fact an actual affair with the wife of his employer.

Meanwhile, the girls, who have always written as a hobby, are slowly convinced they have what it takes to make their avocation their occupation. Charlotte and Branwell both play integral parts in this awakening, though it’s Emily who gets published first. Things don’t automatically transition to “happily ever after”, however, as critics are not as impressed by Wuthering Heights as the paying public is. Soon, however, all three sisters are published authors, all using male pseudonyms, while Branwell’s devolves into a more and more helpless state.

The irony here of course is that in that day and age it would have been Branwell who would have automatically had just about any door opened to him he wished due to his gender. Instead, he finds himself closed off from the world and, in a way, even from his sisters’ blandishments, while the Brontë girls, with no real hope of succeeding in a “man’s world”, do so anyway.

Téchiné creates a really evocative mood throughout much of The Brontë Sisters, though it’s an unusual one. The film is gorgeous and ugly in almost equal measure, giving us a balanced view of both the bucolic beauties as well as the day to day hardships these people both enjoyed and endured. The film is also awfully depressive as it moves along, despite the passing successes the sisters attain. Part of the allure of the Brontë sisters has always been the tragic circumstances of their deaths, and there’s obviously no getting around those facts as the film moves along. But that is perhaps an unspoken truth in the film—even death could not still the artistic achievements of these remarkable women. Their lives were devastatingly brief, but they managed to pursue their dreams with unfettered abandon, even with most around them telling them how ridiculous they were.

The Bronte Sisters Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Brontë Sisters is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Cohen Film Collection, an imprint of Cohen Media Group, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.66:1. It's unclear to me whether this is the same transfer that my colleague Dr. Svet Atanasov reviewed for the French Blu-ray release of this film, especially since Cohen is touting a new restoration for the 2013 theatrical re-release and this Blu- ray. A cursory comparison of the screenshots in Svet's release and this one seem to indicate that this new release is slightly softer looking, though it does not appear to have had any (or at least not very much) digital noise reduction applied, as grain is more than evident throughout this offering, especially in the dimly lit scenes. Blacks are fairly milky throughout this presentation, something that is especially noticeable since Téchiné favors candlelit scenes where much of the frame is bathed in shadows. All of this said, fine detail is good if not overwhelming in close-ups, and the film's kind of intentionally drab color palette comes through quite winningly.

The Bronte Sisters Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Brontë Sisters' original mono track is delivered via a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix in the original French (English subtitles are hard-coded into the video). Dialogue is nicely presented here, as are the well rendered ambient environmental effects, Philippe Sarde's score, which relies on quite a few pre-existing classical pieces, also sounds fine. There is no damage of any kind to report. The track, while narrow, sports excellent fidelity, though dynamic range is negligible.

The Bronte Sisters Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Conversation Between Wade Major (Film Critic with NPR Affiliate KPCC-FM and co-host/producer of the IGN DigiGods podcast) and Bronte scholar Sue Lonoff de Cuevas, 2013. This is a top rate commentary with two incredibly well informed people trading factoids about the film as well as the real life characters. It's surprisingly conversational, though I have a hunch Major had a little checklist of items he wanted to cover.


• The Ghosts of Haworth, Dominique Maillet's 2012 documentary about The Bronte Sisters (1080p; 59:37). An interesting retrospective on the film, this documentary features some nice interviews with several of the principal cast and crew, including Téchiné himself.


• Original French Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 3:23)


• 2013 Theatrical Re-release Trailer (1080p; 1:42)

The Bronte Sisters Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Brontë Sisters has achieved a certain cult status in the years since its original theatrical release due to the fact that its three stars have become iconic in the annals of French cinema. They're all excellent here, but the film's focus rather strangely tends to hinge more on Branwell at times, so much so that the film might have been better titled The Brontë Brother. The film has an impeccable feeling for time and place, and even with a few things tweaked for dramatic effect, Téchiné crafts a rather accurate portrayal of what life must have been like for this remarkable family. The film is perhaps too low key for its own good, in that very European fashion, but for those with a certain amount of patience, it offers some substantial rewards. This Blu-ray offers very good video and audio and the supplementary commentary is top rate. Recommended.