Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Champagne Murders Blu-ray Movie Review

A dark and compelling thriller from director Chabrol

The Champagne Murders (Le scandele) is Chabrol's first co-production with distribution in both France and the United States. The French thriller comes from acclaimed filmmaker Claude Chabrol (Le Beau Serge, Story of Women) and marks his first time working with English speaking actors. Stepping out from his comfort zone as a director, Chabrol takes on a new kind of production (while still delving thoroughly into his well-known thriller genre). Produced by Raymond Eger (One Step to Eternity, Inside a Girls' Dormitory), The Champagne Murders is based upon a story by William Benjamin (Plucking the Daisy, Be Beautiful But Shut Up).

The feature originated in the filmmaker's home country of France (unsurprising given the track record of the director) but was also produced with the intention of distribution for US cinemas as the film stars several British and American actors. Select sequences in the feature were also dubbed into English from the French version. The result is a sort of hybrid production which feels like a not-so-common attempt from Chabrol to work beyond his typical foundations as a director. It makes the filmmaking more interesting when considered in the context of its production.

Christine Belling (Yvonne Furneaux) is a well-to-do femme fatale running a highly successful wine business for the owner, Paul Wagner (Maurice Ronet). During the course of the story, Paul finds himself getting into personal trouble as he struggles with his own personal dilemma of alcoholism: repeatedly winding up completely hung over and without memory of the night before, the trouble is only starting. This makes things difficult for him as he frequents prostitutes who he is discovering as dead the following morning (hence the title of the feature: The Champagne Murders).

Worried that it might actually be a case of him drunkenly murdering these women after his fun, Paul finds himself trying to get support from business-partner Christine. Things turn even more deadly in the story when Christopher Belling (Anthony Perkins), Christine's husband, enters the business equation with a stake in the wine business himself. Has Paul actually been murdering these young prostitutes after having his drunken escapades or is there more to the story? The question lingers as the mystery unfolds to the surprise conclusion.

"Want to go to Bate's Motel? There's a vacancy. We could order take-out."

There are a number of excellent performances by the cast but the true standout here was the role by Anthony Perkins (Psycho). There is a sense of dread and urgency to his role in the feature which greatly enhanced it. If anything, I wondered why Perkins did not have an even larger role as each sequence with him seemed elevated by his inclusion. There's a definite eeriness to his part which manages to creep under one's skin. This marks another impressive turn by the actor.

The film has some other effective production elements which help to enhance the filmmaking. The music score composed by Pierre Jansen (Blue Panther, Les Bonnes Femmes) helps add to the dark thriller aspects of the film with complex thematic undertones to the score. There is also the striking cinematography by Jean Rabier (The 400 Blows, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), which is perhaps not the cinematographer's finest hour but certainly a fine addition to his filmography with a nice use of color and atmosphere.

It's easy to enjoy in the elegant costumes designed by Maurice Albray (The Unfaithful Wife, Les Biches). The designs for the women are often beautiful and sensual: giving the film a sexy vibe that helps keeps things interesting (and with a lot of cleavage). The art direction by Rino Mondellini (Riff Raff Girls, Mademoiselle from Paris) is highly sophisticated and adds to the production aesthetic. One can't help but sink into the style of the film and its dark world.

The screenplay was written by Claude Brule (Barbarella, Angelique) and Derek Prouse (Mademoiselle, Tempo). I must say, I found that the storyline to the film was somewhat lackluster and merely average at best. There was nothing too impressive about this production from a storytelling perspective. The film makes up for this with its stylish direction and ensemble cast but the storyline doesn't feel as original or invigorating as it could be and it merely rushes itself to a twist ending (which doesn't actually feel earned – rather, it is shoehorned in).

Director Claude Chabrol is known for his tempo and rhythm as a director (some like to think of him as being a French Alfred Hitchock, though he is also more than that) and it's pretty clear why his style is so resonant when one watches something by him: there is a rather interesting pacing and tone which is set with the direction and one can sense it being constructed throughout the entirety of The Champagne Murders. The film doesn't mark Chabrol at his absolute best but it's still an entertaining film which is worth a watch for a fan of the director (and for the standout performance by Anthony Perkins). Neither a gem nor a disappointment, The Champagne Murders is a modest entertainment that has enough to offer genre fans.

The Champagne Murders Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from distributor Kino Lorber, The Champagne Murders has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation. The film is presented in the original 2.35:1 widescreen theatrical aspect ratio. While there are some strengths to the transfer, the presentation is a bit of a mixed bag. The video presentation has somewhat muted color reproduction and the video often looks faded with the skin-tones looking somewhat unnatural.

However, detail on this release is decent and the transfer is also reasonably sharp. Yet there is a harshness to the presentation that simply doesn't make this a stand-out transfer. There are also some minor nicks and damage to the video that distract. While not a perfect presentation, The Champagne Murders is certainly not "awful" looking either and the transfer is still above-average. It's just a dated and somewhat underwhelming presentation that would have benefited from a better restoration and scan and it's a shame a more comprehensive restoration wasn't deemed necessary.

The Champagne Murders Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio on this release is presented in DTS HD Master Audio. Compared to a typical release, the audio on this edition is somewhat unusual. The feature was made by French director Claude Chabrol. Chabrol was never known for making English-language features and this release was an exception to that rule. There were two versions of the film produced: one in French and one in English (for foreign markets).

Only the English language version of The Champagne Murders is provided on this Blu-ray release (as it was released in the US). Certain scenes were filmed in both languages, while some of the moments in the film feature English dubbing (which is superior to many feature productions). The dual mono audio track included on the release does a reasonable job of giving the film decent fidelity given the age and source of the elements. The track is mostly satisfactory and dialogue is clear and easy to understand. Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are also provided.

The Champagne Murders Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson

Trailers from Hell with Tim Hunter (SD, 3 min. 1 sec.) is a brief interview about the film which discusses the film's plot, production, marketing, and its overall significance. While this featurette is certainly not as in depth as one would anticipate experiencing (as a more well-rounded documentary would have been appreciated), it's nice to have some insights provided.

Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2 min. 29 sec.)

Trailers for other Kino Lorber releases: Five Miles to Midnight (SD, 3 min. 19 sec.) and The Midnight Man (SD, 2 min. 10 sec.)

The Champagne Murders Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Neither a classic nor a disappointment, The Champagne Murders is an often perfunctory feature which is never as compelling as one would hope for. However, the feature does have excellent direction and impressive performances from its lead cast. A modestly entertaining film which is worth a watch for Chabrol fans. Like the main feature itself, the presentation is somewhat inconsistent but is still reasonably engaging. Extras are slim but worth a look. The release is worth a pickup for any diehard fans of Claude Chabrol but everyone else might want to rent it first.