The Crimson Rivers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Crimson Rivers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 22, 2023

Mathieu Kassovitz's "The Crimson Rivers" (2002) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include audio commentary recorded by Mathieu Kassovitz, Vincent Cassel, and Jean Reno; multiple featurettes focusing on the production of the film; and an original trailer. In French or English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

It is perplexing... and spooky.

Paris-based Detective Pierre Niemans (Jean Reno, Leon: The Professional) is sent to Gueron, a prestigious university nestled high in the French Alps, where a man is killed in an unusually brutal fashion. Niemans immediately begins asking questions and, while annoying plenty of people, warns the Dean that he is not going back until the killer is captured.

A second cop, Max Kerkerian (Vincent Cassel, Brotherhood of the Wolf), who has been investigating the desecration of a grave belonging to a girl that disappeared many years ago as well as a school break-in, meets Niemans after it becomes obvious that there is some sort of a connection between the cases they are working on. Kerkerian, a former car thief, is much younger than Niemans.

The two cops team up but get lost in a sea of leads. Kerkerian goes after a group of local Nazis that do not appear intimidated by the police. Niemans visits the university where the victim worked as a librarian. However, as the two attempt to gather more information, a second murder occurs.

French director Mathieu Kassovitz first captured the attention of film critics and fellow directors when his gritty urban drama La Haine premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1995. The jury members were so impressed that they handed him the prestigious Best Director Award.

The Crimson Rivers was completed five years after La Haine. It was inspired by Jean-Christophe Grangé’s novel of the same name, which had become a major bestseller in France. It was the success of David Fincher’s tense thriller Seven, however, that convinced Kassowitz to give The Crimson Rivers a chance.

There are a couple of things that stand out about The Crimson Rivers. First, it is a dark and very moody film that uses misdirection to perfection. Indeed, it takes a very long time to put all of the scattered pieces from its mystery puzzle together and, with a few minor exceptions, there are no annoying clichés that detract from its moody aura.

All of the graphic scenes are expertly shot as well. It appears that Kassovitz had studied Seven very closely as the emphasis on detail is very impressive. For example, even during close-ups, one would be hard-pressed not to recognize how chillingly authentic the corpses look.

Reno and Cassel are not perfect -- occasionally Reno overplays the jadedness of his character while Cassel wants to be wilder than the script requires -- but together strengthen the suspense very well. For example, the incredible sequence where the killer first appears undoubtedly would have looked very different without Reno. The beautiful Nadia Fares (The Nest) has a key role during the second half as well.

The Crimson Rivers benefits from an outstanding score -- a lush blend of ambient, downtempo, and orchestral music -- courtesy of Bruno Coulais (MR 73), whose efforts were recognized by the French Film Industry with a César nomination for Best Music written for a film (Meilleure musique) in 2001.

The Crimson Rivers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Crimson Rivers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from the same master that was used to produce Gaumont's first release of The Crimson Rivers in 2009, as well as this more recent release from Australian label Via Vision Entertainment. I like this master. While some people may rightfully point out that a newer master could have offered a slightly better presentation of the film, I do not see any major issues with the current presentation. There is some darker footage where shadow nuances and other fine details could be a bit more convincing but these are very minor adjustments that would not produce a dramatic jump in quality. I feel the same way about color balance. I like what I see now. Yes, some primaries and nuances could be expanded and strengthened, but for a convincing improvement, a 4K master and native 4K presentation would be needed. Image stability is excellent. Lastly, this release is very nicely encoded. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Crimson Rivers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which is the original audio track, is outstanding. In 2009, but later as well, I often used it to demonstrate the muscles of my system to friends. I still think that it is excellent and very, very effective. Obviously, it helps that the sound design of The Crimson Rivers is excellent too, but the 5.1 track is just remarkably well mixed. When you sit down to view the film, turn up the volume of your system as much you can without causing problems and you will have quite an experience. The English translation is excellent.

The Crimson Rivers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director Mathieu Kassovitz, Jean Reno, and Vincent Cassel. The three commentators discuss in great detail their collaboration on The Crimson Rivers, the shooting of particular sequences, and the tone and atmosphere of the film. The commentary is in French and was previously made available on Gaumont's release, but it is presented with optional English subtitles here.

• "The Investigation" - this archival documentary focuses on the conception and production history of The Crimson Rivers. Included in it are clips from interviews with Mathieu Kassovitz, Jean Reno, Vincent Cassel, screenwriter Jean-Christophe Grange, and producer Alain Goldman, amongst others. In French, with English subtitles. (55 min).

• The Car Chase - in this archival featurette, Mathieu Kassovitz discusses the conception and shooting of the crucial car chase sequence. In French, with English subtitles. (10 min).

• The Corpse - in this archival featurette, Mathieu Kassovitz discusses the various special effects that were used in key sequences throughout the film as well as some lighting and lensing preferences that helped strengthen the desired ambience. In French, with English subtitles. (27 min).

• Mountain Sequence - this archival program takes a closer look at the work that was done while shooting the dangerous mountain footage. In French, with English subtitles. (11 min).

• Theatrical Trailer - presented here is an original French theatrical trailer for The Crimson Rivers. In French, with English subtitles. (2 min).

• Reversible Cover - reversible cover with original poster art for The Crimson Rivers.

The Crimson Rivers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kudos to the folks at Kino Lorber for bringing The Crimson Rivers to America. It is a very atmospheric thriller that at times can be genuinely spooky. I revisited it earlier this year for the first time in well over a decade and thought that it has aged incredibly well. In fact, I may even like it more now. In 2009, Gaumont's French release of The Crimson Rivers was one of my demo discs because I thought that the 5.1 track on it was sensational. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.