The Escapees Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

The Escapees Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 10, 2015

Jean Rollin's "The Escapees" a.k.a. "Les paumées du petit matin" (1981) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent U.S. distributors Redemption Films. The only supplemental feature on the disc is an archival interview with the late French director. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The party

The Escapees has frequently been profiled as a sort of an outcast. It is very fluid and lyrical, but it does not have the Gothic qualities that Jean Rollin’s work is known for. And yet, it might well be one of the French director’s most atmospheric films.

In a secluded mental institution, the rebellious Michelle (Laurence Dubas) convinces the jaded Marie (Christiane Coppé) to help her escape. After Michelle’s straightjacket is removed, the two girls disappear deep into the heart of the French countryside.

For a while they wander aimlessly without plan, but then join a traveling troupe of friendly exotic dancers. When the police raids one of their shows -- because for the right amount of money the dancers would also enthusiastically perform various sexual acts -- they barely manage to escape.

The two girls then befriend the charming pickpocket Sophie (Marianne Valiot), who promises to help them get on a ship bound for an exotic island. But fate once again interferes and they end up with a group of dodgy swingers.

There are no vampires and bizarre rituals in this film, but its atmosphere is quite remarkable. Immediately after they escape from the madhouse, the two girls are pushed into what can best be described as a surrealistic environment in which anything seems possible. Here the narrative almost completely collapses -- different characters emerge and then casually disappear without a trace and seemingly relationships are left undeveloped -- but the film actually becomes a lot more intriguing. Indeed, it literally feels like a door is opened to a very private dream in which a lot is happening but for reasons that are not immediately apparent.

The dream is also infused with poetic eroticism that makes it incredibly atmospheric. First the girls discover that they are attracted to each other and later on it becomes obvious that they are also desired by various men and women. There are innocent smiles, inviting looks and gentle touches that are beautifully captured by Rollin’s camera.

It all comes to an end abruptly, like most dreams do. The girls are suddenly pushed back into the real world where time has a steady rhythm and guns can kill. Then, surrounded by the police in a luxurious villa, they are forced to choose how their journey will end.

The cast features mostly non-professional actors, but it is virtually impossible to tell. The two leads, in particular, look remarkably relaxed in front of the camera. Future adult star Brigitte Lahaie also has a memorable cameo towards the end of the film.

Rollin shot the film with cinematographer Claude Bécognée, who also assisted him on the equally moody and seductive The Grapes of Death and Bacchanales Sexuelles.

The Escapees Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jean Rollin's The Escapees arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent U.S. distributors Redemption Films.

The Blu-ray release appears to have been sourced from the same master that was accessed for the first DVD release of the film in the U.S. I have it and I think that the remastering job was quite good. (The master was prepared from the original negative) Indeed, for the most part detail and clarity are quite nice, with the daylight footage in particular frequently looking very good. However, there are some minor fluctuations in terms of image depth. During the darker footage, for instance, it is easy to tell that shadow definition could be more convincing (see screencapture #16). Overall sharpness levels should be better as well. Additionally, the high-frequencies have been clipped a bit and there are even some traces of extremely light denosing corrections that have been inherited from the master (see screencaptures #10 and 11). Grain, however, is visible, though it isn't evenly resolved (an optimized encode would have exposed it better). There are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Colors are stable and natural. Finally, a few tiny specks pop up, but there are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, or stains. Image stability is very good. All in all, even though there are some minor fluctuations and obviously there is room for improvement, the current technical presentation of The Escapees is actually quite nice. In fact, I am fairly certain that it will remain the film's definitive presentation on the home video market. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your Blu-ray player regardless of your geographical location).

The Escapees Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French LPCM 2.0. Optional white English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Clarity and depth are good. Also, there are no balance issues. The dialog is stable and easy to follow, but some extremely light background hiss and tiny pops occasionally make their presence felt. Regardless, they never become distracting. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions.

The Escapees Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Jean Rollin Interview - in this archival video interview, director Jean Rollin discusses Jacques Ralf's original script for The Escapees, the film's difficult post-production history (initially, it was rejected by a number of different distributors), some of the key similarities between The Escapees and The Night of the Hunted, the significance of select sequences (the girls' meeting with the fortune teller), etc. Also included is archival footage from the director's visit to Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, where Two Orphan Vampires, Dracula's Fiancee, and Night of the Clocks were filmed. The interview was conducted in Paris in December 2008. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (29 min, 1080p).

The Escapees Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Escapees is a very unusual entry in Jean Rollin's canon, which is why it isn't universally liked by those who appreciate the director's unique style. I think that it is an incredibly atmospheric film. It has the same unbridled spontaneity that is present in Agnes Varda's Vagabond, but it actually looks and feels like a long surrealistic dream. Kudos to the Redemption label for bringing Rollin's films to Blu-ray. I have upgraded all of my DVD releases and have not been disappointed yet. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.