The Frenchman's Garden Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Frenchman's Garden Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 12, 2021

Paul Naschy's "The Frenchman's Garden" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critics Troy Howarth, Rod Barnett, and Troy Guinn, as well as archival interviews with Paul Naschy. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The Frenchman’s Garden seems like a giant oddity in Paul Naschy’s oeuvre. It was the second film Naschy directed and it is the only one that I have seen that does not incorporate any folk horror material. It was inspired by a true story, but Naschy reconstructs it in a manner that is actually much easier to associate with the work of Carlos Saura.

All of the events that are seen in The Frenchman’s Garden apparently took place in the provincial town of Peñaflor, near Seville, in 1904. Naschy plays Don Juan (El Frances), a married middle-aged man who is the owner of a rustic inn that has developed a reputation for its illegal card games and beautiful prostitutes. Don Juan’s best clients are usually small-time businessmen who are in the area to trade their farming products or compulsive gamblers and cheaters who are just looking for a fix. The business is good enough to keep the inn open, but not good enough to make Don Juan a wealthy man.

It is why Don Juan and his elderly assistant, Jose (Jose Calvo), occasionally kill some of the visitors, steal their money, and bury them in the inn’s garden.

Jose is the one that identities the targets at the stock exchange. It is not difficult to do so because most are usually pragmatic men whose satisfaction from a job well done would instantly put them on his radar. The more successful the targets have been at the stock exchange, the easier it is for Jose to convince them that they deserve to treat themselves right at Don Juan’s inn. A night or two after they are welcomed, wined and dined, Don Juan and Jose place them in freshly-dug graves. But Don Juan’s profitable killing business is put to the test when his wife, Elvira (Julia Saly), announces that she would inherit enough so that he no longer needs to take care of the inn and its garden, and then internal turmoil transforms the prostitutes (Yolanda Rios, Agata Lys, Silvia Tortosa) into mortal enemies.

The most surprising aspect of The Frenchman’s Garden is the fantastic management of its drama. It is very low-key, at times even oddly comical, but there is evil in it that gradually becomes seriously disturbing. Given the nature of the original material it isn’t at all difficult to imagine that it could have been handled very differently, but Naschy directs it with confidence that is genuinely impressive. In fact, this confidence becomes quite striking when you recall that The Frenchman’s Garden was only his second film, and then compare it to the likes of The Night of the Werewolf, Panic Beats, The Beast and the Magic Sword. (Saura’s The 7th Day and Vlood Wedding are shot in very similar ways. Interestingly, the latter, which has an excellent international reputation, came out just a few years after The Frenchman’s Garden).

The cast is excellent. Naschy definitely looks like a closeted maniac that could do some horrible things whenever the time is right. There are a couple of close-ups with his scary eyes that are absolutely phenomenal. Calvo is equally convincing as the brittle old-timer that can allow the maniac to lead him straight into the abyss of madness. The three very beautiful female leads play their parts with a great deal of confidence as well.

Like virtually all of Naschy’s films, The Frenchman’s Garden was shot with a modest budget. This is exactly how it should have been done because the simplicity of the visuals give it a rustic quality that is perfect for its drama. Naschy also used many of the original locations where the real Frenchman and his associate killed their targets.

The Frenchman's Garden Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.41:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Frenchman's Garden arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.

The release is sourced from a very beautiful new 4K master. On my system, all of the visuals, including the darker ones, had a wonderful organic appearance and looked incredibly healthy. Delineation and depth were particularly impressive, so my guess is that if seen in native 4K the entire film can be quite a stunner. Colors are natural and very nicely balanced. There are a few areas that left me wondering whether a couple of supporting nuances should be slightly expanded, but given the period stylization it could very well be that this is precisely how they should appear. It is hard to tell. Image stability is excellent. I did not notice any distracting age-related imperfections. Finally, unlike a couple of previous releases of Paul Naschy films, this release is very nicely encoded. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order order to access its content).

The Frenchman's Garden Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The audio was very clear, sharp, and nicely balanced. In fact, it immediately becomes obvious that it has been remastered because even during the opening credits there is a Spanish song that sounds fantastic. From there, it only gets better. The overall range of dynamic is limited, but this is an inherited limitation. There are no technical anomalies to report in our review.

The Frenchman's Garden Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Paul Naschy - this archival interview covers a wide range of topics, such as Paul Naschy's background, the exact moment in which he entered the Spanish film industry, the popularity of his horror films, some of the books and films that inspired him, etc. There are quite a few funny stories in it as well, such as the one about a Spanish bartender who did not have a clue who John Wayne was. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (28 min).

• Paul Naschy on The Frenchman's Garden - in this archival interview, Paul Naschy quickly explains how he discovered the true story that inspired The Frenchman's Garden and addresses its production. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (4 min).

• Audio Commentary - in this new audio commentary, critics Troy Howarth, Rod Barnett, and Troy Guinn share their thoughts on The Frenchman's Garden, its placement in Paul Naschy's body of work, style and tone, etc. It is a lovely commentary that covers a lot of ground. It was recorded exclusively for Mondo Macabro.

The Frenchman's Garden Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I had never seen Paul Naschy's The Frenchman's Garden before and this recent release turned out to be quite the treat. The film is outstanding and at the moment I would enthusiastically endorse it as Naschy's best work, plus the 4K master that was created for it is gorgeous. I don't know why The Frenchman's Garden isn't as highly regarded as some of Carlos Saura's big films, but hopefully this terrific release will do plenty to help improve its reputation. I will most likely place it on my Top Ten list at the end of the year. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.