The Lovers on the Bridge Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Lovers on the Bridge Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 16, 2017

Leos Carax doesn’t make many movies, but when he does, he tends to go all-out with his endeavors, searching for ways to wake up cinema as his explores universal themes of love and time. 1991’s “The Lovers on the Bridge” is largely considered the ultimate Carax experience, combining his interest in the theatrical and his obsession with heartache, cooking up a wild viewing experience that bends reality and celebrates oddity, but remains achingly human at its core, showcasing an impressive balance of tone while highlighting all types of impulsive, self-destructive behavior.

Juliette Binoche and Denis Lavant star as Parisian vagrants finding a home on closed bridge undergoing extensive repairs during the city’s bicentennial celebration. She’s an artist losing her sight, he’s a street performer without a future, building a unique bond during a period of hopelessness. Love isn’t defined, but its head rush is felt during the picture, with Carax creating an alternate reality of sorts on the bridge, where the pair work out their frustrations and fears, often with the help of wine and physical expression. It’s a messy effort, but certainly deeply felt by the lead actors, who purge themselves in full for their director, putting everything into layered, unpredictable displays of emotion.

The Lovers on the Bridge Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.67:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "The Lovers on the Bridge" brings the film to HD with care for his subtleties and expanse. Clarity is quite strong overall, providing a full examination of production design achievements and character disease, picking up on make-up nuances and Parisian activity. Costuming retains fibrous qualities, and textures are valuable with props and facial particulars. Primaries are pronounced throughout (looking recently refreshed) with a stronger push of yellow. Colors handle clothing and nightlife encounters carefully, periodically dipping into more pronounced hues when the mood strikes. Delineation is strong. Grain is fine and filmic. Source is clear, missing any overt points of damage. Some minor banding is detected along the way.

The Lovers on the Bridge Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix has some heavy lifting to do, blending intimate human connection with vibrant displays of fantasy and national celebration. Dialogue exchanges are comfortable and expressive, allowing for all types of emotional response. Voices are sharp and meaningful. Soundtrack selections deliver a wider sound to emphasize energy, while scoring cues support screen moods as intended, with crisp instrumentation. Atmospherics are appealing, delivering a sense of outdoor life.

The Lovers on the Bridge Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (ten pages) features an essay by film critic Ignatiy Vishnevetsky.

• "Water and Stone" (9:27, HD) is a video essay by Christina Alvarez Lopez and Adrian Martin.

• And a Home Video Trailer (1:08, SD) is included.

The Lovers on the Bridge Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Lovers on the Bridge" is a highly cinematic viewing experience, and oddball production achievements (Carax built an entire bridge for the shoot) payoff for the feature, which carries a distinct visual fingerprint, while soundtracks cuts communicate character mood. It's a wily creation, but also melancholy and tragic at times, perfectly summarizing Carax's gifts as a filmmaker and his idiosyncratic creative interests.