The Private Affairs of Bel Ami Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

The Private Affairs of Bel Ami Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 10, 2018

Albert Lewin's "The Private Affairs of Bel Ami" (1947) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributions Olive Films. There are no bonus features on this release. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The ruthless player

The character that George Sanders plays in Albert Lewin’s film The Private Affairs of Bel Ami is the most dangerous kind of creep. He is smart, cultured and patient, a brilliant strategist and a natural chameleon that can outmaneuver his targets just as easily as he would enjoy a glass of aged champagne. And the more he wins, the stronger he becomes.

Lewin introduces Georges Duroy at a popular café in Paris, where he quickly humiliates a clumsy courtesan hoping to befriend a future client and then pulls a fast one that leaves him with some pocket change. It is a small win, but it is already easy to tell that Duroy has never been picky. His next target is the wealthy but lonely socialite Clotilde de Morelle (Angela Lansbury), who has been waiting for the right man to come along and sweep her off her feet. Duroy instantly senses how desperate she is and at the right time opens his heart exactly as she has imagined the special moment would occur. Then while enjoying the company of his partner’s social friends, Duroy quietly begins wooing a bigger target, Madeleine Forestier (Ann Dvorak), the wife of his naïve publisher, who quickly recognizes his true intentions but nevertheless allows him to pursue her. As his reputation grows even bigger under the alias Bel Ami, Duroy eventually sets his sights on Madame Walter (Katherine Emery), a frustrated mother and wife who has also grown tired of her elitist cage. When she takes the bait and begins an affair with him, Duroy seduces her daughter (Susan Douglas) and promptly announces his intentions to marry her. Then, to legitimize his permanent relocation to the upper echelon of society, Duroy proceeds to ‘reclaim’ the esteemed name of a notorious French family whose members have vanished.

It is easy to see why Marty Scorsese likes this film a lot. It is elegant but brilliantly cynical, something of an eye-opener, really, that tells it as it was. It depicts the social environment in which Sanders’ chameleon operates as a giant playfield where only the weak reveal their true feelings and emotions. Here love is just a commodity and the people that are smart enough to understand it benefit the most.

The Dorian Gray reference is effective in two different ways. The first is beyond obvious; the second is cleverly used by Lewin to produce cracks in the chameleon’s invincibility and eventually expose him as a victim as well. Indeed, there comes a point in his journey to the top where he actually realizes that he could grow old with Clotilde and experience true love and happiness, but the pursuit of power and status that has defined his existence proves to be of greater importance to him.

The entire cast is excellent, but it feels like Sanders is a tad better than everyone else. It is the vicious easiness with which his character climbs the social ladder and in the process destroys other people’s lives that does the trick. It is certainly a unique performance that can raise one’s blood pressure for a substantial period of time and even make one wish that the finale provided a slightly more painful resolution.

The Private Affairs of Bel Ami Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Albert Lewin's The Private Affairs of Bel Ami arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

The release is sourced from a recent restoration completed by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and Paramount Pictures, with additional support by The Film Foundation. It is very good and the film has the fresh appearance that we expect to see when these types of projects are finalized and introduced on Blu-ray.

Some minor density fluctuations are retained, which tells me that the elements that were used during the restoration process were not optimal. The grading has also impacted some weaker nuances, but my guess is that this was unavoidable because in other areas the balance actually properly enhances better surviving nuances (you can see the discrepancy in screencaptures #2 and 3). The important thing is that the overall balance of the visuals remains convincing, so there is pleasing consistency that helps fluidity. Grain is nicely exposed, though perhaps it could have been slightly better resolved. There are no traces of distracting sharpening adjustments. Image stability is very good. Large debris, cuts, and damage marks have been removed, but I did spot a few blemishes. (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 Private Affairs of Bel Ami Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

There are a few segments where some extremely small unevenness is easy to recognize but it does not affect the overall stability of the audio. It is very possible that this is how the original audio was recorded by the then-current equipment that was used. The high register is also free of distortions and other unpleasant anomalies.

The Private Affairs of Bel Ami Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unfortunately, there are no bonus features to be found on this release.

The Private Affairs of Bel Ami Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are a couple of different programs in which Marty Scorsese has revealed his admiration for The Private Affairs of Bel Ami and having just viewed it for the first time I understand exactly why he has done it. It is a brilliantly cynical film with a wonderful period atmosphere and spectacular cast. However, I have to admit that I was more than a bit surprised by George Sanders' ruthless chameleon and how effectively he got under my skin. What a creep! This release is sourced from a recent restoration of the film that was completed by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and Paramount Pictures, with additional support by The Film Foundation. The restoration is very nice and I don't think it is a stretch to say that it materialized because of Scorsese. If you don't have this release in your collection, please pick up a copy. You'll like the film, I guarantee it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.