Touki Bouki Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Touki Bouki Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 10, 2021

Djibril Diop Mambéty's "Touki Bouki" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include archival introduction by Martin Scorsese; video interview with filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako; the short film "Contras' City"; and more. In Wolof, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Touki Bouki initially appeared in Criterion's Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project, No. 1 three-disc box set, which was released in 2013. The text below was included with our review of the box set.

A young boy (Magaye Niang) and his girlfriend (Mareme Niang) dream of reaching Paris in Senegalese director Djibril Diop Mambety’s indescribably vibrant film Touki Bouki a.k.a. The Hyena’s Journey. But to leave Dakar they need a lot of money and plenty of clothes, which they don’t have.

The lovers target a homosexual hotshot who lets the boy inside his lavish apartment assuming that the two can have a good time. While he showers, the boy steals his clothes and car and disappears together with his girlfriend. Soon after, the disguised lovers are forced to improvise because the fancy car attracts a lot of attention.

Infused with the pure energy and enthusiasm of the classic French New Wave films, Touki Bouki is like a beautiful dream that makes perfect sense only while it lasts. Indeed, at times the film is rather chaotic and confusing, but the journey is quite extraordinary. Mambety’s camera visits places that are both astonishingly beautiful (the lonely beach) and incredibly disturbing (the abattoir).

Behind the fascinating visuals, however, there is a sense of desperation mixed with a good dose of anger. For the young lovers France is an almost mythical place where they could begin living, but getting there seems impossible. So as bizarre as it may seem, they are much more optimistic about their lives while dreaming than when they actually do something meaningful to change them. As if to play with their emotions, throughout the film the great Josephine Baker is repeatedly heard singing Paris… Paris.

Touki Bouki Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Touki Bouki arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

Touki Bouki initially appeared in the Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project, No. 1 box set, and this release offers the exact same technical presentation of the film. (The entire film was restored in 2K at L'immagine Ritrovata).

The visuals are quite impressive. Clarity, sharpness, depth, and fluidity range from very good to excellent. On a larger screen many of the panoramic shots can be rather impressive. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. While some minor density fluctuations exist, grain is typically very nicely and evenly exposed. Colors are lush and stable. There are decent varieties of nuances as well. However, it is very difficult to tell if all color values and the overall color balance are correct. Indeed, while I was revisiting the film last night, I felt that there were quite a few segments with the tonal shifts that usually appear on projects that are graded at L'immagine Ritrovata. So, the overall balance looks good, but I think that there is more than a decent chance that it does not reproduce the original color timing of the film. (Screencaptures #5 and 10, for instance, have a very common for the lab color timing). But I also have to admit that it is impossible for me to offer more than a guess since I discovered the film only after it became available on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Touki Bouki Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Wolof: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit). Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The original soundtrack incorporates plenty of organic sounds and noises, so dynamic intensity can fluctuate a bit. However, clarity and stability are excellent. Some of the dreamy sequences have interesting effects that sound great as well. Also, Josephine Baker's voice sounds outstanding. So, for this type of film, I think that the lossless track is as good as it can be.

Touki Bouki Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction - Martin Scorsese introduces Djibril Diop Mambety's Touki Bouki. The introduction was recorded for Criterion in 2013. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Abderrahmane Sissako on Touki Bouki - in this video interview, Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako (Bamako, Waiting for Happiness) explains why Djibril Diop Mambety is one of Africa's most unique voices. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2013. In French, with optional English subtitles. (12 min, 1080p).

• Wasis Diop and Mati Diop - presented here is a filmed conversation between musician Wasis Diop, brother of Touki Bouki director Djibril Diop Mambety, and filmmaker Mati Diop, Wasis' daughter. The bulk of the comments address the symbolism that is attached to the hyena and its presence in African culture, the shooting of Touki Bouki (and specifically the desire to improvise), the ritual ceremonies, and the director's inner feeling as well as how some might have been captured in his film. The conversation was recorded in 2012 for Allerton Films. In French, with optional English subtitles. (26 min, 1080p).

• Contras' City - presented here is a 4K restoration of Djibril Diop Mambety's first short film which chronicles a tour of the city of Dakar. The film was completed in 1968. In French and English, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (24 min, 1080p).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring Ashley Clark's essay "Word, Sound, and Power" as well as technical credits.

Touki Bouki Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Touki Bouki was included in Criterion's Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project, No. 1 box set. This release offers a presentation of the same 2K restoration of the film that was prepared at L'Immagine Ritrovata, but with additional bonus content. If you are curious about the film, I think that you should just pick up the box set while it is still available because there are a couple of great films there (Dry Summer and Trances) which I am quite certain you will enjoy a lot.