Va savoir Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Va savoir Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 30, 2025

Jacques Rivette can be something of an acquired taste, and it might be jokingly stated that even after having acquired that taste, palette cleansers may be in order, at least interstitially and/or in between "courses". There have been several intervals in my reviewing life where suddenly Rivette features would appear, many courtesy of Cohen Media Group. Over the course of quite a few years, but with at least one weird little spurt of almost regular monthly releases lasting for a season or so, I watched and reviewed many Rivette films, including (with review dates in parentheses): The Jacques Rivette Collection (May 2017), which included Duelle, Noroît and Merry-Go-Round; La Belle Noiseuse (May 2018); Joan the Maid (December 2019); The Gang of Four (January 2023); Love on the Ground (February 2023); Secret Defense (March 2023); and Up, Down, Fragile (April 2023). This is all to say that a little Rivette can go a long way, and a lot of Rivette may frankly be too much at times, and so it's probably a good thing that I've had a couple of years in between review assignments, since Va savoir is very Rivette-esque in any number of ways, including its blatant use of theatricality (not to mention theater), a certain mischevious "meta" quality with regard to a perceived dialectic between stage performing and moviemaking, and an examination of interpersonal relationships which can often seem picayune.

I've always been drawn to making films about actors.

That casual throwaway line by Jacques Rivette included in an interview on the second disc of this set is probably the single most salient piece of information any "newcomer" to Rivette's filmography may digest, at least with regard to any number of his films, including this one. The whole "meta" aspect that suffuses so many of Rivette's stage adjacent films is only heightened (and/or deepened, as the case may be) by the fact that the play being performed in this film is by Luigi Pirandello, probably most famous to the general populace for having written Six Characters in Search of an Author (the link points to a television version perhaps amazingly starring Andy Griffith). It's not that particular play on tap here, but Six Characters in Search of an Author is certainly present in at least a subliminal sense, since Va savoir does indeed focus on a sextet, and they all are in fact in search of. . .well, something.

It might be stated with tongue only slightly in cheek that in this particular instance the fact that the six characters found an auteur rather than an author, and that it was Jacques Rivette, may not redound entirely to the benefit of this piece, at least in its massive Director's Cut, which spans well over three and a half hours and can be something of a slog despite its undeniable charm and vibrancy. There's a lot more of Pirandello in the Director's Cut, but I have to say I think Rivette might have been better off utilizing Pirandello's best known piece rather than the lesser remembered Come Tu Mi Vuoi (How You Love Me) from 1929, even if that play (and its very title) has deliberate tethers to Rivette's deconstruction of three couples' interrelationships.

Va savoir Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screencaptures 1 through 18 are from the Director's Cut, and screencaptures 19 through 23 are from the Theatrical Cut.

Va savoir is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in 1.85:1. Radiance sent check discs for purposes of this review, and so I'm not privy to any verbiage that may be offered in an insert booklet, but Radiance's website states "new 4K restorations of Va savoir (the 154-minute theatrical cut) and Va savoir+ (the 223-minute director's original cut), presented on two discs". It may be salient to note, however, that prefatory text before each presentation only overtly mentions a 4K restoration for the theatrical cut. Disc One in this set features the (much) longer Director's Cut, and comes with the following prefatory information:

The first version of Va Savoir, called Va Savoir +, was filmed in Paris in August - September 2000, and restored in the autumn of 2021 at the Hiventy laboratory in Boulogne-Billancourt, under the supervision of Irina Lubtchansky. Colour grading: Pauline Bassenne; Digital Restoration: Frédéric Hedin; Sound Restoration: Aymeric Gavend; Project Supervision: Lisa Soulie and Audrey Birrien.

Disc Two offers the Theatrical Cut, and comes with the following prefatory information:

Va Savoir, filmed in Paris in August - September 2000, was restored in 4K in 2022 by Les Films du Veilleur and La Cinémathèque française at the Hiventy Laboratory, from the original negative and 35mm magnetic tracks under the supervision of Irina Lubtchansky. Colour grading: Pauline Bassenne; Digital Restoration: Frédéric Hedin; Sound Restoration: Aymeric Gavend; Project Supervision: Lisa Soulie and Audrey Birrien.

I frankly noticed no major differences between the two presentations, and I've included some "near frame" duplicate screenshots from both versions so that those interested can do a little side by side comparisons. Both of these transfers have a really gorgeous accounting of an often subtle but still evocative palette, one that can often favor burnished yellows and bronzes. Detail levels are typically excellent throughout, perhaps faltering only very slightly in some less well lit material, as in some of the on stage scenes before full lighting comes up. But even these moments can offer some surprising fine detail levels when Rivette chooses to get closer than merely midrange framings. Grain resolves tightly throughout and I noticed no real signs of even any minimal age related wear and tear.

Note: This played fine in my Region A players.

Va savoir Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both versions of Va savoir feature DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks in the original French. This is a typically bare bones sound design offering from Rivette, one that emphasizes naturalism in spite of the blatant theatricality on tap. As such, there's really not much here other than extended dialogue scenes and occasional background ambient environmental sounds. Everything is delivered cleanly and clearly. Optional English subtitles are available.

Va savoir Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: Disc One in this set offers the longer Director's Cut and no supplementary material. Disc Two offers the Theatrical Cut and the following special features:

• Jacques Rivette (HD; 19:20) is an archival 2001 interview shot at Cannes. Subtitled in English.


• Jeanne Balibar (HD; 8:13) is another archival interview from 2001. Subtitled in English.


• Select Scene Commentary by Pascal Bonitzer and Christine Laurent (HD; 44:49) is also listed as "archival" and stemming from 2001.


• Jonathan Romney (HD; 25:35) offers an interesting overview of the film (in both versions) and Rivette in general.

Radiance sent check discs for purposes of this review, but their website lists the usual packaging the label utilizes.

Va savoir Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you seen any of Rivette's film dealing with actors and/or plays, you'll at least have an inkling of what to expect here. This is nevertheless a somewhat breezier and more charming outing than some of Rivette's other, arguably more pretentious or portentous, offerings, though I'd frankly recommend beginning with the much shorter Theatrical Cut, especially if you're a newcomer to Rivette. Technical merits are solid and the supplements enjoyable. Recommended.