Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

Woman in Chains Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 28, 2019

Henri-Georges Clouzot's "La Prisonniere" a.k.a. "Woman in Chains" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailer for the film, documentary film with actress Elisabeth Wiener, and exclusive audio commentary with critic Kat Ellinger. The release also arrives with an 8-page booklet featuring critic Elena Lazic's essay "The Cage of Freedom: Henri-Georges Clouzot's La Prisonniere". In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The shameless girl

There comes a moment in every director’s career when it just feels right to do a genuinely risqué film. Stanley Kubrick did Eyes Wide Shut at the end of his career. Bernardo Bertolucci shot Last Tango in Paris towards the middle of his career. Luis Bunuel made Belle de jour after decades of experimentation. So with each director the timing is indeed different, but all reach the moment in the exact same manner -- after they permanently discard the fear of a public condemnation that could compromise their image or erode the integrity of their cinematic legacy. In other words, there is a fundamental shift in their perception of freedom of expression.

Henri-Georges Clouzot reached this moment with La Prisonniere, an experimental and uncharacteristically edgy for its time film that is unlike anything else in the director’s oeuvre. In fact, it marks such a dramatic change of direction for Clouzot that had he lived and worked another decade or so, today any critical evaluation of his work would have been absolutely impossible without linking it to the themes and aesthetics that Alan Robbe-Grillet promoted in his work. La Prisonniere sends that kind of clear signal that Clouzot’s creative philosophy had permanently evolved.

The story of La Prisonniere is as bold and subversive as that of Belle de Jour, but instead of playing with the viewer’s imagination as Bunuel does, Clouzot uses it to prove that people with fetishes like the ones the two characters of his film have are perfectly healthy and rational human beings. (It is hardly a groundbreaking concept now, but one has to keep in mind that this film emerged in an entirely different socio-cultural environment). Clouzot begins building his case after the wealthy artist and gallery owner Stanislas Hassler (Laurent Terzieff) invites Josee (Elizabeth Wiener), the young wife of another artist, to visit his chic apartment and get a taste of his hip work. While marveling Hassler’s pieces, Josee discovers that he is a brilliant photographer with a dark side who enjoys taking explicit pictures of women posing in some quite unusual ways. Her mind instantly unleashes a sea of amoral fantasies, and a few days later she agrees to model for him. The shame that Josee temporarily experiences after she sees the finished pictures then further enhance her mind’s ability to excite her, and eventually she begins a romantic relationship with Hassler. The photo shoots also have a profound impact on Hassler. At first, he feels in total control and while playing with Josee’s insecurity experiences a familiar rush, but then suddenly falls madly in love with her.

La Prisonniere is the one and only film that Clouzot shot in color, and it is such an extraordinary feast for the eyes that one cannot but feel terrible that it also turned out to be his last. Truly, the beauty of the film is so striking that at times it feels as if the visuals on the screen are emerging from an incredibly vivid surreal dream. There is one sequence towards the end in particular where the lovers are seen standing on a tiny rock while giant waves are crashing around them that has to be seen to be believed.

What is very important to underscore, however, is that while it is an experimental film, and it is clear that its aesthetics were of utmost importance to Clouzot, it is not a show-off piece. It is a carefully crafted litmus test that examines human sexuality without many of the tired stereotypes that are used to define what is moral and amoral.

*If the subject matter appeals to you, see Robbe-Grillet’s more straightforward and bolder but equally stylish Trans-Europ Express.

Woman in Chains Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in aspect ratio of 1.661:, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Henri-Georges Clouzot's La Prisonniere arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from the recent 4K remaster of the film that StudioCanal worked with when it prepared this Region-B release of La Prisonniere in 2018. So, if you have read out review of this release you probably already know that I like remaster a lot.

As far as density, delineation and clarity are concerned the end result really is quite wonderful, which is why on a bigger screen the visuals have a very strong filmic quality. The darker footage from the fancy apartment where plenty of the action takes place also boasts some wonderful nuances. Also, there are no traces of problematic digital corrections. The color grading is good, but I would have preferred to see slightly stronger whites (and white hues) so that some of the emerging contrasts are more prominent. However, I still think that the current grading introduces plenty of wonderful primaries and supporting nuances, all of which give the film a convincing period appearance. Image stability is excellent. Lastly, there are no distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, stains or other age-related anomalies. (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).

Woman in Chains Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

The audio was fully remastered during the restoration process and as a result clarity, depth, and stability are excellent. The chamber score breathes easily as well, though quite predictably the overall dynamic intensity is rather unremarkable. There are no pops, cracks, background hiss, audio dropouts, or distortions to report.

Woman in Chains Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for La Prisonniere. In French, with optional English subtitles. (4 min, 1080p).

• The Rebellious Elisabeth Wiener - in this archival featurette, actress Elisabeth Wiener (Josee) recalls her interactions with Henri-Georges Clouzot and Laurent Terzieff during the shooting of La Prisonniere and discusses the director's working methods. The actress also visits the location where one of the film's most beautiful sequences was shot. In French, with optional English subtitles.(26 min).

• Commentary - an audio commentary by critic Kat Ellinger.

• Booklet - an 8-page booklet featuring critic Elena Lazic's essay "The Cage of Freedom: Henri-Georges Clouzot's La Prisonniere".

Woman in Chains Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Henri-Georges Clouzot's final and only color film, La Prisonniere, is an extraordinary feast for the eyes that will almost certainly surprise folks familiar only with his big international hits. It shares some of the themes and many of the aesthetics that define Alan Robbe-Grillet's work. The film has been recently restored in 4K and is now available on Blu-ray via Kino Lorber. The technical presentation is very nice, so if you want to add a truly unique and rather bold film to your collection, La Prisonniere is one that you do not want to miss. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.