Bresson achieves the pinnacle of his art in the tale of a gentle creature's journey through a cruel world. A profound masterpiece from one of the most revered filmmakers in the history of cinema, Au hasard Balthazar, directed by Robert Bresson (Pickpocket), follows the donkey Balthazar as he is passed from owner to owner, some kind and some cruel but all with motivations outside of his understanding. Balthazar, whose life parallels that of his first keeper, Marie, is truly a beast of burden, suffering the sins of humankind. But despite his powerlessness, he accepts his fate nobly. Through Bresson's unconventional approach to composition, sound, and narrative, this simple story becomes a moving parable about purity and transcendence. Special Edition Features: New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack Interview from 2005 with film scholar Donald Richie Un metteur en ordre: Robert Bresson, a 1966 French television programme about the film, featuring Bresson, filmmakers JeanLuc Godard and Louis Malle, and members of Balthazar's cast and crew Original theatrical trailer Plus: An essay by film scholar James Quandt
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: French ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Subtitles ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Black & White, Box Set, Commentary, Documentary, Interactive Menu, Multi-DVD Set, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: Diary of a Chambermaid (1964) Jeanne Moreau is a chambermaid who uses her feminine charms to control and advance her situation, in a social setting of corruption, violence, sexual obsession and perversion. Belle de Jour (1967) A frigid young housewife decides to spend her midweek afternoons as a prostitute. Tristana (1970) After the death of her mother, Tristana goes to live with her guardian, Don Lope, an older man who eventually breaks through his façade of respectability and seduces her. She repays him a hundred fold, preying on his jealousy and taunting him with perverse whimsies. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) A surreal, virtually plotless series of dreams centered around six middle-class people and their consistently interrupted attempts to have a meal together. That Obscure Object of Desire (1977) Buñuel regular Fernando Rey plays Mathieu, an urbane widower, tortured by his lust for the elusive Conchita. The Phantom of Liberty (1974) Featuring an elegant soiree with guests seated at toilet bowls, poker-playing monks using religious medals as chips, and police officers looking for a missing girl who is right under their noses, this perverse, playfully absurd comedy of non sequiturs deftly compiles many of the themes that preoccupied Buñuel throughout his career. The Milky Way (1969) Two drifters go on a pilgrimage from France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Along the way, they ...The Luis Bunuel Collection - 7-DVD Box Set ( Belle de jour / Le Journal d'une femme de chambre / Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie / Cet obscur objet du désir / Le Fantôme de la liberté / La Voie lactée / Tristana ) ( Beauty of the Day /
Features SHOOT THE PIANIST, JULES ET JIM, THE SOFT SKIN, ANNE & MURIEL, A GORGEOUS GIRL LIKE ME, THE LAST METRO, THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR, FINALLY SUNDAY.
Eureka Entertainment to release MANINA [The Lighthouse-Keeper's Daughter], starring screen icon Brigitte Bardot in one of her first ever on-screen performances, on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK on 13 November 2017. A Parisian student, Gérard Morere, sets off to recover a lost treasure contained in a sunken Phoenician ship near an island off the coast of Corsica. With funds supplied by his fellow students, Gérard convinces a smuggler named Eric (played by Jess Franco favourite Howard Vernon) to be his transportation. Whilst diving for the treasure off the picturesque Lavezzi islands, Gérard gets to know Manina (Brigitte Bardot), the attractive daughter of the local lighthouse keeper Notable for being one of Bardot's first on-screen performances, five years before her appearance in And God Created Woman launched her to super-stardom, Manina, The Lighthouse-Keeper's Daughter is presented here for the first time ever on Blu-ray. Bonus Features: 1080p presentation Optional English subtitles 56 Rue Pigalle (88 mins) - Director Willy Rozier's little-seen noir-melodrama Footage of the infamous Rozier-Chalais duel, between director Willy Rozier and film critic François Chalais Stills gallery containing rare photos of Bardot taken during the film's production
Offbeat French drama from director Fran�ois Ozon that explores the relationship between a literature student and the talented pupil whose gift for description he attempts to nurture. Germain (Fabrice Luchini) usually despairs about the quality of the creative writing his pupils produce so when he receives a piece from the previously unremarkable student Claude (Ernst Umhauer) that displays promise he is moved to pledge assistance to the boy. Complicating matters somewhat is the fact that Clau...
"JCVD" shows the world's favourite action hero as you have never seen him before...living the life of an ordinary guy.
Paris Vu Par
Washed-up fighting bankruptcy and caught in the midst of a desperate struggle to win his daughter back from the jaws of a bitter custody battle Van Damme unwittingly becomes embroiled in a dangerous bank robbery led by a gang of armed and violent criminals. Trapped inside Van Damme is framed for the robbery and the murder of innocent hostages. Now he must win the approval of the crowd as well as the trust of the police if he is to survive this deadly heist! With a killer mix of action murder mayhem and no shortage of laughs JCVD delivers with the impact of a roundhouse kick to the face! Van Damme is back and this time he's taking no prisoners!
"JCVD" shows the world's favourite action hero as you have never seen him before...living the life of an ordinary guy.
When his great friend the Duke of Nevers is slain in a dastardly assassination plot by Count Gonzague (Luchini) fencing master Lagardere (Auteuil) swears to avenge the murder and to take care of his orphaned daughter Aurore (Gillain). Sixteen years later after secretly hiding with a touring theatre troup Lagardere returns to the sumptuous Parisian courts to honour his deadly oath. Disguising himself as Gonzague's hunchback manservant Lagardere infiltrates the Count's entourage...
Beautifully shot and timeless, "The Limits of Control" delivers a surreal neo-noir, detective story unlike anything you have ever seen!
Veronique living with her divorced mother is going on easter's holiday to Mauritius with her father. To impress a nice looking boy Benjamin she manages to complicate the situation several times because she makes up a story where her father is presented as her lover and in addition he is a hero and secret agent but with somewhat criminal past.
This great DVD collection contains the following titles: 1. Attack! (dir. Robert Aldrich 1956) 2. 633 Squadron (dir. Walter Grauman 1964) 3. The Bridge At Remagen (dir. John Guillermin 1969) 4. A Bridge Too Far (dir. Richard Attenborough 1977) 5. The Great Escape (dir. John Sturges 1963) 6. Hart's War (dir. Gregory Hoblit 2002) 7. Platoon (dir. Oliver Stone 1986) 8. Windtalkers (dir. John Woo 2002) 9. The Dogs Of War (dir. John Irvin 1981) 10. Under Fire (dir. Roger Spottiswoode 1983)
Gustav Flaubert's celebrated novel of obsessive ardour undergoes a dazzling retrofit for the screen, courtesy of French neurosis-master Claude Chabrol. The basic story (a woman's selfish quest for happiness ends up obliterating all she holds dear) may be the same but Chabrol's talent for biting through to the dark marrow of passion makes this a startling experience, even for people familiar with the source material or the numerous other cinematic adaptations. Casting Isabelle Huppert in the title role (she's at least a decade older than the standard conception of this wilfully tragic heroine) was a potentially risky gambit that paid off big; underneath her glorious surface lies a startling foundation of brilliant ice. The same can be said about this stunning film. Viewers intrigued by this potent actress-director pairing may also want to check out The Story of Women and the wonderful La Ceremonie. The film is in French with English subtitles. --Andrew Wright
A superb fun filled feature film for all the family! At Christmas the children of a village organise a snowball fight. But the flight gets a little bit out of control and both sides learn a lesson they will never forget.
In director Francois Truffaut's dramatic film La Peau Douce Pierre is a successful happily married publisher who meets Nicole a lovely airplane stewardess and begins a lustful affair with her. As his passion deepens he realizes he must choose between his wife Franca and his mistress. However the movie takes a surprising twist leading to one of the most startling conclusions in film history...
Offenbach's 1867 La Vie Parisienne is perhaps the quintessential French comic operetta: a broad satire on Paris society set against the backdrop of the 1867 Exposition and the descent of easily lampooned foreigners on to the city; sharp moments that Molière would be proud of; undercurrents of quick-fire farce, confusion, lust and mistaken identity; and a rich cast of characters racing inexorably to a can-can finale. This 1991 production by the Lyon National Opera presents a welcome opportunity to revel in a uniquely Gallic confection rarely seen outside France. It's also a chance to enjoy one of Offenbach's most inventive, melodic scores in which the starring musical role and many of the best tunes go to the orchestra, here conducted by Jean-Yves Ossonce. This is no accident: the operetta was originally created for a company of actors who relied on pastiche and the composer's help to get them through their "numbers". Not so these singers, of course. As Metella, the languorous courtesan who is responsible for the unravelling debacle, Helene Delavault is in meltingly good voice for her show-stopping rondeau, "A minuit sonnant commence la fete". Her sparring suitors Gardefeu (Jean-Francois Sivadier) and, particularly, Bobinet (Jacques Verzier) combine marvellous visual comedy with fluid singing and there is some dazzling vocal work from the supporting cast. It's a long piece, but hugely enjoyable. On the DVD: La Vie Parisienne has the usual, excellent booklet notes of ArtHaus DVD releases, which go some way to compensate for a disappointing lack of extras. Time, surely, to introduce some on-screen history or cross-references to other relevant works. The picture quality is good and sharp, although the 4:3 format does little justice to Carlo Tommasi's sweeping, stylish sets. The PCM Stereo soundtrack provides an adequate orchestral experience while managing to muffle much of the spoken dialogue. --Piers Ford
Jules Et Jim (1960): Francois Truffaut's beautiful and enigmatic film about the lifelong friendship between two writers - French novelist Jim (Henri Serre) and Austrian children's author Jules (Oskar Werner) - and their mutual love for the eccentric Catherine (Jeanne Moreau). The story begins in 1920s Paris when Jules and Jim first meet and become friends. As young single men they gallavant about Paris chasing women or studying ancient art. When they meet the equally energetic Catherine whose impulses range from dressing up as a man to taking midnight plunges into the Seine their circle is complete. But when World War II erupts with Jules and Jim fighting on opposite sides everything changes. Jules marries Catherine before going off to battle. After the war they settle into a quiet existence in the French countryside. But Catherine is restless and unfaithful. Jim reunites with his oldest and closest friend and Catherine makes room for him in their house asking him to move in and become her lover. Jim complies as he wants nothing more than to please his friend Jules who agrees to the plan... The Last Metro (1980): Winning an incredible ten French Academy Awards in 1981 The Last Metro is one of Truffaut's most highly acclaimed and popular films. Starring Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu in magnetic performances the story is set in Paris 1942 during the Nazi occupation of France. When Lucas Steiner (Heinz Bennett) the Jewish owner of the Montparnasse Theatre is forced into hiding his wife and lead actress Marion (Deneuve) takes over. Desperate to keep both the troupe and Lucas alive she stages a new play which must be a success to continue. She hires the womanising actor Bernard Granger (Depardieu) for the lead in their next production. Just as the actors begin their rehearsals an anti-semitic journalist ensconces himself in the theatre creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity. Will he discover Lucas' hideaway and the political affiliations of the group's lead actor? Truffaut delivers a captivating study of artists (the actors) struggling against the odds (the Nazis) and a compelling insight into the atmosphere of wartime Paris and the theatre set against a backdrop of exquisite period detail. La Peau Douce (1964): Pierre is a successful happily married publisher who meets Nicole a lovely airplane stewardess and begins a lustful affair with her. As his passion deepens he realizes he must choose between his wife Franca and his mistress. However the movie takes a suprising twist leading to one of the most startling conclusions in film history... The 400 Blows (1959): Praised by film-makers and critics the world over Truffaut's 400 Blows launched the Nouvelle Vague and paved the way for some of cinema's most important and influential directors. Twelve-year-old Antoine Doinel has troubles at home and at school. Ignored and neglected by his parents his relationship with his mother is further strained when he discovers that she has taken a secret lover. Added to this his school teachers have written him off as a troublemaker and with luck seemingly never on his side it is Antoine who ends up getting the blame for bad behaviour. Finding refuge only in his love of cinema Antoine soon finds it necessary to break free and discover what the world can offer outside of the confines of his everyday life. This remarkable film features the extraordinary talent of Jean-Pierre Leaud as the rebellious Antoine a character based on Truffaut himself. Doinel was to make appearances in a number of Truffaut's films (including Stolen Kisses Bed and Board and Love on the Run) all of which chart his further adventures into adulthood.
Gerard a young student discovers a fragment of a Phoenician amphora in Corsica. Several years later he sets off on board the boat of some traffickers in search of the treasure he thinks he has found. Once more on the Island he falls in love with the young Manina. The remains are rediscovered but the boat goes off with its precious cargo leaving the young man on the island. The seafarers are shipwrecked and Gerard still poor consoles himself with Manina's pure love. More th
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