Even the most adventurous of film-lovers may find it difficult to fully immerse themselves in certain pockets of cinema. It is easy to find the most populous choices within niche spaces, but you are often left feeling like a tourist in a foreign land when all you want to do is feel like one of the locals. This can go for specific genres, countries, time periods or various other specific criteria that lines up with your objectives. It can be intimidating jumping in blind to a whole new world of artistic expression, so it helps when you have a guide to usher you through. In 2016, filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier graced us with the documentary My Journey Through French Cinema which blended personal biographical elements with an overarching journey through French cinema that brought in big name directors such as Olivier Assayas to complement his historical insights into the subject. The documentary was mammoth and thoughtful, but Tavernier had but scratched the surface of his knowledge and thus has returned for an eight-episode series that further explores the lesser explored world of French cinema with next to nothing in the way of overlap with his previous effort. This is like an essential film studies course but much cheaper.
Journeys Through French Cinema is broken down into easily digestible topics that really drills into specific filmmakers and various works within their oeuvre. Tavernier cares very little about easing you into this world as his first two installments focus on his “bedside filmmakers” that are as much a part of his identity as any physical trait. The passion with which he discusses filmmakers such World War II era humanist Jean Grémillon and Max Ophuls is rousing. Not only does Tavernier wax poetic about deliberate camera movements and the throughline of scores through a body of work, but he cleanly and passionately outlines why you should care about this, as well. The third episode delves even further into the use of music in film, with a focus on filmmaker Julien Duvivier who I can personally count as a discovery from this program. Perhaps the most thrilling of the initial four installments is the one which focuses on French cinema under the occupation of Germany. The societal impact often, yet justifiably, overshadows the substantial impact the war had on art.
The latter four episodes only continue the strong output from Tavernier, especially in episode five which details how postwar filmmakers made their mark in French cinema in a way that presaged the New Wave. The best is when Tavernier recontextualizes filmmakers you may already be familiar with to show their impact on a macro level. The double whammy of episodes six and seven may be esoteric enough to stump even the most ardent of cinephiles, as Tavernier joyously tackles both “forgotten filmmakers” that have seemingly been erased from history along with the self-explanatory “underrated directors” that skew more personal. For his finale, Tavernier bookends the affair with yet another personal moment entitled “My 60s” that delves into his friendship with the late Pierre Rissient. This is more than just a self-indulgent endeavor; Tavernier is unearthing stories that have led to some of the most interesting careers around the world.
From the title alone, you should know if Journeys Through French Cinema is for you or not. The French are synonymous with cinema and their contributions to the art form are vast. Despite this, those who have not taken the necessary steps to engage with that fact have likely played it safe with their viewing habits. If you are ready to expand to something new, this series is the perfect crash-course into the known and unknown of French cinema with one of the most engaged teachers in the business. Each episode is dense but accessible with a palpable passion coming from the host. Tavernier unfortunately passed away just weeks ago, but his contributions to cinema will continue to live on as long as he keeps encouraging people to appreciate something new. Film fans should not sleep on this wonderful tome. By the time you are finished with it, your watchlist will be filled with copious titles to desire.
Video Quality
Journeys Through French Cinema comes to Blu-Ray featuring a lot of different material in varying degrees of quality. The show itself and everything within it looks as technically excellent as it can look in high definition. Cohen Media Group presents these eight hour-long episodes spread across two discs. This allows the content a decent amount of room to breathe where we can avoid any compression artifacts. The movie clips used seem to be the best versions that were available when this was made, with most of them looking pretty strong. Some of the clips from the films are from more obscure features that have not been restored and can look a bit rough. Interview segments look incredibly sleek and clear with natural skin tones and detailed facial features. There is only a minor amount of aliasing and other slight anomalies that come from upscaling some of these clips. I do not see how this set could have been improved visually considering the source material. It’s a lovely transfer handled with care by Cohen Media Group.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray disc comes with a LPCM 2.0 track in the original French with forced subtitles that perfectly suits the source material, but is understandably restrained. As this primarily acts as a guided lecture with talking heads, dialogue is the focus right up front in the center channel. The movie clips come from an era in cinema of mono sound. These clips mostly sound pretty clean and stable, but some of the older material can sound a bit hollow or boxy at times. The two-channel presentation is immersive in its own way, and it maintains the artistic choice of the series. For that reason, this is an excellent audio track.
Special Features
- Trailer: A minute-long trailer for the series that gives you a nice taste of what is in store for you.
Final Thoughts
Journeys Through French Cinema is the film school you did not know you were missing in your life. Most cinephiles know the names and works of “the greats,” but host Bertrand Tavernier endeavors to explore features that will provide something new to most viewers. The conversations are rich with details and insights that could not be more valuable for those looking to appreciate the art of French cinema on a deeper level. The Cohen Media Group has released a Blu-Ray set that sports a fine A/V presentation, but not much in the way of supplemental features. If you are excited by the possibility of expanding your cinematic horizons, this show will be quite the asset for you. Recommended
Journeys Through French Cinema is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: The Cohen Film Collection and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
