The movie critique portion of this review was written by my colleague Ishmael Hurst.
In the wealthy expanse of cinema, there are some filmmakers who choose freedom of form and expression over pretense and structured palatability. Andrzej Żuławski was one such creator, firmly believing that true realism was a foolish pursuit in creative mediums, instead embracing a surrealism of excess in his work. If that explanation doesn’t make any sense but leaves you intrigued all the same, you should watch L’Amour Braque.
L’Amour Braque (English: Mad Love) is the sixth film directed by Andrzej Żuławski, a Polish writer and director twice-banned in his own country but embraced in the larger European arthouse scene for his unique, non-conformist perspective and style. It’s a loose adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, and serves as the very literary-minded director’s tribute to the author’s work. Though it strays far from the plot of the book, Żuławski does what a good adaptation should by capturing the spirit of the work beyond its scene-by-scene layout. In some ways, one could argue that he fine-tunes the ideas of the original story, which Dostoevsky himself said was “written hurriedly” and “too diffuse.”
It begins with what, for my money, is the most entertaining bank robbery of all time, with a well-synchronized gang of clownish-but-competent characters in Disney masks, throwing Mickey and Donald impersonations around as they point guns to heads. It’s quickly established that they’re here for a good time as much as they are for money. After they make a frenetic, cackling escape, they hop a train to Paris, where the gang’s leader, Micky (Tchéky Karyo– of course, the one in the Mickey mask), hopes to reunite with his girlfriend, Mary (a very young Sophie Marceau). Micky has a manic energy that persists throughout the film, whether fueled by joy, love or rage, that makes him seem at once comedic and unpredictably cutthroat. Along the way, he runs into Leon (Francis Huster), a drifting dreamer headed to Paris to visit his cousin, an actress. Micky and Leon bond instantly and intensely, laughing together like old friends within minutes of meeting. From this kismet moment, Leon is caught in Micky’s gravity and follows the gang without hesitation as they infiltrate a guarded being where Mary, a high class courtesan owned by rivaling gangsters, is delighted to receive them. Mary shares Micky’s unpredictability, playing the part of the tempted, the temptress, the damsel in distress and the femme fatale pulling the strings. As the gang terrorize Mary’s captors and successfully wage a war that will drive the film’s action, Mary and Leon share their own fateful moment, falling in love at near-first sight.
Scenes later, that same fate separates the gang and leaves Mary in Leon’s care, and they waste no time in shrugging their clothes off and spending the night together. Though Micky is furious when he discovers the indiscretion, he refuses to harm Leon or begrudge Mary, believing that she will ultimately choose him. They both go mad over her, and much of the film follows Leon as Mary bounces wildly between them. It’s a strange love triangle where, as emotionally fragile as Mary seems, she holds all the cards, and the men are repeatedly, willingly at her whim, even as she confesses that she’s using them dishonestly. Once the plot starts to snowball, people start crying and dying in spades, and they don’t stop until the very end.
L’Amour Braque is an action film as much as it is a romance and a tragedy. There are shootouts, burning buildings, car chases and explosions. More than that, though, it is a violent film- not only in its blood and bullets, but in the more intimate ways the characters mar each other, wringing out one another’s emotions and weeping because they hate to do it. At one point, Micky threatens to kill Leon with a knife wrapped in silk, so that he’d “feel nothing.” Such is the ugly romance that L’Amour Braque seeks to impress.
I can’t express strongly enough how wild the performances in this movie are. At various points, it’s a circus of insanity. Żuławski’s characters often don’t try to express themselves as real people might, holding nothing back for public shyness or decency. They’re like children, wearing everything on their sleeve and announcing every joy or grievance. To some audiences they may come across as a cast of Nic Cages, but there are several masterful, singular emotional exorcisms, especially within the lover’s triangle. Sophie Marceau, in her first of four films with the director, manages to stand out as the most dynamic force in the film. The dialogue, meanwhile, is Shakespearian in density; they trade in metaphor and witticism, and one can’t expect to keep up on a first viewing. The same can be said about the manic plot, which while sound, repeatedly gets lost in the frenzied chaos. L’Amour Braque is not for everyone.
The necessary warnings aside, I think it may be brilliant. Żuławski sought to convey an honesty of feeling above the truth of circumstance, and here he succeeds. Any audience who can let go of themselves and feel the film out will find something to relate to in the sheer madness onset by love without reason, and the pangs of desperation that follow, especially when that love must be shared. If not, I’m sure you’ll find it very silly, which can also be a lot of fun.
Video Quality
L’Amour Braque comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original OAR derived from a 4K restoration of the original camera negative. The presentation is just a hair away from pristine, but the new restoration looks really excellent throughout most of the runtime. There are occasional minor specks of print damage, but overall clarity and detail is mighty impressive. There are interior shots that are packed with little details in the production design that are easily noticeable thanks to this transfer. The picture tends to run a bit soft in long shots, likely to be contributed to the source material, but colors are well saturated in a visually splendid way. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with very little in the way of crush. Digital noise does not present as a major issue here. This new presentation is very beautiful and likely looks better than it ever has before. Kino Classics has done a fantastic job with this one.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a very capable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original French with optional English subtitles. The music sounds great throughout the duration of the film, as it settles you into the emotions of the characters. There are moments where it threatens to overwhelm the dialogue, but the track maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. Environmental sounds such as city noises or weather effects are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Kino Classics has given this film the perfectly preserved, faithful audio presentation it deserves.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary #1: Author and Film Critic Kat Ellinger discusses the place of this film in the filmography of Zulawski, the key to appreciating the director, the look of the film, comparisons to the novel, the way in which the performers were pushed to the brink and more. This is a pretty great listen that fans of the film will appreciate.
- Audio Commentary #2: Director Andrzej Zulawski and Writer Daniel Bird provide a wonderful track for the film in which they discuss the origins of the project, how he went about adapting the book, what Tchéky Karyo brought to the script, how he tried to set this apart from his other films and more.
- Becoming Marie – Interview with Sophie Marceau: A 25-minute archival interview in which the actress discusses getting the part of Marie, the process of auditioning, the physicality of the role, the costumes, the most difficult parts of the filming process and more. This is one of the best supplements on this disc.
- Interview with Director of Photography J.F. Robin: A 24-minute with the Director of Photography in which he discusses getting involved with the project, what it was like working with Zulawski, the ritual of going over the dailies, the story and more.
- Archival Behind-The-Scenes Footage and Interviews: A nearly 17-minute collection of footage from the production including interviews with the director and cast members.
- Trailers: The two-minute trailer for L’Amour Braque is included here. There are also trailers provided for Cosmos and Diva.
Final Thoughts
L’Amour Braque is Dostoevsky as only the fascinating mind of Andrzej Żuławski could bring to life. The narrative reality is heightened and frantic in a way that may make some uncomfortable, but those who find themselves settling into the wavelength of this film will delight in every strange turn. The performances from the trio of lead performers are strong all around, but young Sophie Marceau ranks as the breakout of the feature. Kino Classics has released a new Blu-Ray featuring a stellar A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features that really help you appreciate the film even more. Fans of the director should be thrilled by the effort. Recommended
L’Amour Braque is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has 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.
