Lonely Emma Bovary longs for romance, glamour, and possessions. Wed to a country doctor she instead gets routine, motherhood, and penny-pinching. So when she catches the eye of a handsome aristocrat, Emma risks all to reach for what she thinks will be happiness. Jennifer Jones stars in this lush adaptation of Gustave Flaubert’s famous novel that scandalized 19th-century France. The film’s capstone is the stunning ballroom scene, contrasting Emma’s social success with her husband’s failure, culminating in his drunken arrival on the dance floor. In this famed sequence (highlighted by the unforgettable music of Miklos Rozsa), masterful director Vincente Minnelli skillfully combines dissolves, cross-cuts, pans, long takes- a library of techniques into a seamless triumph of head-spinning gaiety, heart-breaking despair, and moviemaking artistry.

For thoughts on Madame Bovary (1949), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/eDsAEdjuLRw?si=xYQY8f7pHe65PSJE&t=265]

Video Quality

Warner Archive presents Madame Bovary for the first time on Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K restoration of the best preservation elements. Warner Archive continues to do some amazing work to make the most of its preservation efforts. This black-and-white feature has consistently resolved natural film grain throughout providing a sumptuous amount of detail to the image. Print damage is not an issue as you avoid most nicks, scratches, or flicker. The presentation allows for a welcome amount of depth in every location, even in shadowy corners where there is no evidence of any black crush. Warner Archive has treated this one with the respect it deserves.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release comes with a newly restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that presents this material perfectly. There does not appear to be much in the way of damage or age-related wear and tear to the track. The score comes through with a nice fidelity without seeming harsh or thin. The stately dialogue never fails to come through clearly throughout the duration. The environmental effects and the music are properly balanced so that the dialogue never gets overshadowed. This is a well-rounded audio presentation that gives the material the life it deserves. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc.

Special Features

Some Of The Best: A 42-minute retrospective short film from 1949 hosted by Lionel Barrymore that takes a look at 25 years of filmmaking at MGM. This is a very cool addition that film fans will really appreciate.

Love That Pup An eight-minute Tom & Jerry short is presented here in HD in which a reckless Tom and Jerry disturb Spike’s little son.

Theatrical Trailer: The three-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Madame Bovary is a terrific adaptation of the classic story that gets to the emotional desperation of the character even if it cannot get too scandalous in its physical actions. Jennifer Jones is perfect in the titular role, always bringing depth to the character that allows you to sympathize with her even when she is acting in a way others might deem selfish. The filmmaking at hand by the master Vincente Minnelli is among his best, which is saying something given what he has captured. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a nice array of special features. If you are a fan of the story, don’t miss this adaptation. Recommended

Madame Bovary can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive 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.