Written and directed by legendary filmmaker François Truffaut (The 400 Blows, The Bride Wore Black) and featuring cool-as-ice cinema icons Catherine Deneuve (Belle de Jour) and Jean-Paul Belmondo (Le Doulos), Mississippi Mermaid is nothing less than breathtaking. When Isle de Réunion resident and tobacco tycoon Louis Mahé (Belmondo) first meets Julie Roussel (Deneuve)—his mail-order fiancée—he’s completely enraptured by her radiance. But it soon becomes clear that Julie is hiding a dark secret. And when she disappears without a trace, Louis vows to stop at nothing to find her—a resolution that lures him into a tangled web of relentless obsession, uncontrollable passion and ultimately…cold-blooded murder. Based on a novel by Cornell Woolrich (Rear Window), Mississippi Mermaid (La sirène du Mississipi) is a beguiling mix of mystery and emotional entanglements, with Michel Bouquet (The Cop), Nelly Borgeaud (The Man Who Loved Women) and the lush cinematography of Denys Clerval (Stolen Kisses).

For thoughts on Mississippi Mermaid, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/z8nJQ7uSQdk?t=8068]

Video Quality

Mississippi Mermaid returns to Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer that is not noted as being from a new master but looks terrific all the same. This film was released previously on Blu-Ray via Twilight Time which is long out of print. I do have that disc, and direct comparisons do not show much difference between the masters. Overall, this new presentation is a great representation of the film with only a few small issues holding it back.

Instances of print damage are a rare sight with only a light smattering of specks visible. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation which increases the level of detail to great heights. The transfer reveals some distinct textures within the clothing and the production design. Colors appear fairly vibrant and stable with some of the hues from the environments looking quite lifelike. Black levels could be a bit more formidable in their depth with some brief loss of detail in some shadowy scenes. Clarity and detail is strong with skin tones that look natural with subtle facial features easily distinguishable in closeups. This new presentation from Kino Classics keeps this one looking good despite the lack of a new master.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a favorable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original French that serves this movie well. The score never overwhelms the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in complete harmony with all competing elements. This track presents with a very minor amount of age related wear and tear, but nothing too distracting. Kino Classics has delivered what you would hope with the audio presentation. There are optional English subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historians Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman deliver a really informative commentary track in which they discuss how this film fit into the filmography of François Truffaut, the careers long and short of the creatives, the impact of Jean Renoir on this film, some of the historical background as it relates to the story, the costumes featured in the film, the existential storytelling and more.

Trailers: There is a minute-and-a-half trailer provided for Mississippi Mermaid. There are also trailers provided for The Bride Wore Black, The Wild Child, The Story of Adele H., Small Change (Pocket Money), The Man Who Loved Women, The Green Room (Vanishing Fiancee), Leon Morin Priest, Le Doulos, Cartouche and Vice and Virtue.

Final Thoughts

Mississippi Mermaid is an intoxicating thriller from the great François Truffaut which finds Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Belmondo melting the screen with the intensity of their chemistry. The narrative twists and turns are very intriguing, but this is far from the primary interest of Truffaut who explores the complex facets of human dynamics and the maddening power of love. Truffaut has more acclaimed movies to his name, but this one in particular deserves a bit more recognition than it typically receives. Kino Classics has delivered a Blu-Ray release that sports a very pleasing A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. If you love a twisty mystery with morally and emotionally complex characters, do not miss this one. Recommended

Mississippi Mermaid 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: 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.