Kink, murder, incest, and cannibalism. These are just a few of François Ozon’s favorite things in his early features. A masterful chameleon of genre and style with more than 20 years of filmmaking under his belt, Ozon has built a vast and versatile body of work and while he may have gained the spotlight after the critically acclaimed and elegantly subtle ‘Under the Sand‘ (2000), this collection rediscovers Ozon’s brash roots with a trilogy like no other.

SITCOM (1998) – An upper-middle-class nuclear family experiences upheaval when they adopt a laboratory mouse as their new pet. As each member interacts with the new addition to the household, the animal exerts a strange power that prompts them to explore their repressed psychosexual desires. A satire of bourgeois values – something of a cross between John Waters and Luis Buñuel – Ozon offers surreal delights and a rollercoaster of perversions in Sitcom.

CRIMINAL LOVERS (1999) – An audacious queer take on Hansel and Gretel, Criminal Lovers starts with a thrill kill that sends its protagonists, Alice and Luc, down the rabbit hole. Like a wannabe Bonnie and Clyde, the couple flee their safe suburban lives before getting lost in the woods, only to find themselves trapped by a psychotic woodsman. What awaits in his cellar – from sexual enlightenment to karmic retribution – must be seen to be believed.

WATER DROPS ON BURNING ROCKS (2000) – Water Drops on Burning Rocks adapts an unproduced play by Rainer Werner Fassbinder – Ozon’s favorite filmmaker – in which Franz, a naïve 19-year-old, is seduced by a smug-yet-alluring, 50-year-old businessman Leopold, quickly moving into his apartment. Domestic bliss is short-lived as a sadomasochistic relationship takes root and the power dynamics continue to shift upon the arrival of both men’s ex-girlfriends: the spry Anna and mysterious Véra. This ménage à quatre leads to sex, despair, and, of course, a musical number.

For thoughts on Ozon’s Transgressive Triple: Sitcom, Criminal Lovers, and Water Drops on Burning Rocks, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Sitcom, Criminal Lovers, and Water Drops on Burning Rocks make their domestic debut on Blu-Ray courtesy of Altered Innocence with digital AVC encoded 1080p transfers in their original aspect ratios that are derived from restorations prepared by StudioCanal. Sitcom and Criminal Lovers share a disc while Water Drops on Burning Rocks has been given its own disc. Even with the two early films sharing a disc, it has room to breathe due to the short runtimes. These films were made within a couple of years of each other, and they largely share similar visual qualities and will be discussed as a group with any differences noted.

These presentations maintain the glorious natural film grain that resolves without issue. The grain provides texture and welcome detail with a refined look rather than a clumpy or frozen mess. Skin tones are natural with subtle features easily distinguishable in closeup. Throughout these films, colors are impeccably saturated with deep, natural hues coming through with ideal accuracy. Elements of the costumes and vegetation keep things visually buoyant even when things are thematically dark. All instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches have been eradicated with clarity and detail holding strong. Black levels hold up well with no serious moments of crush or banding observed. Altered Innocence has treated this release with the utmost care.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track for Sitcom and Criminal Lovers, while Water Drops on Burning Rocks has been afforded a DTS-HD 1.0 Master Audio mono track. All films are in the original French and are brought to life with great care. There do not appear to be any signs of egregious age-related anomalies present such as sibilance or distortion. Environmental elements are not showy, but they come through naturally to ground you in the space of the narrative. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear in balance with the competing elements, never succumbing to the multitude of elements at play. These films use music effectively to establish the ideal atmosphere with first-rate fidelity. Altered Innocence has ensured that these films have an audio experience that capitalizes on the potential.

Special Features

Water Drops On Burning Rocks Audio Commentary: Film historians Cerise Howard and Rohan Spong provide a very informative commentary track in which they discuss the work of François Ozon, the ideas of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, the surprisingly inventive cinematography, how the film keeps the audience on edge, the themes of the feature, the production design, and much more that is worthwhile.

Little Deaths – Loss and Coming of Age in François Ozon’s First Chapter: A 26-minute visual essay from Kat Ellinger delves into the early work of Ozon including influences from the past, the subversion of expectations, analysis of each film, and more that is extremely valuable.

New Interview with Actor Stéphane Rideau: A 13-minute interview from 2022 with the Sitcom actor is provided in which he discusses his collaboration with Ozon, the shooting of the film, experiences with his fellow performers, the fun had with prosthetics, and more.

Trailers: A minute-long compilation trailer is provided here. Trailers are also provided for The Wounded Man, Fogi Is A Bastard, Wild Reeds, and The Strangler.

Booklet: There is a foldable poster included featuring the essay “Transgress, Transform, Transcend” by Juan Barquin and Trae DeLellis which adds a great amount of context and history to the viewing experience.

Final Thoughts

Ozon’s Transgressive Triple brings together three films that show signs of what a titan François Ozon would be throughout the next couple of decades. Each film is thumbing its nose at society in a different way, but there is no doubt they are from the same fascinating mind behind the camera. These three films are a bit more extreme than some of his subsequent work, but we honestly love the mode he is working in here. If you don’t mind breaking some taboos, this is a rewarding watch for cinephiles. Altered Innocence has delivered a Blu-Ray set featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a decent array of special features. We could not love this set more. Highly Recommended

Ozon’s Transgressive Triple will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on June 25, 2024.

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

Disclaimer: Altered Innocence 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.