The world of French cinema is vast and multi-layered, as likely to veer into genre film as it is to pursue more arty, even absurdist notions. In terms of embracing dark moods and themes, be it in the form of murderous urges, aberrant sexual leanings, self-destructive machinations, or outright neuroses, the Gallic lens is perfectly adept. Here we present four varied approaches to the thriller à la française.

LES COUSINES (THE COUSINS) – Lucile, paralyzed and mute from a childhood trauma, lives with her sister Josine and their cousin Elisa. While the mother of Lucile and Josine frets over increasing costs and the complications of Lucile reaching legal age, Josine and Elisa live reckless lives of sexual abandon while mentally and physically torturing Lucile, their powerless victim. Playing their cruel games, getting high, and seducing men aren’t enough for these two; they’re in search of darker sadistic kicks. Also released as From Ear to Ear, this shocker of modernity and liberated morals was directed by veteran cinematographer Louis Soulanes (La Pointe Courte) and features Solange Pradel (World on a Wire), Alain Doutey (The Big Red One), and Katia Tchenko (The Bishop’s Bedroom).

QUI? (WHO?) – An arguing couple gets into a car on the Brittany coast where, driving erratically, it suddenly launches off a cliff and crashes into the waters below. The man Claude disappears into the sea, while the woman Marina manages to escape, and soon comes under questioning by the police as well as Claude’s brother Serge. Serge soon falls in love with Marina, despite her hazy, suspicious recollection of the accident. Returning to Paris, the two begin to retrace the crash and realize how inscrutable Claude was, amid coping with Marina’s fractured memory and heightened nerves. Claude’s body never turns up, and it becomes trickier to find out what, and moreover who is to blame for the accident. A giallo-esque thriller from Léonard Keigel (A Woman One Day) awash in a gorgeous score from jazz legend Claude Bolling (Flic Story), it stars Romy Schneider (The Swimming Pool), Maurice Ronet (Bloodline), and Gabriele Tinti (Mystère).

LE SECRET (THE SECRET) – Author Thomas and his wife Julia enjoy a quiet life isolated in the French countryside until one day when David, on the run and anxious, wanders onto their land. Sensing a man in need as well as a potential adventure, Thomas commits to help him, but Julia has her suspicions. As pressure mounts and a manhunt ensues, the trio hit the road, while David’s story of escape and persecution sounds increasingly neurotic, even unlikely. What is the secret behind David’s incarceration and escape, the burden he carries but refuses to share? How far will the couple go to help a man who may be mentally unstable evade capture? This taut conspiracy thriller was directed by Robert Enrico (The Old Gun) and stars Jean-Louis Trintignant (The Great Silence), Marlène Jobert (Rider on the Rain) and Philippe Noiret (Cinema Paradiso).

NUIT D’OR (GOLDEN NIGHT) – Michel Fournier is back, seemingly from the dead, and vows to exact revenge on all who wronged him, particularly his family. Menacingly issuing each of them a voodoo doll, his threats and intentions get increasingly obtuse as the world around him proves nightmarish and warped. From encountering a death cult to conducting a kidnapping, to trashing an underground casino, Fournier’s anxious, infernal rage is at the center of this quixotic and noir-infused exercise. Pairing lush yet unnerving visuals with a score by Chabrol regular Pierre Jansen (The Butcher), the film features the singular Klaus Kinski (Paganini) as Fournier, along with Marie Dubois (Jules and Jim), Maurice Ronet (The Champagne Murders), and Anny Duperey (Two or Three Things I Know About Her), under direction by the multi-talented writer/director/journalist Serge Moati (writer of The Nude Vampire).

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Video Quality

The four films in the Ténèbres Françaises set make their domestic Blu-Ray debut with brand new 1080p masters in their original aspect ratios. Each of these films has been restored by Vinegar Syndrome from studio-supplied masters, and the results are tremendous. These four titles, spread over two discs, are very similar to one another and will be discussed as a group with any meaningful differences pointed out. As someone who has viewed a lot of ‘70s French cinema over the years, these transfers rank near the top in terms of execution. The inviting, textured photography that captures the era flourishes in high definition with natural grain intact and impeccably resolved.

There is a striking amount of detail present with vital textures within the outfits and throughout the backgrounds. These new transfers show off a welcome amount of depth and enhanced detail, but the close-up shots hold up better than the establishing visuals. Particular elements of the production design appear quite striking in their clarity. Black levels are deep with no semblance of black crush or compression artifacts. Color temperature stays pretty consistent throughout these four films. The contrast is likewise well defined, and there is very little in the way of print damage to be found outside a few stray moments. Vinegar Syndrome has done an outstanding job with all of these transfers.

Audio Quality

All the films in this set come with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track in the original French, while The Secret comes with an additional English language option. Each of these tracks represents its respective world in a pretty inviting way sonically. From the more bustling urban dwellings in Golden Night to the seaside calm of Who?, you are treated to a din of sound that rolls out to provide some valuable ambient details. All of the complementary sounds in the mix seem deftly rendered so that nothing ever sounds askew.

The dialogue itself comes through clearly without being trounced upon by the sound effects or score. There are a handful of exciting sequences within this set where the track gets more frenzied, but the drama is largely kept interpersonal in passionate exchanges. The scores throughout these four films bring a very distinct mood to the proceedings that is represented well in the mix. Everything is presented with impressive fidelity, with only the occasional instance of sound presenting as a bit thin or boxy. This presentation is primarily clear of any hiss or other age-related wear-and-tear. Vinegar Syndrome has put in great work yet again.

Special Features

LE SECRET (THE SECRET)

Director Robert Enrico and actors Marlène Jobert, Philippe Noiret and Jean-Louis Trintignant on Location in the Landes Region: A four-minute archival piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the film in broad terms.

Director Robert Enrico and actors Marlène Jobert, Philippe Noiret and Jean-Louis Trintignant on Location in the Ardèche Region: Another nearly four-minute archival piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the film in broad terms.

Director Robert Enrico and Actress Marlène Jobert Interviewed for French TV: A nearly nine-minute archival interview in which the pair discuss the film and its characters.

Director Robert Enrico Unveils Le Secret for Belgian TV: A two-minute piece in which the filmmaker touches on the film.

NUIT D’OR (GOLDEN NIGHT)

Director Serge Moati and Actress Marie Dubois Interviewed for Belgian TV: A nearly eight-minute discussion in which these creative figures dive a bit deeper into the feature.

LES COUSINES (THE COUSINS)

Video Interview with Film Historian Christophe Bier: A 37-minute exploration of the film by a film historian who discusses the controversial aspects of the film, changes from the source material, the cinematic landscape of the time, and more.

Final Thoughts

Ténèbres Françaises brings together some of the most dynamic personalities within French cinema for four tales of passion, mystery, and deceit. The balance of tones throughout this set is ideal, as some outings provide a pulse-pounding, combative narrative, while others luxuriate in the slow-burning dread of the unknown. It is another excellently curated set from one of the labels ensuring that forgotten gems of international cinema are lovingly preserved and brought back into the spotlight. Vinegar Syndrome has delivered a Blu-Ray set featuring a first-rate A/V presentation and a nice array of special features. Recommended

Ténèbres Françaises 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: Vinegar Syndrome has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.