Brilliant and daring, writer/director François Truffaut (The 400 Blows, Mississippi Mermaid) marries passion with vengeance for one of the most haunting love stories ever filmed. The incandescent Jeanne Moreau (Jules and Jim) is Julie, who has just wed her childhood sweetheart. But just moments after the ceremony, her beloved is murdered on the steps of the church. Emotionally distraught, Julie becomes obsessed with her bridegroom’s death and begins a descent into madness as she relentlessly pursues the men responsible. Adapted from Cornell Woolrich (Rear Window) and scored by Bernard Herrmann (Psycho), The Bride Wore Black unveils itself as a Hitchcockian thriller and gradually evolves into the fascinating portrait of a woman ravaged by grief. Featuring sumptuous cinematography by Raoul Coutard (Shoot the Piano Player) and pitch-black performances by Michel Bouquet, Jean-Claude Brialy, Charles Denner, Claude Rich, Daniel Boulanger, Michael Lonsdale and Alexandra Stewart.
For thoughts on The Bride Wore Black, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
The Bride Wore Black returns to Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer that is not noted as being from a new master but looks quite strong overall. This film was released previously on Blu-Ray via Twilight Time which is long out of print. I do not have that disc which makes comparisons impossible at this time. This new presentation is a fine representation of the film with only a few slight issues holding it back.
Colors appear nicely vibrant and stable with certain hues from the production design and costumes making an impression. Highlights do not appear to be overcooked with blooming not showing up as an issue. Black levels are decent but could be a bit more complex in their depth with some brief loss of detail in some shadowy scenes. Clarity and detail is agreeable with skin tones that look natural with subtle facial features easily distinguishable in closeups. Print damage rarely pops up as a significant issue with only the occasional line or speck visible. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation which helps bring out more detail in the picture. This allows the transfer to reveal some distinct textures within the clothing and the production design. This new presentation from Kino Classics keeps this one a pleasure to watch despite the lack of a new master.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a fine DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original French that serves this movie well. Dialogue and background noises work well with all competing elements so that nothing feels overshadowed. The score complements the dialogue and other important information admirably. This track does showcase a very minor amount of age related wear and tear, but nothing too distracting. Kino Classics has delivered a pretty decent audio presentation that serves the movie well. There are optional English subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historians Julie Kirgo, Steven C. Smith 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 of the creatives, the creative disagreements behind the scenes, how this echoes some storytelling elements of Hitchcock, the relationship between Truffaut and Jeanne Moreau and more.
- Trailers: There is a two-minute trailer provided for The Bride Wore Black. There are also trailers provided for Mississippi Mermaid, The Wild Child, The Story of Adele H., Small Change (Pocket Money), The Man Who Loved Women, The Green Room (Vanishing Fiancee), Back To The Wall, Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Viva Maria!
Final Thoughts
The Bride Wore Black is another complex and captivating thriller from the great François Truffaut which plays things deceptively straightforward. Rather than teasing out a grand mystery, the movie clues you in to the truth of the matter fairly early on, allowing the audience to relate to the unfolding plan in a new way. Jeanne Moreau delivers a icy cold, memorable performance as the vengeful bride who doles out her sentencing in increasingly creative ways. Kino Classics has delivered a Blu-Ray release that sports an enjoyable A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. Truffaut delivered something that was highly inspirational for many modern filmmakers with this one, so you owe it to yourself to go back to the source. Recommended
The Bride Wore Black 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
