When Commissaire Pierre Niemans (Jean Reno, Léon: The Professional), France’s leading serial killer investigator, is called to examine a grisly murder, he enters a world of secrets, lies and unthinkable horrors. The dead, whose hands and eyes have been removed, are clues to a terrible tradition the killer can no longer bear. Each murder means something more; each victim, a guilty conspirator in a grand immoral experiment. Filled with blood-chilling suspense, twisted turns and breathtaking locations in the French Alps, this tense thriller has the style, action and intelligence to keep you wondering what’s really happening right up until its shocking conclusion. Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz (La haine) and featuring Vincent Cassel (Eastern Promises), Nadia Farès (The Nest), Dominique Sanda (The Conformist), Philippe Nahon (I Stand Alone) and Jean-Pierre Cassel (Army of Shadows).
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Video Quality
The Crimson Rivers comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original OAR from a pretty strong older master. There does not appear to be much of anything in the way of print damage, and clarity and detail is overall impressive. This is a film with distinct production design, and there are elements of the interiors that are easily noticeable for the first time thanks to this transfer. The vast expanses of nature and mountains are detailed and hold together nicely. Colors are well saturated in a visually splendid way with a natural color palette. Skin tones are consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up mostly well with little in the way of crush. Digital noise does not present as a substantial issue here. Although there are some moments of softness, this new presentation will be a treat for fans of the film.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original French with optional English subtitles. The film also comes with an optional English dub. Environmental sounds are essential in crafting the mood of the film with tension building in various creative ways. Every sound is rendered well and remains distinct from all of the competing sounds. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. The haunting score sounds great throughout the duration of the film, as it settles you into the mysterious nature of the story. There are never moments where it threatens to overwhelm the dialogue, as the track maintains a good balance so that everything comes through clearly. Kino Classics has given this film the faithfully preserved audio presentation it deserves.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Mathieu Kassovitz and Stars Jean Reno & Vincent Cassel provide a very informative commentary track in French with English subtitles. The three discuss shot composition, character development, motivations, small elements of the production design, shooting locations and much more that makes for an enlightening time.
- The Investigation: A 52-minute documentary in which the cast and creative discuss the story, the inspiration for the source material, the qualities of the characters, figures that were eliminated from the film, whether or not the twists and turns make sense and more. This one is especially amusing as some of the performers admit to not knowing how certain things happen in the film.
- The Corpse: A 27-minute look at the creation of the film with a specific emphasis on the unveiling of the corpse including the storyboards, the music utilized, the editing of the scene, the makeup effects and more.
- The Car Chase: A nine-minute look at the intense chase scene in the film and how it was brought to life through many of the elements discussed in the previous featurette.
- Mountain Sequence: An 11-minute featurette which takes a look at the climactic mountain sequence at the end of the film and how it was brought to life.
- Trailers: The two-minute trailer for The Crimson Rivers is provided here. There are also trailers provided for The Underneath, Narrow Margin, The Hot Spot, Eastern Promises and The Score.
Final Thoughts
The Crimson Rivers is a very effective thriller which has a captivating first half before spiraling out to utter confusion as we reach the destination that everything has been building to. The majority of the movie is so good that it is not completely ruined, but there is just a major impediment to it being remembered as particularly noteworthy. The performances from the two leads are really great, and the direction is sleek and stylish in a way that is not distracting. With a little more care taken with the script, this could have been excellent. Kino Classics has provided a Blu-Ray with a really good A/V presentation and a nice array of supplemental features. If you are a fan of Jean Reno or Vincent Cassel, you owe it to yourself to add this collaboration to your collection. Recommended
The Crimson Rivers is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
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.