International screen icon Simone Signoret (Diabolique, Room at the Top, Madame Rosa) stars in the powerful World War II drama The Day and the Hour, directed by René Clément (Forbidden Games, Joy House, Is Paris Burning?). Signoret is superb as Thérèse, a lonely and isolated woman who unwittingly gets involved in the Resistance. When British and American planes are shot down over France, the Germans scour the countryside for the pilots. On her way to Paris, Thérèse discovers the Allied airmen hiding among a truckload of goats. She reluctantly agrees to smuggle the pilots into neutral Spain, and along the way finds herself falling in love with U.S. Captain Allan Morley (Stuart Whitman, Sands of the Kalahari, Guyana: Cult of the Damned). Co-starring Geneviève Page (The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes), Michel Piccoli (Max and the Junkmen) and Reggie Nalder (Zoltan… Hound of Dracula), The Day and the Hour delivers a gripping tale of wartime romance and suspense.
For thoughts on The Day and the Hour, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/Gq72yhAZ0tk?si=4iC47SWaQGI2KdGv&t=1137]
Video Quality
Kino Classics presents The Day and the Hour with a really strong Blu-Ray in 2.35:1 from a 4K restoration conducted by Gaumont that looks pretty incredible. Instances of print damage such as nicks and lines are a rare sight, as there is no mistaking that there has been significant cleanup with robust clarity and detail. Even with the restoration, the picture has a few fleeting moments of softness, but the fetching black-and-white photography is well saturated with firm contrast and shadow detail. Black levels hold up very well with little in the way of crush. This transfer retains the sumptuous natural film grain of the presentation with only minor instances of it seeming overly thick. The presentation allows the film to look the best it ever has. Kino Classics has delivered a mighty presentation.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in French that serves this film favorably. It should be noted that the French track contains some lines in English, and it thankfully exhibits no major age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. Dialogue and background noises work in harmony with all competing elements. The sound effects and score appear to be faithful to the intent of the creative team. The fidelity of the Claude Bolling score and the way it complements the narrative is very effective. Nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other important information. You could not ask for better from Kino Classics. There are optional English subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian Samm Deighan provides a very insightful and informative commentary track in which she discusses the historical background of the feature, how this fits into the career of the performers, the work of director René Clément, the tone and scope of the narrative and much more.
- Trailers: The four-minute trailer for The Day and the Hour is provided here. There are also trailers provided for Leon Morin, Priest and Room at the Top.
Final Thoughts
The Day and the Hour is a pretty great WWII drama which grounds the horrors of war in something small and personal, allowing the audience to viscerally connect with each and every obstacle. Simone Signoret shows why she is rightfully considered one of the legends of French cinema as she commands the screen in every scene. Stuart Whitman does not stand out quite as much, but he maintains a nice rapport with her and holds his own. Director René Clément continues to impress us with every new film we catch up on as he brings so much artistry to each effort. Kino Classics has released a new Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a welcome commentary track. Fans of French cinema should not miss this. Recommended
The Day and the Hour 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.
