William Klein, the legendary American photographer and filmmaker, has put together a body of work as thrillingly eclectic as any living artist. In his 1969 film Muhammad Ali, the Greatest, Klein found a subject that combined his interest in sport and social criticism, and much the same combination can be seen at work, in a very different cultural context, in The French. Klein was the first person to be granted full, exclusive access to the tournament in its 90-year history, and using that doorway into locker rooms, TV studios, and players’ boxes, he shot the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at the 1981 French Open—a crucial moment in a crucial year in the history of a game, and its iconic players Björn Borg, John McEnroe, Chris Evert, Yannick Noah, and Ivan Lendl. With Klein’s customary eagle eye and whirlwind energy, The French captures the noisy bedlam that accompanies any major sporting event, while also revealing a level of candor from his subjects that is impossible to imagine in today’s secretive media-trained world.

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Video Quality

The French debuts on Blu-Ray in 1080p with its original 1.33: 1 aspect ratio courtesy of Metrograph Pictures. There are no details provided about the source of the master, but we did find details of a restoration of the original color 16mm A/B cut negative conducted by Films Paris New York in collaboration with CNC which is almost assuredly what has been used. This is a stunning transfer that eliminates nearly all blemishes to the print outside of the occasional white specks, tiny cuts, and other small blemishes that make sense for a 16mm film from 1982.

The transfer retains lovely film grain support throughout with nothing looking unnatural and no major instances of spiking. The grain is very thick at times, but it never appears unnatural or offputting in any way. When you consider the film’s age and the source material’s condition, it is pleasing to see the material looking so strong. There do not appear to be any issues with compression artifacts or any other such digital anomalies. The track shows fine detail in the clothing of the subjects and some of the background elements of the locker rooms and courts. Colors present with a notable vividness that pops off the screen. This presentation does a stellar job of giving life to this moment in history.

Audio Quality

The new Blu-Ray is presented with a lossless, newly restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track that suits the material as well as the source allows. The candid moments are the main focus of this feature, and they mostly hold up quite well considering the conditions of capturing these subjects in untenable environments. Some of the information is a bit muddled due to some of the limitations of the equipment and the chatter of the crowded locations, but mostly things remain clear. The musical interludes sound a bit dated, but not to a serious extent. There are a couple of moments where there is a fluctuation in the audio that seems to stem from damage to the source material, but these are very brief and not an overwhelming issue. Considering the limitations in place in the course of this restoration, the results are largely excellent. Optional English and English SDH subtitles are provided for those who desire them.

Special Features

Trailer: A two-minute trailer is provided for this one.

Final Thoughts

The French is a terrific documentary that takes you into the heart of a major sports event in a way that feels enlightening without being invasive. As thrilling as the moments of tennis may be, the most interesting moments are typically seeing how the players are reacting to their matches and in relation to one another. There are icons of the sports featured such as Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, but there are also lesser-known talents that you will observe and be impressed by just as much. This is an invaluable, human look at this sport. Metrograph Pictures and Kino Lorber have released a Blu-Ray featuring a tremendous A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. If you are a documentary fan or interested in seeing a historic moment in sports history, this one is an essential viewing. Highly Recommended

The French is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.

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

Disclaimer: Metrograph Pictures and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.