Intimations of conspiracy hover over a group of actors in this underrated but decidedly major work from New Wave master and former Cahiers du Cinema editor-in-chief Jacques Rivette. Four young women share a house on the outskirts of Paris and study acting under a demanding teacher (Bulle Ogier). Outside class, each is questioned by a mysterious investigator on the trail of a former roommate who may be involved in a criminal enterprise. Rivette’s characteristic preoccupation with the intersections between daily life and performativity creep into every corner of this wholly engrossing mystery, which eventually expands beyond the confines of the film itself. Shot by DP Caroline Champetier (HOLY MOTORS) in a glorious late-‘80s palette of deep reds, golden yellows, and dark teals, this playful revisiting of his debut PARIS BELONGS TO US launched the second phase of Rivette’s career.

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Video Quality

The Gang Of Four comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 OAR derived from a 4K restoration. This new restoration looks quite fetching throughout the runtime with a great grain structure that resolves without issue. Print damage appears very briefly at points, but not so much as to cause concern with overall clarity and detail holding strong. The shots inside the classroom auditorium and the apartment are packed with little details in the production design that are clear thanks to this transfer.

Colors are pleasantly saturated in a way that captures elements of the production design quite splendidly. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels stand out with fine detail in shadows and little in the way of crush. This transfer mostly avoids any signs of digital noise or anything of that ilk. There is a minuscule loss of fine detail in some of the more dimly lit moments, but most will not find this to be a persistent issue. This new presentation allows the film to look the best it ever has. The Cohen Film Collection continues to treat Rivette’s work well.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with an agreeable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original French with forced English subtitles. Environmental sounds such as automobile effects are rendered favorably alongside everything else. The score is one of the standout aspects of the film, and it comes through with a thoughtful fidelity. Dialogue is the most prominent part of this experience which stays firmly placed in the mix without threat of being overshadowed by competing sounds. The track maintains the perfect balance with all other elements with dialogue coming through clearly. There does not seem to be any substantial instances of age-related wear and tear. This audio presentation gets the job done well.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Emeritus, New York Film Festival & Professor of Film and Media Studies, Columbia University Richard Peña provides a solid commentary track which explores the career of Jacques Rivette, the background of the performers, the themes being explored by the auteur, how this film fares compared to other work from the director and much more.

Re-Release Trailer: A minute-long trailer is provided.

Final Thoughts

The Gang Of Four is another quietly enveloping piece of work from the great French auteur Jacques Rivette. While this film is only a bit shorter than Love On The Ground, the main difference in the way the substantial runtime is utilized is the more expansive and engaging ensemble who are able to to be a bit more essential to the overall experience. This woman-driven cast acts effortlessly opposite one another with not a weak performance in the bunch. Cohen Media Group and Kino Classics have delivered a Blu-Ray with a first rate A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. If you are a Rivette fan, it would be wise to seek this one out. Recommended

The Gang Of Four 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: Cohen Media Group 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.