‘The Human Pyramid’ + ‘The Punishment’ Blu-Ray Review – Jean Rouch Walks A Tightrope Between Fiction & Reality

A leading figure of the cinéma vérité movement and inspiration for the French New Wave, Jean Rouch’s documentaries of the 1960s revolutionized ethnographic filmmaking. In The Human Pyramid, a work of “groundbreaking metafiction” (The New Yorker), Rouch meets with a group of white colonial French students and their Black African classmates (all non-actors) in a lycée on the Ivory Coast. Inspired by the arrival of a new white classmate (Nadine Ballot), Rouch encourages the students to enact an improvised drama about the realities of interracial relationships, transforming their attitudes towards each other in the process. Included as a bonus film, Rouch’s The Punishment sees Nadine Ballot return as an aimless young student wandering the streets of Paris in a vérité portrait of youth culture in transition.

For thoughts on The Human Pyramid + The Punishment, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required: 

Video Quality

The Human Pyramid + The Punishment debut on Blu-Ray courtesy of Icarus Films with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio that is derived from a brand new 2K restoration digitally restored by the CNC in France. This is an exquisite transfer that retains the verité aesthetic of the source while eliminating nearly all major blemishes, while still being beholden to the limitations of the source. This footage was captured over 60 years ago, and the docudrama nature of the story means the filming conditions were not always stable. 

The transfer retains ideal film grain support throughout as everything carefully resolves with no major instances of spiking or swarming. When you consider the age of the film and the condition of the source material, it is pleasing to see the material looking so excellent. With the two films being relatively short, there does not appear to be any issues with compression artifacts or any other such digital anomalies. The photography provides an admirable stability within the contrast. This presentation is a lovely representation of these two features. 

Audio Quality

The new Blu-Ray is presented with a newly restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original French with optional English subtitles. As with the video, this complements the material as well as the source will allow. There are a few fleeting moments when there is a fluctuation in the audio that seems to stem from a shortcoming of the source material, but these are very minor and not an overwhelming issue. The dialogue is captured fairly well with only a bit of a hollow quality that you would expect from an independent production of this vintage. Some of the information can become a bit muddled when the kids are by the ocean on the defunct ship, but considering most will be relying on the subtitles, there is not much to object to. Audiences should be pleased by the audio presentation. 

Special Features

• Booklet: There is a multi-page booklet included that features “An Introduction to Jean Rouch” by Paul Stoller and a brief biography of Jean Rouch by Andrea Paganini.

Final Thoughts

The Human Pyramid + The Punishment are two very intriguing outings from Jean Rouch in which he navigates fiction and reality in a way that elevates both sides of the equation. The Human Pyramid is the star attraction as you see societal barriers break down through these staged interactions, but The Punishment should not be underestimated as it conjures the listlessness of youth in a very distinct way. Some of the messaging may seem quaint by modern standards, but you can feel the historical weight of it when viewing it even today. Icarus Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring an impressive A/V presentation for both features along with an additional booklet. If you are interested in French cinema, this is worth seeking out. Recommended 

The Human Pyramid + The Punishment is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome. 

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

Disclaimer: Icarus Films and OCN Distribution 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.