Inspired by the backstage Hollywood musicals of the 1930s, this later period Rivette recounts the adventures of three young women (Nathalie Richard, Marianne Denicourt, Laurence Côte) in Paris, each at a turning point in her life – and with a musical number (or two)!
For thoughts on Up, Down, Fragile, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Up, Down, Fragile comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 original aspect ratio derived from a 4K restoration. This new restoration looks pretty great with a firm grain structure that resolves without turning into a swarming mess. Print damage and other flaws are nearly nonexistent, and overall clarity and detail never fails to impress. With three main characters to follow, viewers are invited to survey a myriad of different environments packed with details in the production design and scenery that are very clear thanks to this transfer.
Colors are boldly saturated in a way that brings the most out of the clothing and production design. Skin tones are natural and consistent with distinct facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels are deep with fine detail in shadows and very little in the way of crush. This transfer avoids any signs of digital noise or anything of that persuasion. This new presentation allows the film to look as good as the day it debuted. The Cohen Film Collection continues to take great care with Rivette’s work.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a rock solid DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original French with forced English subtitles. Dialogue is the focus of this experience which stays planted in the center channel of the mix without being overshadowed by competing sounds. The track maintains a great balance with all other elements with dialogue coming through clearly. Environmental sounds such as the chatter of nightclub patrons are rendered favorably alongside everything else. The score is a highlight of the film, and it comes through with a thoughtful fidelity. There does not seem to be any notable instances of age-related wear and tear. This audio presentation gets the job done well, but we are not a fan of the forced subtitles.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Emeritus, New York Film Festival & Professor of Film and Media Studies, Columbia University Richard Peña provides a good commentary track which explores how this fits into 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.
- Trailer: This disc provides the Original Theatrical Trailer (1:45) and the Re-Release Trailer (0:56).
Final Thoughts
Up, Down, Fragile is one of our favorites yet from French auteur Jacques Rivette. His movies always have a hefty runtime, but the way in which he uses it to flesh out these women and explore their lives as well as he does is appreciated. There is also the fact that the director chooses to weave in some musical elements that provide a scrappy bit of whimsy that somehow fits into place perfectly. Cohen Media Group and Kino Classics have delivered a Blu-Ray with a pretty great A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. If you are new to Rivette, this effort is fairly accessible by his standards. Recommended
Up, Down, Fragile 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.