Le Corbeau Blu-ray Review
The Raven
Score: 81
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
Le Corbeau, crucial in Clouzot's oeuvre and French noir, is expertly restored in Criterion's Blu-ray with a stellar 4K transfer. Highly recommended.
Disc Release Date
Video: 94
The 1080p Blu-ray release of 'Le Corbeau', drawing from a 4K restoration, excels with outstanding clarity, delineation, and grayscale superiority, marking a definitive presentation that surpasses the older Criterion DVD in visual fidelity, offering an immaculate viewing experience in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio.
Audio: 89
The French LPCM 1.0 audio track faithfully presents dialogue and Tony Aubin’s music with clarity, despite minor age-related hissing and distortion; exceptional performance for this classic film, surpassing previous formats on home video.
Extra: 46
The Blu-ray extras for 'Le Corbeau' provide a rich historical and cinematic context, featuring insightful interviews with Henri-Georges Clouzot and Bertrand Tavernier on its WWII backdrop and critical reception, complemented by a vintage trailer and an essay by film scholar Alan Williams.
Movie: 81
Criterion's Blu-ray release of 'Le Corbeau' preserves the tense moral exploration and striking camerawork of Clouzot's 1943 proto-noir, a film shrouded in controversy due to its German occupation backdrop and sharp societal critique, but later celebrated for its cinematic influence and taut direction.
Video: 94
Le Corbeau's Blu-ray presentation, courtesy of Criterion, exhibits a meticulously executed 1080p transfer, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio. Sourced from a superb 4K restoration completed at Eclair Laboratories, this edition showcases enhanced delineation, clarity, and depth, consistent across both daylight sequences and dimly lit indoor scenes. The restoration's fidelity to the original visual texture is notable, maintaining its organic filmic appearance while rectifying previous inconsistencies in density levels noticed in Criterion's prior DVD release. Noteworthy is the absence of problematic digital corrections, ensuring a clean and immaculate presentation. The absence of visual artefacts during reel transitions further underscores the quality of this transfer.
Faithfully preserving the film's historic elements, the Blu-ray captures the nuanced grayscale and film grain with precision, evidencing minimal nicks, scratches, or dirt from the original 35mm camera negative restored by Studiocanal. The superior grayscale contributes significantly to the film’s depth, elevating the visual experience beyond previous releases. As this is a Region-A locked release, prospective viewers must ensure their playback hardware supports Region-B or is Region-Free to access this content. Unless a 4K Blu-ray release emerges, this presentation stands as the definitive home video representation of Le Corbeau—an excellent blend of historical respect and modern technical expertise.
Audio: 89
The Blu-ray release of "Le Corbeau" offers a singular audio track: French LPCM 1.0, complemented by optional English subtitles. The presentation effectively honors the original mono soundtrack, maintaining its integral clarity across dialogue and Tony Aubin’s music score. While the film's age is discernible in sporadic instances early on, where slight hissing and buzzing in the upper register occur, these are inherent age-related artifacts within the surviving elements and are largely irreparable even with advanced digital technologies. Fortunately, these anomalies are minimal and should not detract significantly from your viewing experience unless exceptionally high volumes are employed.
This Criterion release builds upon previous editions, especially the DVD, claiming a spot as potentially the best-sounding home video rendition of the classic film. The integrity of the sound mix is preserved, with only minimal intervention needed to address historical imperfections such as hissing or cracking, successfully presenting an audio environment that is both authentic and enriching. Consequently, this release serves admirably for both purists and new viewers seeking a refined auditory experience of "Le Corbeau."
Extras: 46
The Blu-ray of "Le Corbeau" offers a rich collection of extras that enhance the viewer's understanding of the film and its historical context. The vintage trailer provides a nostalgic glimpse into the film’s original promotion, while the archival programs offer in-depth insights. Excerpts from the documentary "The Story of French Cinema by Those Who Made It," produced by Armand Panigel in 1975, present interviews with key figures like Henri-Georges Clouzot, Jean Aurenche, and others, shedding light on French cinema during WWII. Bertrand Tavernier's engaging 2002 interview and 2003 Criterion-produced program delve into the film's intricate political subtext and its contentious reception over time. Additionally, an illustrated leaflet, featuring an essay by film scholar Alan Williams, supplies valuable critical analysis and technical details. These extras collectively provide a nuanced exploration of "Le Corbeau," elevating the viewing experience beyond the main feature.
Extras included in this disc:
- Trailer: A vintage trailer for "Le Corbeau" in French, with optional English subtitles.
- Henri-Georges Clouzot: Excerpts from a 1975 documentary featuring Clouzot and others discussing WWII-era French cinema.
- Bertrand Tavernier: An archival program with Tavernier discussing the film’s history, produced for Criterion in 2003.
- Leaflet: An illustrated leaflet with an essay by film scholar Alan Williams.
Movie: 81
Henri-Georges Clouzot's "Le Corbeau" (1943) emerges as a provocative piece of French cinema, set against the complexities of the German occupation. The film, a study in social chaos, unravels within a provincial French village where poison pen letters signed by the enigmatic "Le Corbeau" disrupt the community's fragile peace. Dr. Rémy Germain, portrayed by Pierre Fresnay, becomes the initial victim of these letters, which accuse him of illegal abortions and infidelity. The accusatory notes subsequently target other villagers, igniting suspicion and hostility among the residents. Clouzot's adept direction and Nicolas Hayer’s striking camerawork elevate the tension, while the nuanced performances from a skilled cast bring depth to this tale of moral ambiguity and social upheaval.
In the backdrop of its creation, "Le Corbeau" stirred controversy among various factions in wartime France. The Vichy government, the Catholic Church, and the French Resistance expressed outrage for different reasons. With themes reflective of the era's hypocrisy and moral diminishment, the film was interpreted as criticizing multiple sides of French society under German influence. Such interpretations resulted in Clouzot's temporary professional exile post-WWII. However, figures like Jean-Paul Sartre and Jean Cocteau advocated for Clouzot, leading to his return to filmmaking. His craftsmanship in "Le Corbeau" solidified its placement as a cornerstone of French noir and a testament to his resilience and genius.
The intricate connections between characters and revelations culminate in a surprising twist that unmasks "The Raven." Throughout, Clouzot effectively crafts a cynical narrative on societal conformity and ethical decay. Remade in 1951 by Otto Preminger as "The 13th Letter", "Le Corbeau" stands as both an important reflection of its time and a foundational work in the evolution of film noir.
Total: 81
Le Corbeau, directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of French cinema during the tumultuous era of the Vichy regime. Regarded as a cornerstone of French noir, the film offers a profound exploration into the societal paranoia and moral ambiguity of its time. Criterion's recent Blu-ray release astutely encapsulates the film's nuance, benefiting from a superb 4K master crafted after a meticulous restoration at Eclair Laboratories. The high-definition clarity accentuates the film's visual aesthetics, enriching viewers' experience and reinstating its impact through expertly handled remastering.
The Blu-ray not only excels with its pristine visual and auditory clarity but also preserves essential supplemental materials from previous DVD incarnations, providing comprehensive insights into the film's historical and narrative context. Despite the film's initial revulsion upon release—due to its stark examination of societal fault lines—it has undergone a significant reappraisal over decades, rightfully earning its place among Clouzot's most influential works. The restored version offers a sophisticated audiovisual presentation, making it an indispensable acquisition for both cinephiles and collectors.
Overall, while Le Corbeau may appear heavy-handed and overly focused on its critical message compared to Clouzot's later masterpieces, its significance cannot be overstated. Despite the somewhat artificial cynicism that tinges the narrative, the Blu-ray release effectively revitalizes its dystopian allure. The cinematic piece serves as an important historical document, capturing the cultural zeitgeist of 1940s France. Criterion’s release is highly recommended for those seeking to experience or revisit Clouzot’s provocative storytelling with modern refinements, providing both academic value and entertainment.
Blu-ray.com review by Dr. Svet AtanasovRead review here
Video: 100
The surface of the visuals, including before and after reel transitions, is always very healthy, so in addition to having a very strong organic appearance, the film looks immaculate as well....
Audio: 90
In our review of StudioCanal's Region-B release of the 4K restoration of the film, I speculated that the light hiss/buzz in the upper register is on the surviving elements that were accessed because the...
Extras: 40
Henri-Georges Clouzot - presented here are excerpts from the French television documentary The Story of French Cinema by Those Who Made It, which features an interview with Henri-Georges Clouzot discussing...
Movie: 80
After the end of WWII, Clouzot was forced into exile for directing the film, and for a while, French state officials were adamant that he would never again work in France....
Total: 80
While a good film that offers a very interesting deconstruction of the evolving nature of French society during the Vichy regime, Le Corbeau is difficult to place next to the likes of Quai des Orfevres,...
Home Theater Forum review by t1g3r5fanRead review here
Video: 100
Film grain, gray scale and fine details appear to be faithfully represented with minimal cases of nicks, scratches, tears and dirt present....
Audio: 100
Again, this Criterion Blu-ray release bests the previous DVD release and is likely the best the movie will ever sound on home video....
Extras: 60
Excerpts from the 1975 documentary The Story of French Cinema by Those Who Made It: Grand Illusions 1939-1942 (7:56) – These excerpts cover the era in which French cinema was under occupation during WWII;...
Movie: 90
In short, Le Corbeau is not only one of the important building blocks in French noir, but also a cornerstone in the career of a brilliant filmmaker, which was nearly ended due to a misunderstanding – and...
Total: 80
While it was reviled for different reasons upon initial release, Le Corbeau has been reappraised over the years and is now considered a crucial work in the career of Henri-Georges Clouzot as well as one...
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Actors: Pierre Fresnay, Ginette Leclerc, Micheline Francey
PlotIn a small French town, the community is thrown into turmoil when anonymous poison-pen letters signed by "Le Corbeau" (The Raven) start circulating. These letters expose secrets and scandalous affairs, causing suspicion and paranoia among the townspeople. The first target is Dr. Germain, a respected but somewhat aloof physician. He is accused of having an affair and performing illegal abortions, which blemishes his reputation and puts him under scrutiny. As tensions rise, various members of the town, from the local schoolteacher to the hospital staff, become entangled in the mystery of who might be behind these divisive communications.
As the letters continue to emerge, trust disintegrates, and neighbors start suspecting one another of being Le Corbeau. Fear grips the community, leading to increased violence and the unraveling of many personal lives. Dr. Germain struggles to maintain his composure while attempting to uncover the identity of the anonymous writer. Relationships fracture as fingers are pointed and accusations fly. The film explores themes of morality, guilt, and the destructive nature of gossip. Against the backdrop of a society under duress, the search for truth becomes both a pursuit of justice and a reflection on human nature’s innate tendency towards suspicion and blame.
Writers: Louis Chavance, Henri-Georges Clouzot
Release Date: 28 Sep 1943
Runtime: 92 min
Rating: Not Rated
Country: France
Language: French