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- Feb 8, 1999
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- Real Name
- Robert Harris
This Few Words will be far shorter than its subject matter.
Those who were readers of Cahiers du Cinema, either in its original French language version beginning in the 1950s, or later, as was my case, via the English language version that followed, will know the history of this important missing link of French "New Wave" cinema.
The release of Jacques Rivet's Out 1, by Kino Lorber is an extremely brave, and an extremely expensive undertaking, comprised of two versions of the film, a two hour documentary, and a book, with a street price of $80.
The first, Noli Me Tangere (1971) clocks in at 775 minutes, was created for television, but did not run. The second, Spectre (1972) was a feature version, and runs 264 minutes.
If that sounds expensive, it isn't, as the film is contained on 13 discs - 6 Blu-rays / 7 DVDs.
For those unaware of Cahiers, the New Wave, or Jacques Rivette's work, you might consider this akin to the discovery of the original version of The Magnificent Ambersons.
The film has been among the missing, and out of distribution for four decades, and has recently received a long-awaited theatrical release.
If I were to compare it to anything, it would probably come closest to Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colors trilogy (available from Criterion), but produced with all of the freedom found in the early New Wave films.
The film was shot in 16mm, and with newly created scans, looks both immaculate and glorious. Every grain and nuance is present.
If the names Godard, Truffaut, Rohmer, Chabrol and Rivette are unknown to you, and the New Wave sounds like a documentary about people riding boards on ocean waves, it may be time to jump in.
Probably best to begin with The 400 Blows, Breathless, Jules and Jim, add a bit of Cleo from 5 to 7, a pinch of Alphaville, some Les Biches and Les Cousins, as well as Claire's Knee and Chloe in the Afternoon.
That should get you started.
While Out 1 may not be the place to begin, it remains a long-missing and neglected integral part.
My hat is off to Kino Lorber for making Out 1 available to American audiences, and Carlotta Films (love their name and logo) for producing this magnificent boxed set.
Please give them your support.
Image - 5
Audio - 5
4k Up-rez - 4
Pass / Fail - Pass
Very Highly Recommended
RAH