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A Few Words About A few words about...™ Out 1 -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris

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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

 

The400Blu-Rays

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Does anyone know if the Carlotta set currently shipping out of France has english subtitles? It looks to be identical to this upcoming U.S. one, but I haven't found any confirmation.
 

lark144

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I saw OUT 1: SPECTRE at the Bleeker Street Cinema, in the mid-1970's when the editors of Cahiers du Cinema were programming films there every year--I remember it being in the Spring--for a period of two weeks. It was quite an experience.


My favorite scene is when Jean-Pierre Leaud, who plays a street beggar with mysterious links to all the other characters in the film, answers a ringing phone in a booth, plays his harmonica into the receiver, then hangs up. I remember the cinematography was very luminous. I believe the DP was Pierre-William Glenn, who was also responsible for Truffaut's DAY FOR NIGHT.


Apparently the long version of OUT was shown once in Paris. A film-going friend of mine claimed to have seen it, and then said that he didn't sleep afterwards for a week.


I've been on the fence about buying this, but I guess I'm going to pre-order now that is has the RAH stamp of approval.
 

Charles Smith

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How nice to read a few RAH words on Rivette, Out 1, and the French New Wave. It just happens I have the UK set on order, sight unseen, and that's a couple of months away. But I'm crazy about the little Rivette I do know, and I greatly anticipate sitting down in front of this monumental work.
 

Adam_S

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Added to my Christmas list! I love varda, Truffaut, rohmer, and Resnais but think Godard is rubbish, so hopefully rivette is more akin to the formers than the latter.
 

CobraVerde

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Adam_S said:
Added to my Christmas list! I love varda, Truffaut, rohmer, and Resnais but think Godard is rubbish, so hopefully rivette is more akin to the formers than the latter.

Rivette is more like Rohmer IMO. Godard is plotless and more about himself and technique. Rivette's films are typically slow and long, but rewarding.
 

johnmcmasters

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I also saw OUT 1: SPECTRE at the old Bleecker Cinema (good times back then with Kim's video downstairs next door), but it couldn't have been in the mid 70's because I only moved to NYC on May 13, 1977. OUT 1, especially the legendary longer version, has always fascinated me. I will order this new box set as soon as my holiday finances clear up a bit.


I recall emerging into the night onto Bleecker Street after the film had ended with my sense of reality all askew -- as though everything had become interconnected in new and odd ways.


Added Note: This article:


http://www.ocec.eu/cinemacomparativecinema/pdf/ccc01_eng_rosenbaum.pdf


seems to set the Bleecker Rivette film series, with a showing of OUT 1: SPECTRE, in February 1979.
 

Adam_S

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CobraVerde said:
Rivette is more like Rohmer IMO. Godard is plotless and more about himself and technique. Rivette's films are typically slow and long, but rewarding.
so true, based on the dozen plus movies I've seen of his, Godard is totally "that guy" from high school, the self involved jerk who thinks the world is conspiring against his genius, but he's really just a stylist like any other, an all technique no substance "protestor" who's conventional protestations are already, always completely embodied within the system against which he so ineffectually and amusingly rails. Watching the day for night extras, it was sad how infantile and pathetic Godard was at that time. Must have been hard for him, seeing Truffaut growing and maturing as an artist while all he himself had to offer was variations on the now cliched and out of touch rebellions of his twenties.
 

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