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Blu-ray: Pierrot le fou

One of the key films of the French new wave, Pierrot le fou (1965) is Jean-Luc Godard’s landmark drama about two lovers who go on the run.

One of the key films of the French new wave, Pierrot le fou (1965) is Jean-Luc Godard‘s landmark drama about two lovers who go on the run.

Based on Lionel White‘s novel Obsession, it is the story of Ferdinand (Jean-Paul Belmondo), a young intellectual married to a rich Italian, who is utterly disillusioned with his luxurious bourgeois existence. When his new babysitter for his young daughter turns out to be his former lover, Marianne (Anna Karina) he sees a chance to escape.

When he and Marianne leave for the south of France, they confront criminals, petrol attendants, and American tourists as they discover more about themselves and become a kind of existential Bonnie & Clyde.

Godard here returned to the territory of A bout de souffle (1959), but this is arguably a more complex and challenging work which features musical numbers, as well as allusions to painting, literature and cinema itself.

The striking use of colour is just one of the many visual treats, as is the breaking of the fourth wall with characters looking into the camera and some innovative editing.

The Blu-ray comes with the following extras:

  • Introduction by Colin McCabe, Godard expert
  • Godard, Love and Poetry: Documentary on Godard (53 mins)
  • Documentary film analysis by Jean-Bernard Pouy (106 mins)
  • Trailer
  • German TV Advertisement
  • Posters (5)
  • BD Live
  • Booklet: Analysis of the movie by Roland-Francois Lack, Senior Lecturer in French and Film at University College London.

The technical specs are:

  • Cert: 15
  • Region B
  • Feature Running time: 105 mins approx
  • Blu-ray Feature Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
  • Colour PAL
  • Feature Audio: DTS Master Audio Dual Mono
  • English language
  • Video: 24p 1080
  • Disc Type: BD50
  • Cat no: OPTBD0826
  • RRP: ยฃ24.99

Pierrot le fou is out on Blu-ray now from Optimum Home Entertainment as part of The Studio Canal Collection

>ย Buy Pierrot le fou on Blu-ray from Amazon UK
>Pierrot le fou at the IMDb