The Éric Rohmer Collection

Discuss releases from Arrow and the films on them.

Moderator: yoloswegmaster

Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Ribs
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:14 pm

The Éric Rohmer Collection

#1 Post by Ribs » Mon Sep 25, 2017 10:27 am

Image
Rohmer enjoyed a remarkable career. Between 1949, when he started work on his first short film, to the release of his final effort, The Romance of Astrea and Celadon, in 2007, Rohmer directed some 28 features, as well as numerous shorts and documentaries, many of them masterpieces.

The Éric Rohmer Collection brings together ten of the best: the complete six-film Comédies et proverbes series; his 1976 adaptation of Heinrich von Kleist’s novella, The Marquise of O..., recipient of the Grand Prix at that year’s Cannes Film Festival; his outstanding Arthurian tale, Perceval; his delightful portrayal of female friendship, Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle; and, making its UK debut in any format, The Tree, the Mayor and the Mediatheque.

Complemented by numerous bonus features, this limited edition Blu-ray set provides both a welcome opportunity for the newcomer to explore the work of a great director as well as a must-have collection for the die-hard Rohmer fan.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• Limited edition Blu-ray boxed-set (2,000 copies)
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of ten Éric Rohmer features: The Aviator's Wife, A Good Marriage, Pauline at the Beach, Full Moon in Paris, The Green Ray, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, The Marquise of O..., and exclusive to this collection only: Perceval, Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle and The Tree, the Mayor and the Mediatheque
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Introductions to The Aviator’s Wife, A Good Marriage, Pauline at the Beach, Full Moon in Paris and The Green Ray by Éric Rohmer
• Brand-new appreciation of Rohmer by filmmaker and actor Richard Ayoade, recorded exclusively for this release
• Nestor Almendros: Director of Photography, an hour-long French television documentary profile of Perceval, The Marquise of O... and Pauline at the Beach’s cinematographer
• Two full-length episodes of the French television series Ciné regards devoted to the making and release of Perceval
• Effraction: Tchéky Karyo, an hour-long French television documentary profile of the Full Moon in Paris actor
• On-set report from the making of My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend
• Archive interview with Bruno Ganz on The Marquise of O...
• Archive interview with André Dussollier on The Aviator’s Wife
• Archive interview with Claude-Jean Philippe and Caroline Champetier on Pauline at the Beach
• Archive interview with Arielle Dombasle on Pauline at the Beach
• Archive interview with Pascale Ogier on Full Moon in Paris
• Archive interview with Marie Rivière on The Green Ray
• Archive interview with Joëlle Miquel on Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle
• Audio interview with Rohmer
• Changing Landscapes, a 1964 documentary short directed by Rohmer
• Trailers for The Aviator’s Wife, A Good Marriage, Pauline at the Beach, Full Moon in Paris, The Green Ray and My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend
• Newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin
• Limited edition book containing new writing on the film by Jonathan Romney, Geoff Andrew, Philip Lopate, Geoffrey Macnab, David Jenkins, Tara Judah, Sophie Monks Kaufman, Justine Smith, Andy Miller and Brad Stevens

User avatar
Ribs
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:14 pm

Re: The Eric Rohmer Collection

#2 Post by Ribs » Mon Sep 25, 2017 10:29 am

This was basically an inevitability but Arrow's pulled it off in style by going above and beyond what titles and the scope of what I'd expect

Glowingwabbit
Joined: Wed May 01, 2013 1:27 pm

Re: The Eric Rohmer Collection

#3 Post by Glowingwabbit » Mon Sep 25, 2017 10:41 am

I am absolutely floored to see Perceval included in this set. It's one of my favorite Rohmer films. Was not expecting it to be included. I cannot wait for this set.

User avatar
tenia
Ask Me About My Bassoon
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:13 am

Re: The Eric Rohmer Collection

#4 Post by tenia » Mon Sep 25, 2017 11:05 am

I suppose that the Dussolier ITW actually is on Le beau mariage, not La femme de l'aviateur.

The extras look interesting in that they seem to mostly be different than what was offered in France. Virtually all of the archive ITWs seem different and the Rohmer introductions weren't included either.

What can be seen however "disappointing" is how the French set remains more definitive in how it managed to include many Rohmer-related material, especially short features or documentaries he directed (the French set has about 20 of those), but also a theater play he directed in 79, and the 2-part Cinéastes de notre temps documentary about Rohmer (which probably is the extra I'm most surprised not to find here).

Finally, I'm very curious about the visual presentations because, following the CNC commission on funding film restorations, it looked as if many of them were restored AFTER the French set got releases. I'm not sure if it was indeed, or if they were only written after due to how some of the fundings work, but I still haven't found out, so we'll see. However, it's pretty much a given that all the 1080i movies on the French set will be properly encoded in 1080p on the Arrow set.

What's defintive though it's that there seems to be a LOT of value for money here !

Zot!
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:09 am

Re: The Eric Rohmer Collection

#5 Post by Zot! » Mon Sep 25, 2017 11:27 am

Yep, interested in The transfers as the amazing potemkine set had a few clunkers, weird ARs, and two films were DVDs.

User avatar
tenia
Ask Me About My Bassoon
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:13 am

Re: The Eric Rohmer Collection

#6 Post by tenia » Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:01 pm

Zot! wrote:Yep, interested in The transfers as the amazing potemkine set had a few clunkers, weird ARs, and two films were DVDs.
Actually, 3 of them were DVD-only (L'anglaise et le duc, Triple agent & Les amours d'Astrée et de Céladon). This being written, since they're not included in the Arrow set, it doesn't seem like this will be solved.

Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#7 Post by Calvin » Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:02 pm

Fran Simeoni has tweeted that it "features new HD masters I don't believe have been on BD yet, much nicer than the earlier 'restorations'!"

User avatar
Bumstead
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2016 12:25 pm
Location: Dubai

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#8 Post by Bumstead » Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:21 pm

This is a magnificent release. What a pleasant surprise to also get the hour-long 'Nestor Almendros: Director of Photography' doc. When's the next sale? If I'm not mistaken, buying directly from Arrow during a sale doubles your points?

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#9 Post by swo17 » Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:29 pm

Well their last sale was supposedly just that...until they get their new site up and running.

User avatar
tenia
Ask Me About My Bassoon
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:13 am

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#10 Post by tenia » Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:31 pm

Calvin wrote:Fran Simeoni has tweeted that it "features new HD masters I don't believe have been on BD yet, much nicer than the earlier 'restorations'!"
Well in this case, here are the ones mentioned in the CNC funding results :
July 2016 :
Arbre, le Maire et la médiathèque (L')
Rendez-vous de Paris

July 2015 :
Les Nuits de la pleine lune
L'Ami de mon amie

June 2015 :
La Marquise d’O
Conte de printemps / Conte d'été / Conte d'automne / Conte d'hiver

Interestingly, La Marquise d'O was also mentioned in April 2014. It received 15 000€ then, and then 80k€ in 2015.

User avatar
Ribs
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:14 pm

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#11 Post by Ribs » Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:32 pm

They're off-schedule right now, but it should be a safe bet there will be at least a small sale likely with souble points enabled over Black Friday.

User avatar
rockysds
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 11:25 am
Location: Denmark

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#12 Post by rockysds » Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:53 pm

This looks terrific and I'm excited to supplement the Potemkine with it, but was really hoping Arrow would have included a subbed Catherine de Heilbronn alongside The Marquise of O.... Oh, well.

User avatar
zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#13 Post by zedz » Mon Sep 25, 2017 2:38 pm

rockysds wrote:This looks terrific and I'm excited to supplement the Potemkine with it, but was really hoping Arrow would have included a subbed Catherine de Heilbronn alongside The Marquise of O.... Oh, well.
Yeah, I was hoping to see subbed versions of the some of the unsubbed 'secondary' films from the French set, but this nevertheless looks magnificent!

User avatar
Ribs
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:14 pm

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#14 Post by Ribs » Mon Sep 25, 2017 2:52 pm

Is it too soon to start wondering about disc breakdown(s)? I'd assume each Comedy and Proverb and the Marquis will get individual discs, and due to it sharing a case with the latter Perceval is also on its own whereas the last two are on a single disc.

User avatar
GaryC
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:56 pm
Location: Aldershot, Hampshire, UK

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#15 Post by GaryC » Mon Sep 25, 2017 2:55 pm

This release has me written all over it - especially as I didn't buy the French box set (lack of money at the time, for one thing).

This is a first UK release for The Tree, The Mayor and the Mediatheque, and first UK disc releases for Perceval and Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle, if I'm not mistaken.

User avatar
Jean-Luc Garbo
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 1:55 am
Contact:

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#16 Post by Jean-Luc Garbo » Mon Sep 25, 2017 10:11 pm

I've got the Potemkine box but I have to say this is very impressive! Moreso that the underrated Comedies et proverbes are here en toto. Are any of these archival interviews ones from the Potemkine set?

User avatar
furbicide
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:52 am

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#17 Post by furbicide » Mon Sep 25, 2017 11:31 pm

This looks like the amazing set. Us Rohmer fans are certainly spoiled for choice nowadays! I too have the Potemkine set, but I'd almost pick this up just for the extras. Great to see Perceval and The Tree, the Mayor and the Mediatheque get new HD releases, too.

User avatar
furbicide
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:52 am

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#18 Post by furbicide » Mon Sep 25, 2017 11:35 pm

I love the cover art, by the way.

Image

User avatar
Rayon Vert
Green is the Rayest Color
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2014 10:52 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#19 Post by Rayon Vert » Tue Sep 26, 2017 12:20 am

Will be interested to see if Aviator's Wife and Green Ray are in 1.33 instead of 1.66 like on the French set.

User avatar
GaryC
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:56 pm
Location: Aldershot, Hampshire, UK

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#20 Post by GaryC » Thu Nov 30, 2017 6:15 pm

Rayon Vert wrote:Will be interested to see if Aviator's Wife and Green Ray are in 1.33 instead of 1.66 like on the French set.
I've received review checkdiscs of this set (nine discs), and those two films are in 1.66:1 on their respective discs.

Aspect ratios for the others are 1.37:1 for The Marquise of O, Perceval, Full Moon in Paris, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle and The Tree, The Mayor and the Mediatheque. The latter two share a disc. The others are all 1.66:1. The ratios of the three shot by Almendros correspond to those given by him in the filmography of his book A Man with a Camera. I did project a 35mm print of The Aviator's Wife at University, and that said "1.33:1" on the film cans so I showed it that way, but as with the other Academy titles it may well have been shown in 1.66:1 in most British cinemas it played in.

The audio interview with Rohmer plays as an alternate audio track to Full Moon in Paris, running 55 minutes - the interviewer speaks in English, Rohmer in French, via an interpreter.

User avatar
Rayon Vert
Green is the Rayest Color
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2014 10:52 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#21 Post by Rayon Vert » Thu Nov 30, 2017 10:06 pm

Unfortunate, but thanks for the info. I had ordered the set anyway for extras and possible better video.

User avatar
eastcroft
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:42 pm
Location: Midlands, UK

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#22 Post by eastcroft » Tue Dec 12, 2017 3:17 pm

I've got the Potemkine box, and have ordered this; overkill maybe, but I've really begun to treasure Rohmer in - my - middle age. Watching A Tale Of Winter again last night made me wish that that had been included, with supplements, in this new box A Charlotte Very interview would've been welcome; she's excellent in A Tale Of Winter. For some reason her film appearances seem to have become a bit spotty after this and a biggish supporting role in Three Colours: Blue. Quite a bit of TV, looking at IMDb, but relatively few full-length films.

User avatar
Michael Kerpan
Spelling Bee Champeen
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:20 pm
Location: New England
Contact:

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#23 Post by Michael Kerpan » Tue Dec 12, 2017 5:00 pm

The Four Seasons deserves its own box set. ;-) (FWIW -- Tale of Winter might well be my favorite of that "series").

User avatar
eastcroft
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:42 pm
Location: Midlands, UK

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#24 Post by eastcroft » Tue Dec 26, 2017 2:27 pm

This arrived a few days ago. The extras (which turn out to be a mixed bag) are what prompted the order, but I'm praising it because of some of the transfers. It's very nice to see Pauline and A Good Marriage in a different AR from those in the Potemkine set. Pauline looks the most different, having a softer contrast and warmer colouring (the Potemkine has always looked completely fine, but in comparison now seems brighter and flatter, with more acidic colours). The wide framing enhances composition on both of these if anything; at any rate, subtraction doesn't amount to detraction. Both have more grain. The Green Ray, known for its graininess, has a real sharp snow-swirl of grain on this version. Have only skimmed the others, which I think are more in-line, if not identical with, the Potemkine ones. 'Reinette And Mirabelle and The Tree, The Mayor.. share one disc.

Some of the extras are meaty (two half-hour features on Rohmer drilling and being interviewed with the Perceval cast; a quirkily charming hour-long Tcheky Karyo feature), but the various archive actor interviews are a bit underwhelming; three to four minute mini-features - the sort of thing made to run on news or round-up shows after the sports reports and before the weather forecast. The Potemkine equivalents, running longer and done recently in quiet settings, with the now much older actors better able to form an overview and to reflect, are superior (which still leaves me cursing my elementary grasp of French).

Overall, solid stuff. Object-wise you get a sturdy slip-case, glossy Viva Elite disc cases (which should stand up to wear-and-tear better than Potemkine's digipaks, with their brittle flexi-prong disc-holders), and a handsome book, which, although I've only flicked through it, seems generously packed with essays and extracts.

User avatar
senseabove
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2015 3:07 am

Re: The Éric Rohmer Collection

#25 Post by senseabove » Tue Dec 26, 2017 5:45 pm

Sounds like Pauline is the same transfer as the Kino release in Region A: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_ ... lu-ray.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was assuming that would be the case, but nice to have it confirmed.

Post Reply