Search - Jules and Jim on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Not For Children Movie Release: 1962 DVD Release: 11/16/1999 Format: DVD - Black and White,Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Restored/Remastered Audio Tracks: French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 45 mins Studio: Fox Lorber Members Wishing: 9 Genres: Drama, Romance, Romantic Drama, Period Film See Also: Jules et Jim [Criterion Collection]

Acclaimed French director François Truffaut's third and, for many viewers, best film is an adaptation of a semi-autobiographical novel by Henri-Pierre Roché. Set between 1912 and 1933, it stars Oskar Werner as the German Jules and Henri Serre as the Frenchman Jim, kindred spirits who, while on holiday in Greece, fall in love with the smile on the face of a sculpture. Back in Paris, the smile comes to life in the person of Catherine (Jeanne Moreau); the three individuals become constant companions, determined to live their lives to the fullest despite the world war around them. When Jules declares his love for Catherine, Jim agrees to let Jules pursue her, despite his own similar feelings; Jules and Catherine marry and have a child (Sabine Haudepin), but Catherine still loves Jim as well. An influential film that has grown in stature over the decades, Jules et Jim was often viewed by the counterculture of the 1960s as a cinematic proponent of the free-love movement, but in actuality the picture is a statement against such a way of life. Despite the bond shared by Jules, Jim, and Catherine, their ménage à trois is doomed to fail; and Catherine's inability to choose between the two men leads to tragic consequences for all three. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Jeanne Moreau - Catherine
Oskar Werner - Jules
Henri Serre - Jim
Marie Dubois - Therese
Vanna Urbino - Gilberte

François Truffaut's third film, Jules and Jim, stands as one of the landmark films of the French New Wave. This DVD release presents the film in a widescreen transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. The French soundtrack is fine, especially considering the age of the source material. English subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a commentary track recorded by a critic from Premiere magazine. Although he provides many details about the film, the performers, and the New Wave, his style is unpolished. He sounds more like a lecturer than someone who is moved by the film. Trailers, production credits, and filmographies for the cast and crew, and a three-minute montage devoted to lead actress Jeanne Moreau round out this solid presentation. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide