Search - La Belle Noiseuse on DVD

Content Advisory: Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children Movie Release: 1991 DVD Release: 06/29/2004 Format: DVD Audio Tracks: French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 4 hrs 0 mins Studio: New Yorker Video Members Wishing: 16 Genres: Drama, Romantic Drama, Psychological Drama See Also: Beautiful Troublemaker

In this fascinating and unconventional examination of the creative process, an artist near the end of his career finds new inspiration in a young model. Edouard Frenhofer (Michel Piccoli) is a famous and well-respected artist who lives in a comfortable estate in the French countryside. At the age of 60, Frenhofer considers his career as a painter to be over; he says he no longer feels any inspiration to create, and his last attempt at a major work, a nude study of his wife Liz (Jane Birkin) called "La Belle Noiseuse" (The Beautiful Nuisance), has sat unfinished for ten years. Just as Frenhofer has lost his enthusiasm for his art, he has also lost his passion for Liz; their relationship is polite and friendly, but without enthusiasm. When Frenhofer tells Nicolas (David Bursztein), his young protégé, that he no longer feels the desire to paint, Nicolas suggests that he needs a more inspiring subject, and he offers his girlfriend Marianne (Emmanuelle Béart) as a model. Frenhofer is taken with Marianne's beauty, and, with Liz's cool approval, he and Marianne spend several arduous sessions together, exchanging ideas and opinions as Frenhofer methodically attempts to create a final masterpiece. While La Belle Noiseuse runs 240 minutes, director Jacques Rivette also prepared an alternate version, La Belle Noiseuse - Divertimento, which runs 120 minutes, features a different framing sequence, and incorporates takes unused in the original cut. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Michel Piccoli - Edouard Frenhofer
Emmanuelle Béart - Marianne
Jane Birkin - Liz
David Bursztein - Nicolas
Marianne Denicourt - Julienne

Jacques Rivette's brilliant examination of an aging artist wrestling with his muse and the burdens of his life has been given a fine presentation for its American release on DVD. La Belle Noiseuse has been transferred to disc in its original full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and the audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo. The dialogue is in French, with optional English subtitles. Bonus materials include an interview with director Rivette, a chat with screenwriters Pascal Bonitzer and Christine Laurent, filmographies for the key creative personnel, and the film's original trailer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide