Pierrot le Fou [Criterion Collection] [2 Discs]

"Filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard fell in love with actress Anna Karina while they were working together on Le Petit Soldat and they were married in 1961; they made seven film together before they parted ways in 1966, and Pierrot le Fou would prove to be their final collaboration, made while their divorce was becoming final. The Criterion Collection's DVD release of Pierrot le Fou is once a superb rendition of one of Godard's signature films of the Sixties and a fascinating appraisal of the working relationship between the trailblazing auteur and the actress who was also his partner and muse. Pierrot le Fou has been transferred to disc in the widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1, letterboxed on conventional televisions and enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16x9 monitors. The transfer was supervised by the film's cinematographer, Raoul Coutard, and is truly superb; the film's realistic but vivid color balance (especially the striking use of red) is captured with powerful accuracy, and the images are sharp and richly detailed throughout. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono, and the sound is reproduced with transparent clarity. The dialogue is in French, with optional English subtitles. A second disc included with this package is devoted to supplemental materials, including a new interview with Anna Karina, in which she talks about her working relationship with Godard and the making of Pierrot le Fou. Also featured is Godard, L'amour, la Poesie, a documentary on Godard and Karina's relationship and how it was reflected in their work on screen; A Pierrot Primer, an entertaining but exhaustive semiotic examination of the movie by Godard collaborator Jean-Pierre Gorin; television interviews shot during the production of Pierrot le Fou with Godard, Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo; and the original theatrical trailer for the film. The discs have been packaged with a beautiful full-color booklet including an original essay by Richard Brody, a review of Pierrot le Fou by Andrew Sarris, and a 1965 interview with Godard from Cashiers du Cinema. With Wellspring's 1998 DVD release of Pierrot le Fou out of print, a quality edition of this film would be more than welcome, but Criterion have gone above and beyond to not only present the film in superb quality but have used it as a springboard for an examination of a crucial portion of Jean-Luc Godard's career, and it's a splendid experience for serious film enthusiasts."