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Released by: Mondo Vision
Released on: 11/11/2008
Director: Andrej Zulawski
Cast: Francis Huster, Valerie Kaprisky, Lambert Wilson
Year: 1984
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The Movie:
Director Andrej Zulaswki's 1984 adaptation of Dominique Garnier's novel, La Femme Publique, tells the unusual story of a young woman named Ethel (Valerie Kaprisky) who runs away from her father's home to start a new life in Paris. When she arrives, she takes some work as a nude model working for a woman named Gertrude (Giselle Pascal). Eventually she is given the chance to star in a film adaptation of Dostoyevsky's novel, The Possessed. When she accepts the role, she meets the film's director, a Czechoslovakian man named Lucas Kessling (Francis Huster) who has also immigrated to Paris.
Soon after the production starts, Kessling decides that his work is not up to her standards but this doesn't deter him from seducing her. The more she learns about Kessling, the stranger things get and she learns that he's not only trying to control her life but also the life of a young Czechoslovakian named Milan Mliska (Lambert Wilson). As Kessling pushes Ethel aside, she grows closer to Milan who she discovers had a relationship with a woman who has recently turned up dead. Everything begins to spiral into a twisted series of events involving blackmail, psychological abuse, manipulation, and politics as Ethel's life off screen begins to blend deliriously with that of the character she's supposed to be playing…
A fairly insane blend of arthouse filmmaking with trash movie exploitation bits thrown in, La Femme Publique seems as interested in showing off Kaprisky's impressive physique as it is in telling a coherent story. That said, the film has some incredibly striking moments and it beautifully made and shot. The set design and camerawork are near flawless while the performances, as quirky as they may be, are committed and appropriately dramatic. The narrative is a bit off but all of these ingredients make for a very tasty cinematic stew.
Kaprisky is obviously the focal point of the film, everything that happens (or maybe doesn't happen) is centered around her Ethel while Zulawski lets his camera fetishize her. She's the centrifuge around which the film revolves though her character may not always realize this, which makes for some interesting moments as she spirals further and further into her role and almost becomes her character. A strong supporting role from the smug and slimy Francis Huster make Kessling an interesting predatory type while Lambert Wilson's portrayal of Mliska adds a third element of intrigue to the cast, particularly when we learn more about him in the later part of the film.
While the plot may meander and twirl around in as zany a fashion of Kaprisky when she strips for the camera, like the actress the film itself is always easy on the eyes. It's stylish, sexy, and strange and it makes for interesting viewing. Plot points go unresolved and are sometimes tossed to the wayside in favor of yet more gorgeous photography which can be frustrating at times (Where are Ethel's parents? What about the political ramblings?) but the film makes excellent use of its cast and manages to fascinate despite its flaws.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Mondo Vision presents La Femme Publique in an excellent 1.66.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer on a dual layer disc that looks very nice indeed. There's plenty of detail evident throughout the image and there are no problems with compression artifacts or edge enhancement to report. Print damage is never an issue and color reproduction looks nice and lifelike, as do skin tones. Black levels stay strong throughout and overall this is a well authored disc of some very nice source material
The French language Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono mix comes with optional subtitles in English only. As with the video transfer, there's really nothing to complain about here. The mix is well balanced, there are no problems with hiss or distortion and the subtitles are clean, clear, easy to read and free of any obvious typographical errors.
First up is an audio commentary with director Andrej Zulawski moderated by writer Daniel Bird who keeps this scene specific discussion moving nicely. The pair talk about the film's more controversial scenes and themes (and the Catholic response to one of them!), the use of theatrical actors in the film, and the way in which the 'film within a film' is represented in the picture by the use of mirrors. They discuss some of Zulawski's other directorial efforts, the use of music in the film and how it should not enhance what the actors are saying, and the importance of freedom for the director. It turns out to be an interesting dissection of the movie on both a thematic and technical level with some interesting trivia and good stories told about the production and about the director's feeling on the finished product and filmmaking in general.
Up next is an Andrzej Zulawksi Interview (15:43) where the director speaks in English with a thick accent (Mondo Vision have subtitled him) about how the film came to be when the producer discovered the book that the movie was based on and 'fell in love with it.' He talks about writing the script and about the differences between the book and the movie before elaborating on some of the politics in the film, about casting the film, and about the use of sex in the film. It's an interesting and informative interview and Zulawski comes across as an intelligent and likeable man.
Rounding out the extras on the disc is the 1984 pre-release trailer for the film, a nice still gallery, some classy animated menus and chapter selection.
Aside from that, the sturdy digi-pack packaging for this release is also quite nice. Inside the heavy cardboard slipcase is a nice full color booklet that contains film credits, a Zulawski filmography, a film synopsis and an essay entitled Between The Scenes written by Daniel Bird in 2008. Also included in the booklet are some extracts from the original French press kit used to promote the film and some DVD credits. A second insert is a white page with a chapter listing and some technical information on it.
The Final Word:
Mondo Vision's debut is an impressive one as the present Zulawski's strangely compelling and beautifully made twisted sexual drama with a terrific transfer, great audio, and a nice array of extra materials. Here's hoping we see more from them soon and that it's of the same great quality.