The Bottom Line
Pros
- Masterpiece of world cinema that is lively, charming, and beautiful
- Jeanne Moreau creates one of the most memorable characters in film history
- François Truffaut’s visual lyricism and Georges Delerue’s evocative music
Cons
- Some people object to the fact that there’s lots of talk, nearly all in French
- Film contains many ambiguities (could be a pro)
- Some people find the characters too self-involved to be sympathetic
Description
- DVD containing French-language movie "Jules and Jim" (1962)
- Film directed and co-written by François Truffaut
- Movie stars Jeanne Moreau, Oskar Werner, Henri Serre
- DVD contains feature-length audio commentary by film critic Glenn Kenny
- DVD contains tribute to Jeanne Moreau (2 min. 15 sec.)
- Good picture and sound quality
Guide Review - "Jules and Jim" DVD Review
"Jules and Jim" is one of my favorite films of all time. It is superb, both in terms of artistic content and entertainment qualities. I've watched it at least half a dozen times, both on videotape and on the big screen, and I've never seen it looking better than on the Fox Lorber DVD. The movie is a lively exploration of romantic love and friendship. The story spans the period 1912 to 1933 as it chronicles the intertwined lives of three European intellectual bohemians from their early 20s to their early 40s. After Jules (Oskar Werner) and Jim (Henri Serre) become best friends, they meet the free-spirited Catherine (Jeanne Moreau), who makes them feel alive. She marries Jules and has a romantic relationship with Jim, as well as periodically having sex with other men. Jules and Jim are able to maintain their friendship, but Catherine's femme fatale nature sets up a whirlpool around her that leads to tragedy.
To my way of thinking, "Jules and Jim" maintains an exquisite balance between the verbal and visual—it's dazzlingly cinematic, yet has lots of memorable dialogue. I also think the naturalistic acting styles of Jeanne Moreau and Oskar Werner in this fablistic film are particularly outstanding. When I'm watching the movie, I find it impossible to think of them as anybody other than Catherine and Jules, even though I've seen these actors in several other movies. I also find the evocative and unpretentious music to be the perfect complement to the images.
