Criterion has prepared a 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray edition of Jean Eustache‘s The Mother and the Whore (La maman et la putain) for release this month, marking the first release of the film on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray format, as well as the first individual release of it on Blu-Ray and the first English-friendly release of it since a DVD in the early aughts. For such reasons, this has been a long-awaited title especially after the new 4K restorations of Eustache‘s films were screened in 2023.
The Mother and the Whore follows Alexandre (Jean-Pierre Léaud), who spends his days wandering through Paris in between meeting up with a friend and spending time with his girlfriend Marie (Bernadette Lafont). One day, after leaving Les Deux Magots, he exchanges glances with a woman while leaving, and gets her phone number. The woman is Veronika (François Lebrun), a nurse. Alexandre begins a dalliance with Veronika, which soon leads to deeper feelings, creating tension in his relationship with Marie, who is aware of the affair.
Criterion’s release of the film arrives in a clear plastic two-disc case with a cover by designer Eric Skillman (who has previously designed covers for Criterion releases such as Pasolini 101, La Dolce Vita, and Stagecoach). Inside, both disc retention hubs are placed on the right portion of the case, with the 4K disc’s hub extending above and partially over the Blu-Ray disc’s. On the left portion of the case, a fold-out leaflet is included (as is the standard of Criterion’s releases), detailing the cast, crew, and other technical information, as well as an essay by critic Lucy Sante titled “Lovers of Paris” and a written introduction to the film by Eustache.
Video and Audio
As noted in the “About the Master” section of the leaflet, The Mother and the Whore is presented in the aspect ratio of 1:37:1. It is stated that the new 4K restoration of the film was done by Les Films du Losange, and created from the 16mm positive reversal A/B rolls and a 35mm duplicate element with image restoration undertaken by L’Immagine Ritrovata and Éclair Classics.
Throughout my viewing of the disc, I found it to be a very fine-looking presentation. I was unfortunately not able to attend a theatrical screening of the new restoration when it was shown at the Gene Siskel Film Center here in Chicago in 2023, but Criterion’s disc presents a very healthy encode that will be sure to satisfy the film’s many fans who have been eagerly anticipating a definitive home video release of this classic of post-New Wave French cinema. Pierre Lhomme‘s gorgeous black-and-white cinematography shines with a stable transfer that offers terrific contrast and clarity. For those who have not yet upgraded to 4K, the standard Blu-Ray also looks superb.
Furthermore, as noted in the leaflet’s “About the Master” section, the original monaural soundtrack was remastered from the original 35mm soundtrack negative, with audio restoration undertaken by Léon Rousseau of L.E. Diapason. The Mother and the Whore is an incredibly dialogue-heavy film with many conversations taking place over its 218-minute runtime, alongside various sounds of a bustling Paris and music that the film’s characters play vinyl recordings of. To my ears, it sounded splendid and serves as an organic reproduction of the original film elements.
Special Features
No supplements are included on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray disc, but there are several on the standard Blu-Ray disc. All descriptions below are taken directly from the disc itself.
- Jean-Pierre Gorin and Rachel Kushner: In this conversation, recorded in Los Angeles in 2024, filmmaker Jean-Pierre Gorin talks with writer Rachel Kushner, his friend, about director Jean Eustache, his influences, and the cultural context of The Mother and the Whore.
- François Lebrun: In the following interview, recorded in New York City in 2022, actor François Lebrun discusses the making of The Mother and the Whore and the thread that connects director Jean Eustache‘s films.
- “The Mother and the Whore”: The Restoration: This 2022 program delves into the restoration and rediscovery of The Mother and the Whore, fifty years after the film’s initial release.
- Cannes, 1973: This segment, from a special edition of the French television series Pour le cinéma, was filmed at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. In it, director Jean Eustache and actors Bernadette Lafont, Jean-Pierre Léaud, and François Lebrun discuss The Mother and the Whore, which won the Grand Jury Prize.
- Trailer
Conclusion
The events of May 1968 and Eustache‘s personal life loom over The Mother and the Whore, reflected in the bitterness and narcissism of Alexandre, as he continuously turns conversations with peers into pseudo-intellectually lectures concerning various philosophical and political topics. Eustache, who based the film’s dialogues on his own recorded conversations, writes in the included introduction that the rage “is manifested in the protagonist’s need to take an oppositional stance on every opinion and belief of the time”, and utilizes this approach to confront our hypocrisies, insecurities, obsessions, and compulsions. The runtime may be intimidating at first glance, but it’s easy to be taken in by the film’s sedate pace and fascinating character dynamics.
Criterion’s new edition of The Mother and the Whore is a fantastic release for a film that has long been unavailable in adequate quality. Its combined visual/auditory presentation is excellent, and it comes included with some great supplemental features sure to heighten one’s enjoyment of the film.
The Mother and the Whore is now available, courtesy of Criterion. Check out other Criterion reviews here!
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