Le Silence de la Mer (1949) Criterion 1080p BluRay x265 HEVC FLAC-SARTRE + Extras

Le Silence de la Mer was based upon a popular wartime "underground" novel by Vercours. Most of the film is confined to the living room of a bourgeois French family. Howard Vernon plays Von Ebrennae, a cultured Nazi officer who is billeted in this household. As the residents stare at him in mute contempt, Von Ebrennae eloquently articulates his philosophy of life, which turns out to be pretty odious at times. Director Jean-Pierre Melville assembled La Silence de la Mer outside the established French film industry, using a non-union cast and crew and adapting the Vercours novel without securing the movie rights. Though it was much too verbose and cerebral for American viewers, the film proved most influential in shaping the future works of such directors as Robert Bresson and Alain Resnais.

Sample Clip (Download file for actual quality)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EbpzAhOIMs0maFpSKp7sxZcvVyaLfmh3



Extras

• 24 Hours in the Life of a Clown (1946) - Presented here is Jean-Pierre Melville's first directorial work, the short film 24 heures de la vie d'un clown a.k.a. 24 Hours in the Life of a Clown. It offers a glimpse into the lives of Beby and Maiss, two aging clowns living in Paris whose best days are behind them. In French, with optional English subtitles. (19 min, 720p).

• Code Name: Melville - Produced by Olivier Bohler in 2008, this documentary film focuses on Jean-Pierre Melville's life and career and the evolution of his unique style (as well as the specific impact his films have had on directors from different generations). Included in it are extracts from archival interviews with the French director, his secretary and friend Leo Fortel, filmlmaker and critic Andre S. Labarthe, Melville's nephew Remy Grumbach, veteran Hong Kong director Johnnie To (Running Out of Time, Throw Down), German director Volker Schlöndorff (The Tin Drum), actor Pierre Grasset (Rififi), Japanese director Masahiro Kobayashi (Man Walking on Snow), and French director Bertrand Tavernier (Coup de Torchon), amongst others. In French and Cantonese, with optional English subtitles (and printed French subtitles for the Cantonese dialog). (77 min, 720p).

• Melville Steps Out of the Shadows - Produced by Pierre-Henri Gilbert in 2010, this documentary focuses on the production history of Jean-Pierre Melville's Le silence de la mer and some of the key elements of his unique style. Included in it are interviews with writer and film historian Denitza Bantcheva (Jean-Pierre Melville: From the Films to the Man), cinematographer Pierre Lhomme (Army of Shadows), director Volker Schlöndorff, writer Rui Nogueira (Cinema According to Melville), journalist and filmmaker Philippe Labro, and actress Nicole Stéphane (Les Enfants Terribles). In French, with optional English subtitles. (43 min, 720p).

• Ginette Vincendeau - In this brand new video interview, film professor Ginette Vincendeau, author of Jean-Pierre Melville: An American in Paris, discusses Le silence de la mer and Jean-Pierre Melvile's interaction with Vercors (whose novel inspired it), the director's love for American cinema, and the style and atmosphere of his films. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2014. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 720p).

• Cinepanorama - Presented here is an archival interview with Jean-Pierre Melville about Le silence de la mer and the adaptation of Vercors' novel, which was conducted by Francois Chalais. It was originally aired on April 18, 1959, as part of the French television program Cinepanorama, which was directed by Jean Bescont. In French, with optional English subtitles. (2 min, 720p).