QUARTET (DVD/1.78/MONO/1981/ENG-BOTH) DVD

Quartet
No relation to the 1949 Somerset Maugham "omnibus" film of the same name, 1981's Quartet is based on the roman a clef by Jean Rhys. Though the names are changed, it is clearly the story of Rhys' romance with Ford Maddox Ford in 1920s Paris. The titular quartet consists of novelist Isabelle Adjani, her Polish husband Anthony Higgins, wealthy philanderer Alan Bates and Bates' artist wife Maggie Smith. Though she's been indulgent of Higgins' past indiscretions, Smith isn't keen on her husband carrying on an affair with Adjani under their own roof. Meanwhile, Higgins sits in prison, jailed for his various petty thefts. Once Higgins is released, he learns about the Bates-Adjani-Smith contretemps. When the dust settles, it is Adjani who suffers the most. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Alan Bates as H.J. Heidler Maggie Smith as Lois Isabelle Adjani as Marya Zelli Anthony Higgins as Stephan Daniel Chatto as Guy Pierre Clémenti as Theo, the pornographer Suzanne Flon as Concierge Sheila Gish as Anna Daniel Mesguich as Schlamovitz

Crew Jean-Jacques Caziot - Art Director Judy Moorcraft - Costume Designer James Ivory - Director Humphrey Dixon - Editor Richard Robbins - Composer (Music Score) Alex Leyton - Cinematographer Pierre Lhomme - Cinematographer Jean Pierre Maho de la Querantonnais - Producer Ismail Merchant - Producer Jean-Pierre Mahot - Producer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala - Screenwriter James Ivory - Screenwriter Jean Rhys - Book Author

Quartet
Many find the films of James Ivory and Ismail Merchant to be a little too reserved and placid, a charge that can quite easily be leveled at Quartet. Dry to the point of being parched, Quartet clearly intends to point up the deeper emotions that lie buried beneath the surface; yet director Ivory seems somewhat confused about what those emotions are and about what relation they have to the story. Motivations are murky; in an effectively subtle film, this can work to create a discomforting atmosphere, but in Quartet they seem murky to those behind the camera as well. This is especially true of Isabelle Adjani, a fine actress who seems left at sea here. Alan Bates turns in a much better performance, but one feels that the actor is imposing meaning into his scenes that isn't really there. Only Maggie Smith truly seems to have a clear handle on what her character is really feeling and why. Despite these flaws, the film does manage to create a palpable sense of vague melancholy that is impressive, and it is visually quite striking, from the gorgeously detailed sets and costumes to the lovely, gently evocative photography. If Quartet fails to always strike the chords it wants to, it is still haunting. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

Isabelle Adjani: Cannes Film Festival, Best Actress (winner)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English Sound Processing: DD1: Dolby Digital Mono Additional Features: cc New digital transfer, enhanced for widescreen televisions Conversation with the Filmmakers. part of a new series of interviews with Ismail Merchant, James Ivory, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and Richard Robbins Original theatrical trailer English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1: Alternate Wide Screen MPAA Rating: DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 101 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Opening Credits [2:08] 2. Paris, 1927 [3:45] 3. "You Want to Avoid English People in Paris" [3:56] 4. Stephan Arrested [6:47] 5. Prison Visit [3:54] 6. Marya Stays with the Heidlers [10:32] 7. A Night on the Town [12:14] 8. "Do You Think I'm Mad?" [6:23] 9. "She Ought to Sing for Her Supper" [5:12] 10. A Weekend in the Country [8:35] 11. "Such a Funny, Pretty Little Thing" [2:08] 12. "Married People Often Have Strange Relationships" [5:42] 13. Stephan Makes Plans to Leave Paris [7:41] 14. Dinner with the Heidlers [6:33] 15. "You've Got to Take Me with You" [5:37] 16. End Credits [7:18]