Few film directors have a reputation as illustrious as that of François Truffaut. Adored by Hitchcock and Spielberg (who cast Truffaut in Close Encounters of the Third Kind), he directed over twenty critically acclaimed feature films. His third was Jules et Jim, now receiving a fresh UK Blu-Ray and DVD release fifty-two years after it first delighted audiences.
Jules (Oskar Werner) and Jim (Henri Serre) are two young socialites living in pre-World War I Paris. The pair share a love of literature, the arts and also for women. Jules is a shy and slightly introverted writer from Austria, while Jim is a more exuberant and self-confident Frenchman. Both, however, fall in love with a beautiful, young and care-free woman named Catherine (Jeanne Moreau). Catherine marries Jules and the couple retreat to Austria after the start of The Great War.
Jules and Jim both serve on opposing sides during the conflict, which is depicted with documentary footage and soundtracked by George Delerue’s evocative and fantastic score. Jules et Jim is not just the portrayal of a complicated love triangle, but a movie that fully expresses the complexities of love, freedom and friendship. The film is beautifully shot by cinematographer Raoul Coutard who lays down the foundations that became common of movies from the French Nouvelle Vague. Freeze frames and panning shots are all filmed in suggestive and poignant black and white, adding to the romantic and eminent tone of the film.
Special Features for this release include a commentary by co-writer Jean Gruault and an introduction by French film critic Serge Toubiana. Widely regarded as one of Truffaut’s most celebrated and accessible films, if you have a passion for cinema Jules et Jim is a classic worthy of any DVD or Blu-Ray collection.