Andrzej Zulawski's La Femme Publique (The Public Woman, 1984) UNCUT Premium Edition (DVD+OST CD+10 Lobby Cards+48pg Booklet) [LIMITED: 2,000 Numbered Sets] by MONDO VISION

Director: Andrzej Zulawski
Actors: Francis Huster, Valerie Kaprisky, Lambert Wilson, Diane Delor, Yveline Ailhaud
Studio: Mondo Vision
Category: DVD

List Price: $44.99
Buy New: $34.99
You Save: $10.00 (22%)

New (3) from $34.99

Rating: 3 reviews
Sales Rank: 24107

Format: Anamorphic, Dolby, Ntsc, Widescreen
Language: French (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 0
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 114 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.9 x 1.4

UPC: 837654024645
EAN: 0837654024645
ASIN: B001BRZAD8

Release Date: November 11, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

 enlarge 

Other Views:

Customer Reviews

A film lover's dream    November 19, 2008
Luminoso (Austin, TX USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Wow! The transfer of this film is amazing! Prior to last night I'd only seen LFP on a murky Canadian vhs rental and an equally dark (visually - the story is another matter) Asian dvd release - both sans subtitles. Even with inky shadows and soupy colors I was so taken with this film - the story, the direction and the performances that I signed up for this release the day I got the TvBoxset notice! Now, finally seeing LFP as it was originally intended, I am amazed at how much the overall impact of the film is intensified - and LFP is pretty high voltage even in half-light!

Previous reviewers have laid out the storyline, so I'll omit a synopsis of Ethel's journey to her big break as an actress. Suffice it to say, Zulawski is a master at taking what is essentially an over-the-top story, setting it in a specific historical context, and then making it chillingly real.

As to the extras, the essays and transcribed 1984 interviews (what tipped me to the premium ed) are fascinating and well worth the extra cost. Interesting to project on where many of the principals are now compared to their comments made almost 25 years ago.

Zulawski's commentary and on-camera interview give the viewer a glimpse into his attitudes and philosophy of film direction as well as specifics about making the film and creating an adapted screenplay. Interesting for film buffs; invaluable to screenwriters. The soundtrack is a stand alone bonus I didn't expect to enjoy this much. Now it's on my favorites play list.

There is no fluff here. The Premium Edition is crammed with great stuff not the least of which is a fabulous transfer of a truly intriguing film.

Way to go Mondo Vision... so what's next?


flawless DVD transfer, priceless commentary, gorgeous package    November 14, 2008
RawCinema
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I usually don't write reviews but as a fan I owe it to myself to spread the word about Andrej Zulawski, this unsung giant of contemporary cinema, and where better to start than this almost too good to be true release from a new DVD label Mondo Vision. I've spent more money buying bootleg copies of Zulawski films than any other director which is a sad statement to make, BUT this release will hopefully put an end to the mistreatment that Zulawski has received on digital format.

To understand Zulawski, one first needs to know a few facts and a brief biography. He is a Polish director; he was thrown out of Poland after his 1972 film "The Devil" (available on bootleg DVD by Polart) was banned by the government due to excessive violence and sexual content. He then moved to France and made "L'important C'est D'aimer" (The Important Thing Is To Love, 1975) considered by some to be his masterpiece even though that is open to debate considering he has made 12 films and every single one feels like a masterpiece of its own. The Important Thing Is To Love defied a whole generation of French filmmakers who were basically running out of ideas. Unfortunately the film did not receive mass distribution and until today it remains a lost cult classic. When you watch that film and compare it to other French films of the same era, you'll be amazed how much zulawski was and maybe still is ahead of his times. Jerry Harvey of Z Channel was an early and passionate admirer of the film and that was the only time the film was ever shown here in the U.S. After Important Thing Is To Love, Zulawski returned to Poland to direct his epic film "The Silver Glove" (also available on bootleg DVD by Polart) that was supposed to be four and a half hours long, but like "The Devil" Polish government stopped the production when 80% of the shooting was done, 10 years later Zulawski was urged by collegeous to finish the film by gluing together the missing pieces, even in its unfinished form it is one of the most haunting art house films ever made. After Silver Globe, Zulawski made "POSSSESSION" in 1981 a tour de force film that is unlike anything else I have ever seen. In my opinion POSSESSION is Zulawski's best and one of the greatest films ever made. Public Woman came 3 years after Possession followed by L'amour Braque (Mad Love) where Zulawski met Sophie Marceau, the beautiful French actress who went on to star in 4 of his films. They were married for 17 years and have a son named Vincent.

With that in mind, now here's my take on this new DVD release of Zulawski's 6th film "Public Woman". This is not a critical review, I leave that to the critics, but I say this that Zulawski may not be everyone's taste, but there is no denying the fact that during his entire career he has defied the mainstream and crafted a different kind of cinema and film language captured purely in moving images that are impossible to duplicate. When you see a Zulawski film you will know it from the first scene, the first moment; he has that auteur quality and signature that is lacking in cinema nowadays. Zulawski is a young people director, all of his films including Public Woman are contemporary, modern and extremely visual. I wanna make an important point here - prior to this release I always watched Public Woman without any subtitles as I do understand a little French. While the subtitles on this DVD are very good, keep in mind that if you have to read subtitles while watching any Zulawski film, the chances are you are bound to miss some very incredible shots and camera movements. To really soak the film in on a visceral level , first watch it with subs to get the basic plot and then re-watch it without subs and you will discover moments of pure cinema where you get goose bumps and tell yourself how the F&#$ did he just do that!!


The Package:

Video Quality: 5/5 (flawless, as a matter of fact I have never seen such a film-like and consistent DVD transfer. Play this on any upconverting or blu-ray player and see it for yourself, no BS or nonsense hype here.)

Extras: 5/5 (Don't miss Zulawski's commentary! love him or loathe him here's a real director with guts that always does it his own way and I respect him for that!)


Audio 5/5 (original mono audio, no bumped up audio here.)

Packaging (worth every dime, I would pay 3 times the price tag just to finally see this film in decent transfer and English subtitles. This edition is bound to become a rare collector item especially since it's individually numbered.) I got #2 /2000, now thats freaking lucky!

The 48 page booklet is my favorite and has some very rare interviews. Considering the limited amount of information on Zulawski, you definitely wanna read this stuff, it `s a must have...

thank you mondo vision for giving voice to this underrated genius.



La Paquet Parfait DVD (The Perfect DVD Package)    November 13, 2008
Daniel J. Sardella
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

La Femme Publique (The Public Woman) (1984) is the story of aspiring young actress Ethel (played by the stunning and versatile Valerie Kaprisky), who by accepting a role in a film based on Dostoyevsky's 'The Possessed', directed by controversial Czech filmmaker Lucas Kessling (played with icy cool and raving madness by Francis Huster) is sucked into a world of manipulation, political conspiracy and confusion.

There are many subplots in this film and the line between reality and acting is blurred for both Ethel and the viewer, but this doesn't detract from the beautifully composed shots, visual style and colors or the film itself.

This was the first film I've viewed by Polish director Andrzej Zulawski and it has left me impressed. I'll definitely be seeking out more films by him.

Video/Audio:

The Hi-Def Anamorphic film transfer (approved by Zulawski) retains the film's original 1.66:1 ratio and was undertaken by gifted UK videophile David Mackenzie (http://www.lyris-lite.net/) and it is a visual feast - clean, vibrant, film-like (grain!) and overall - amazing. The audio is crisp and well-balanced.

Supplements:

Commentary with Zulawski
An interesting interview with the director where he talks about, among other things, co-writing the film with the Dominique Garnier, author of the original novel.
Trailer
Image gallery

Package:

Here's the other area (besides the film transfer) where this DVD really shines. The Premium Collector's Edition packaging is absolutely gorgeous. It is black box with red holo-foil stamping, great artwork, 10 B&W photo reproductions (with their own envelope), a Certificate of Authenticity (ltd. to 2000), a CD soundtrack (track list is included) remastered by composer Alain Wisniak (I am a huge fan of DVD sets that include this) AND a glossy 48-page booklet featuring an essay by Daniel Bird (who moderates the DVD's Commentary) and interviews with the director and cast members from 1984. Best of all the whole package fits on your DVD shelf next to all your other standard clam shell cases (it's only slightly larger overall).

Final Thoughts:

This is a perfect film for fans of unconventional/drama/art house/indie/foreign flicks. Thank you Mondo Vision, this DVD set gives Criterion a run for their money. Here's hoping for more quality packages from this company. I only wish more films were treated this well.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

****/***** for this erotically charged drama
*****/***** for the Premium Collector's Edition DVD by Mondo Vision