Product Description

The multifaceted, deeply personal dramatic universe of Eric Rohmer has had an effect on cinema unlike any other. A succession of jousts between fragile men and the women who tempt them, the Six Moral Tales unleashed onto the film world a new voice, one that was at once sexy, philosophical, modern, daring, nonjudgmental, and liberating. Includes: The Bakery Girl of Monceau, Suzanne's Career, My Night at Maud's, La collectionneuse, Claire's Knee, and Love in the Afternoon.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20829 in DVD
• Brand: Image Entertainment
• Released on: 2006-08-15
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Black & White, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: French
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 6
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 480 minutes

Amazon.com
Audiences love or hate the films of Eric Rohmer. The magnificent Criterion set of the French director's Six Moral Tales, his first film cycle, contains the films that first brought Rohmer to international attention--particularly My Night at Maud's, Claire's Knee, andLove in the Afternoon--in gorgeous film-to-dvd transfers, accompanied by a bounty of short films and other extras. Watching any of these films, even the short features that begin the series (The Bakery Girl of Monceau and Suzanne's Career), you will discover if Rohmer is for you. To some, his examinations of social mores and the psychology of love are absorbing, subtle, and sublime; to others, they're meandering, talky, and flat. But even his detractors must acknowledge that Rohmer draws out the twists of joy and anguish, brief and ephemeral, that haunt lovers as they grope towards security and happiness; and though his visual approach is rigorously simple, his images--thanks to cinematographer Nestor Almendros--are luminous.

The Bakery Girl..., only 23 minutes long, has all the basic elements: A man, infatuated with one woman, flirts with another, all the while comforting himself with self-serving rationalizations and a comic lack of self-knowledge. This film's simplicity makes it more charming and satisfying than the more awkward efforts of Rohmer's next two films, Suzanne's Career (about a student who idolizes a callous older boy and only too late realizes that the girl they've been mocking may have a better grasp on life) and La collectioneusse (about a love triangle at a countryside estate; oddly, though released two years before the next film, it's presented as the fourth in the series), though each has moments of insight and delight. The remaining three movies are masterpieces: In My Night at Maud's, a Catholic engineer (the superb Jean-Louis Trintignant, Three Colors: Red) wrestles with his morals and his desires while spending the night with the enigmatic and alluring Maud (Francoise Fabian, 5 x 2). Claire's Knee gently mocks Les Liaisons Dangereuse as a man about to be married is goaded by a female friend into pursuing an infatuation with a young nubile nymph. And the last of the series, Love in the Afternoon (also known as Chloe in the Afternoon) follows a husband whose unconsummated affair with an old friend almost capsizes his happy marriage. What's most remarkable about this series is that, though each has virtually the same plot, watching all of these films in close succession only highlights their intricate differences and the complex shadings of delusion and yearning. Rohmer's work grows more fascinating the more familiar his methods become. Some filmgoers consider "nuance" code for "boring," but anyone who finds the collision of hearts and minds more exciting than car crashes will find Six Moral Tales revelatory and rewarding. --Bret Fetzer

On the DVD
The Criterion Collection has, as ever, put together a fantastic bunch of essays, interviews, and ephemera to expand the viewer's understanding. A handful of short films shows Rohmer dabbling with techniques and ideas (one, The Curve, is from 1999 and shot on video). Excerpts from French talk shows of the 1970s feature interviews with Rohmer and his actors (including the impossibly charming and precocious Beatrice Romand from Claire's Knee, who went on to appear in other Rohmer films). A thoughtful commentary by director Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men praises Rohmer's nonjudgmental eye toward his characters and his respect for the audience's intelligence. Also included are two booklets, one with a series of critical essays on the films (which provide a wealth of intriguing perspectives, and includes Rohmer's own seminal essay For a Talking Cinema) and book of the story versions of all the films, which reveal Rohmer's clean and vigorous prose style. But the most valuable and engrossing extra is an hour-long conversation between the elderly Rohmer and Barbet Schroeder, who produced all of the Moral Tales; these old friends, both mentally sharp and witty, ruminate on everything from accusations of being "filmed theater" to scheduling scenes around the ripening of cherries. Rohmer sprinkles this warm, inviting conversation with philosophy and film theory without an ounce of pretension or snobbery; he's everything you want a French intellectual auteur to be. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

Oh boy!
Criterion has provided us with the nicest French cinema bonanza since their Antoine Doinel cycle set of a few years ago. These Rohmer chat-fests are a litmus test for cinephiles. American Nouvelle Vague-inspired '60's director Arthur ("Bonnie and Clyde") Penn had mouthpiece Gene Hackman say in Night Moves: "I saw a Rohmer film once. It was like watching paint dry." On the other hand, Rohmer is Quentin Tarantino's favorite director. (Weird as that seems, they share a love of discursive dialog). These movies basically follow a formula -- deeply confused men, snared up in conflicts between flesh and spirit (usually represented by the two women in their lives), work out their confusions through marathon conversations. Like the much-used Henry James analogy, the viewer will either find these moral pilgrimages-though-talk tiresome or transcendant, depending on your attention span. Meantime, stunning cinematography (usually by natural light wizard Nestor Alemndros) pin-points seasonal changes with subtle shadings. These are connisoeur's works, and if you dont know 'em, sample some on Netflix before buying unseen based on reputations. Like Henry James' novels, you either reject 'em out of hand, or else become addicted. This reviewer is an addict, of course.

Criterion's Biggest set yet
This release is the largest to be released by the Criterion Collection to date. It contains six major films by Eric Rohmer and several short films too. It also contains a novelization of the 6 main films in the release.

Disc 1 contains the film "The Bakery Girl of Monceau" originally released in France as "La Boulangère de Monceau" which is about a man who patronizes a bakery in Paris and befriends a young woman working there. The special features are the short film "Presentation, or Charlotte and Her Steak" "Présentation ou Charlotte et son steak" in French, and "Moral Tales, Filmic Issues" a conversation between Eric Rohmer and Barbet Schroeder.

Disc 2 contains the film "Suzanne's Career" released in France as "La Carrière de Suzanne" which is about two friends who meet a young woman and fall in love with her. The special features are Rohmer's short film "Nadja in Paris" in French as "Nadja à Paris"

Disc 3 contains the film "My Night at Maud's" known in France as "Ma nuit chez Maud" which is about a Cathoic man who falls in love with a woman he meets at Mass and them meet a woman named Maud who he has a long talk with. The special features are a theatrical trailer for the film, "On Pascal" known in France as "Entretien sur Pascal", and an episode of the French program "Télécinéma" featuring interviews with one of the actors and some other people.

Disc 4 contains the film "La Collectionneuse" which is about two friends who go on vacation inthe French Riviera. They share a room with a young woman. The special features are a theatrical trailer Rohmer's short film "A Modern Coed" known in France as "Une étudiante d'aujourd'hui", and an episode of the Canadian television program " Parlons cinema" interviewing Rohmer about the film

Disc 5 contains the film "Claire's Knee" known in France as "Le Genou de Claire" which is about a diplomat who become obsessed with the knee of a teenage girl named Claire. The special features are a theatrical trailer, Rohmer's short film "The Curve" known in France as "La Cambrure" a scene from the French TV program "Le journal du cinéma" with interviews of some of the film's actors.

Disc 6 contains the film "Love in the Afternoon" known in France as "L'Amour l'après-midi" and also known as "Chloe in th Afternoon" which is about a married man who can't take his mind off another woman. The special features are a theatrical trailer Rohmer's short film "Véronique and Her Dunce" known in France as "Véronique et son cancre", and an afterword with Neil LaBute.

This box set is comprehensive and contains many good films.

A Must-Own for Rohmer fans and cinephiles
First, for those unfamiliar with Rohmer's work, I strongly recommend renting or Netflixing "My Night at Maud's" or "Claire's Knee".

In my personal opinion, everyone should love Rohmer's style, but I will admit, from personal experience, that it may take a couple viewings before you become hooked. Rohmer's style is the epitome of subtlety. You won't find flashy jump cuts, over-the-top sound tracks, or beams of light piercing through a window casting the lead actor in a wash of bright light at the "moment of revelation".

Rohmer's style demands some commitment on the part of viewers--especially those of use who have been raised on standard Hollywood fare. But, oh, that commitment is rewarded hundred-fold once you become accustomed to the intimate style and subtle pacing of Rohmer's movies. He is one of the great masters of cinema.

Now to those who are already familiar with Rohmer's works . . .

I am one of those people who already owns DVD copies of most of Rohmer's films. One of my big gripes through the years has been the off-handed production of these DVD sets. Often it seems the movies have been rushed onto DVD with minimal restoration. Enter Criterion.

The Criterion set of "Six Moral Tales" is well up to their high standards of video and audio restoration. The visual look of these films is quite likely in line with what the original prints must have looked like when these movies first received theatrical release. I understand that Rohmer himself was involved in the restoration, which I'm sure didn't hurt.

In my opinion, the restored films are reason enough to get these sets. However, Criterion makes sure to lavish this box set with a treasure trove of bonuses. In addition to some fine Rohmer short films spanning the director's career, there are also some archival interviews, and other bonuses. The box set also contains a bound copy of the "Six Moral Tales," and a separate booklet which compiles some very good essays about Rohmer's work (including one essay by Rohmer himself).

My only gripe--and it is a greedy one--is that I wish these sets also contained an audio commentary track. I understand that Rohmer has done a "master class" on some of his movies, and it certainly would have been a welcome addition to have some additional background into the making of these films (e.g. decision on casting, reasons for certain shots, and other bits of trivia).

For the price though, this box set offers tremendous value. I recommend the "Moral Tales" box set without hesitation. Now let's hope Criterion offers a similar treatment of Rohmer's later works!