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Features: DVD
Considered by many to be Francois Truffaut's greatest film, Jules And Jim is the ultimate menage-a-trois, and certainly one of the most poetic films of the French New Wave Cinema. The film tells the story of a friendship between two artists--one Austrian (Oskar Werner), the other French (Henri Srre)--and their mutual love for the same woman, Catherine (Jeanne Moreau). Spanning two decades, this pure love affair between Jules, Jim and Catherine is temporarily interrupted by the Great War, but continues into the late 1930s when it ends suddenly and tragically.
"One of the most beautifully lyrical works in the history of the French Cinema." Find-A-Video
"An undeniable masterpiece." James Monaco, The New Wave
"A masterpiece..." Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
"...A film of rare beauty and charm." Leonard Maltin's Movie & Vieo Guide
Editor's Note
JULES AND JIM is François Truffaut's intense, beautiful, enigmatic film about the lifelong friendship between two writers--French novelist Jim (Henri Serre) and Austrian children's author Jules (Oskar Werner)--and their mutual love for the eccentric Catherine (Jeanne Moreau). With artful black-and-white imagery, the story begins in 1920s Paris when Jules and Jim first meet and become friends. As young single men, they gallavant about Paris, chasing women or studying ancient art, always animated, curious, and charming. When they meet the equally energetic Catherine, whose impulses range from dressing up as a man to taking midnight plunges into the Seine, their circle is complete. But when World War II erupts, with Jules and Jim fighting on opposite sides, everything changes. Jules marries Catherine before going off to battle. After the war, they settle into a quiet existence in the French countryside. But Catherine is restless and unfaithful. Jim reunites with his oldest and closest friends, and Catherine makes room for him in their house, asking him to move in and become her lover. Jim complies, as he wants nothing more than to please his friend Jules, who agrees to the plan. From there, the film's sweeping photography and wonderfully philosophical scripting tightens as the tale becomes even more complicated. Even its darkest moments, JULES AND JIM is movingly alluring as the friendship between the two men paints a meaningful portrait of human understanding and compassion. Like the similarly themed TWO ENGLISH GIRLS, Truffaut's film is based on a novel by Henri-Pierre Roché.
Plot Summary
Director François Truffaut's JULES AND JIM features two men in love with a capricious, implusive woman. An atmospheric and energetic meditation on the nature of love and monogamy, the tale is breathtakingly told in classic New Wave cinema language.
| Features | Fully Restored | | English Subtitles | | Subtitle Control Option | | Widescreen Format | | Jeanne Moreau Tribute | | Audio Commentary | | French Dialog | | Awards Listing | | Scene Access | | Truffaut Trailer Collection | | Interactive Menus | | Production Credits | | Filmographies |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Fox/lorber |
| Release Date: 11/16/1999 |
| Running Time: 105 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1962 | | Catalog ID: 5117 | | UPC: 00720917511726 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: French | | Available Audio Tracks: French | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: B&W |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Bodil Festival (1963) |  | Francois Truffaut, Winner, Best European Film | |
British Academy Awards (1963) | | | Jeanne Moreau, Nominee, Best Foreign Actress | |
Mar del Plata Film Festival (1962) | | Francois Truffaut, Winner, Best Director |
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| | Professional Reviews | Sight and Sound
"...Truffaut's masterpiece remains one of the most exhilarating of the New Wave movies..." 11/01/2002 p.64New York Times
5 stars out of 5 -- "Truffaut's filmmaking still feels fresh, and as the film moves inexorably to a tragic conclusion, his sprightly handling doesn't dilute the heartrending drama. Still a masterpiece." 06/01/2008 p.55 Movie Reviews UK 0 of 10
A quite astonishing film, Truffaut has conceived a fragment of cinema which is wonderfully alluring and a joy to watch. Functioning on several levels, Jules et Jim can be treated as anything from a simple love story to an allegory on the fractured state of Europe between the World Wars. It's difficult to describe just why the film is so physically entrancing (which is a testament to its cinematic quality) but various notable aspects are the beautiful use of composition; the striking and harmonious score; the imaginative use of film with fractional freeze-frames and frame shrinking; the period feel which is both of the early decades of the 20th Century and timeless. The dialogue (that of the characters and of the voice-over) has a remarkably strange feel, constantly surprising us with its twists and turns, which tells us more about the characters than the words themselves. With the addition of excellent, natural and sympathetic acting from the three leads we are drawn into caring for their future, even for difficult, manipulative Catherine. A very classy flick which can only become better with repeated exposure. - Damian Cannon
The Movie Guide 0 of 10
Francois Truffaut's greatest achievement...a celebration both of love and cinema. Moreau (gives) one of the most memorable performances in screen history.
The Movie Guide 10 of 10
Francois Truffaut's greatest achievement...a celebration both of love and cinema. Moreau [gives] one of the most memorable performances in screen history.
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