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Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.40:1, Dolby Digital (5.1), Dolby Surround Sound, Additional Scenes, Director Commentary, Documentaries, Interviews, French, English Subtitled
The film is set in France near the end of World War I in the deadly trenches of the Somme, in the gilded Parisien halls of power, and in the modest home of an indomitable provincial girl. It tells the story of this young woman's relentless, moving and sometimes comic search for her fiance, who has disappeared. He is one of five French soldiers believed to have been court-martialed under mysterious circumstances and pushed out of an allied trench into an almost-certain death in no-man's land. What follows is an investigation into the arbitrary nature of secrecy, the absurdity of war, and the enduring passion, intuition and tenacity of the human heart.
"...makes points about the absurdity of war, but balances those out by adopting the phrase that "love conquers all."" James Berardinelli's ReelViews
"It's an emotional powerhouse." Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"...a film that is a series of pleasures...to delight us." Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Editor's Note
This World War I mystery finds limitless beauty in the nostalgia of loss. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, whose whimsical AMELIE riveted audiences, A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT also stars Audrey Tautou--the 21st century's Audrey Hepburn--in the stubbornly emotional role of a widow in denial. Here she is Mathilde, a waifish young woman with a pronounced limp from childhood polio. Living with her quirky aunt and uncle in a farmhouse by the sea, and waiting desperately for her fiance Manech (Gaspard Ulliel) to return from the war, she believes that if he were truly lost she would feel it in her heart. Thus, when the bad news arrives--Manech and five fellow soldiers were exiled to No Man's Land for shooting off their own fingers in hope of being discharged--Mathilde refuses to believe he is dead. Instead, she begins her own investigation into Manech's infantry, hiring a private detective and tracking down the wives and girlfriends of each of Manech's compatriots. Conducting countless interviews, Mathilde pieces together Manech's war stories--which are told in earthshaking flashbacks involving gruesome explosions, flying guts, and massive suffering. And yet, the all-in-this-together humanity of these awful scenes, and the heartfelt bravery with which Mathilde absorbs the details of each battle, is undeniably moving. Jodie Foster appears as Elodie, one of the widows, in a charismatic yet muted performance and with a flawless accent. However, the most intriguing of the widows is Tina Lombardi (Marion Cotillard), a thrilling dominatrix-assassin bent on avenging her lover. A timeless masterwork that raises the bar for breathtaking camerawork, vivid landscapes, and fantastical storytelling, A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT is adapted from the novel by Sebastien Japriscot.
| Features | 2-Disc Set | | Audio: French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Director Commentary | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, French & Spanish | | Widescreen Presentation |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Warner |
| Release Date: 11/10/2009 |
| Running Time: 133 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2004 | | Catalog ID: 38972 | | UPC: 00085393897222 | | Number of Discs: 2 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: French | | Available Audio Tracks: French | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew | Audrey Tautou | | Gaspard Ulliel | | Jean-Pierre Becker | | Jodie Foster | | Aline Bonetto - Production Designer | | Angelo Badalamenti - Original Music By | | Bill Gerber - Executive Producer | | Bruno Delbonnel - Cinematographer | | Guillaume Laurant - Writer | | Herve Schneid - Editor | | Jean-Louis Monthieux - Executive Producer | | Jean-Pierre Jeunet - Writer | | Jean-Pierre Jeunet - Director | | Sebastien Japrisot - Based On Novel By |
| Awards |
Oscar (2005) | | | Aline Bonetto, Nominee, Best Achievement in Art Direction | | | Bruno Delbonnel, Nominee, Best Cinematography |
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| | Professional Reviews | Film Comment
"The details become the discourse -- a constant flow of visual stimulation in place of the traditional development of plot, character, and theme." 12/01/2004 p.73-4Premiere
"[A]n epic treatment of epic themes that doesn't soap opera its audience, but at the same time provides a terrifically satisfying entertainment." 12/01/2004 p.26 Entertainment Weekly
"[T]he counterpoint of ugliness and beauty, observed with the patience an artist might lavish upon a portrait of a beloved, is Jeunet's own invention." 12/03/2004 p.58-60 New York Times
"Mr. Jeunet is in the possession of a distinctive visual style developed during his longtime collaboration with his former filmmaking partner, Marc Caro." 11/26/2004 p.E26 USA Today
"[I]t's full of surprises....Jeunet is as adept as Francois Truffaut was in employing voice-over narration -- but even better at providing counterpoint imagery to get a laugh." 11/26/2004 p.3E Los Angeles Times
"[I]t's as charming and stylish as one could expect from this pair....All in all, Jeunet makes a pretty case for the idea that life is ruled by chaos and chance, but made meaningful and worthwhile by love." 11/26/2004 p.E1 Rolling Stone
"Just sit back and behold as Jeunet the visionary and Tautou the force of nature take you to hell and back with this epic love story. It's an emotional powerhouse." 12/09/2004 p.190 Uncut
"[T]his is as much visual feast as quest plot: Jeunet energises every shot..." 02/01/2005 p.102 Movieline's Hollywood Life
"[T]he battle scenes depicting the horrors of war are brutally effective." 12/01/2004 p.103 Sight and Sound
"Jeunet's film is a tour de force of style and talent..." 02/01/2005 p.77-8 Wall Street Journal
?Daring mood swings -- and theme swings -- lend distinction to Jean-Pierre Jeunet?s romantic epic....There?s never been anything quite like it.? 09/25/2009 James Berardinelli's ReelViews 8 of 10
A Very Long Engagment starts slowly, but builds to a satisfying conclusion. It's grittier tha - James Berardinelli
Rolling Stone 8 of 10
Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a miracle worker, a filmmaker whose soaring visuals and passionate intensity a - Peter Travers
Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
This story is told in a film so visually delightful that only the horrors of war keep it from floati - Roger Ebert
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