DVD Corner

The Mother And The Whore Criterion 4K UHD Review

“The Mother And The Whore” is a flawed, but involving French film. 

Written and directed by Jean Eustache, 1973’s “The Mother and The Whore” is a Paris set story revolving around 3 characters- Alexandre (a jobless, womanizing, misogynistic, so-called intellectual), Marie (a dress shop worker that lives with Alexandre) and Veronika (a free spirited and sexual nurse who falls for Alexandre). Much of the story follows these characters in their everyday mundane lives as they chat at cafés, drink, smoke, listen to music, socialize with friends, eat meals, you get the drift. The primary story revolves around this love triangle that becomes more complicated and messy as the story progresses. There’s also a key subplot involving Alexandre’s ex-girlfriend Gilberte who he attempts to get back with at the start of the film until he learns she’s marrying someone else.

At 218 minutes, “The Mother And The Whore” is certainly a whole lot of movie. At no point does it feel like it should run this long given how overwritten and tedious it gets in spots. Regardless, there’s no denying the impact that Jean Eustache’s film had on cinema (and especially French cinema). This post-French New Wave drama deserves credit for its strive for realism. The story’s exploration of sex, love, gender roles, jealousy, relationships, and sexual liberation was undoubtedly ahead of its time. There’s a lot of very honest, deep, and explicit conversations here that you just wouldn’t see in most films then or even now. Obviously, it is very much of its time as a lot of the material here is dated, especially in terms of relationship dynamics which have evolved so much over the years. 

‘Mother’ is also quite a conversational film. In many ways it’s a proto Richard Linklater, Kevin Smith, or Jim Jarmusch film. Alas, the dialogue is part of this film’s shortcomings. As intriguing as it can be, the conversations are often long-winded, pretentious and even downright exhausting. There’s talky and then there’s this film. For some, this may be a transcendent cinematic experience. For others it may test your patience.

Thankfully, the performances are strong across the board. Jean-Pierre Léaud is one of the most famous French actors around having starred in classics like “Pierrot Le Fou” and “The 400 Blows.” He excels here as the mansplaining, self-absorbed Alexandre who is frequently bumming around. Bernadette Lafont gives a down-to-earth performance as Marie. Françoise Lebrun steals the film as the hypnotic and complicated Veronika whose smile can light up a room. She has the most layered and fascinating character arc.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.37:1 2160p. How does it look? The 4K digital restoration gives this B&W classic a sharper print that maintains the grain.

Audio Track: French Uncompressed Mono. How does it sound? Viewers can expect a clean Mono track.

Extras (On The Blu-ray):
* Blu-ray copy
* A booklet with an essay by author Lucy Sante and an intro by Jean Eustache.
* Trailer
* “Cannes, 1973”- A segment from the French series “Pour le cinema” featuring interviews with Jean Eustache, Bernadette Lafont, Jean-Pierre Léaud and Françoise Lebrun.
* “The Mother And The Whore: The Restoration” featurette
* A 2022 interview with Françoise Lebrun who discusses her life, “Bad Company,” the dialogue of “The Mother And The Whore” and more.
* “Jean-Pierre Gorin And Rachel Kushner”- A 2024 conversation between the director and writer about Jean Eustache, “The Mother And The Whore” and more.

January 14, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Criterion Collection, Françoise Lebrun, French Film, Jean Eustache, Jean-Pierre Léaud, The Mother And The Whore Criterion 4K UHD Review