Review for Le Quai Des Brumes (Digitally Restored) (Blu-ray)

Studio Canal have been on something of a virtuous run of late with some really excellent releases, re-mastered to Blu-Ray and filled with really worthwhile extras. In fact, the kind of ‘serious’ releases that would once have been the exclusive domain of ‘Criterion’ with their premier priced DVD’s.

Having just viewed and reviewed the Pathé release of Michel Carne’s other ‘masterpiece’ (‘Les Enfants Du Paradis’) it was really great to follow that with a viewing of ‘Le quai des brumes’ (‘Port of Shadows’) a film made some seven years earlier, before France’s wartime occupation by Nazi Germany.

"Le quai des brumes" a.k.a "Port of Shadows" (1938) won Carne the Best Director Award at the Venice Film Festival, and when you consider that this highly watchable film is over seventy years old, and made just ten years after the very first ‘talkie’, it’s easy to see why.



Roguish Jean (Jean Gabin, La Grande Illusion) a military deserter, arrives at the port of Le Havre with a view to jumping aboard the first boat out of the country. A local drunk (Raymond Aimos) tells him about a bar on the docks, run by a sympathetic sort, where he can stay the night whilst he waits for the first ship that will have him.

In the bar, Jean meets Nelly (Michele Morgan, Obsession) a beautiful young girl who, by the sort of coincidence that film narrative relies on, is also on the run. They get talking and before long it’s clear that they are attracted to one another.
The two talk about the things that separate men and women and the mistakes they make when they fall in love. By the morning hours, the two are already attracted to each other.


On a walk in the shadowy docks they bump into a local ruffian, Lucien, who has been looking for Nelly’s guardian, Zabel. He begins to harass Nelly directly but Jean steps up to protect her. When Nelly and Jean part Nelly slips some cash into Jean’s pocket which he doesn’t discover until later. When he does, he decides to buy Nelly a gift and heads to a nearby shop – which turns out to be owned by her guardian. Nelly appears in the shop and her behaviour gives away the fact that she is in love with Jean and he with her.

Zabel decides to profit from the discovery and asks Jean to get rid of Lucien for him and in return he would give Jean his freedom – a passport and a ticket out of the country. But Jean is an honourable man and refuses the offer.

He then dumps his uniform (film authorities insisted he did so by folding them, not throwing them down as originally planned) , gets a new passport and arranges passage on a ship heading to Venezuela. On the night before he leaves, he and Nelly stay together in a cheap hotel. In the early morning hours, in the dark shadows of the docks, Lucien sees him. (Cue dramatic music).

Based on the famous novel by Pierre Dumarchais and scripted by Jacques Prevert (who scripted ‘Les Enfants Du Paradis’ Carne) this atmospheric melodrama barely boils over with the frustrations faced by two lovers who cannot be together – a universally emotive subject.

The film is characterised by moody lighting, enhanced by heavy fog and shadows. Whilst Gabin is clearly older and more world weary than Morgan, somehow the relationship is electric and the close ups on Morgan’s eyes are legendary.

The film is in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, very close to full frame 4:3. I have never seen the film before so have no point of comparison but it would appear that Studio Canal have made a considerable effort to get a print that is as close as possible to the original 1938 cut (it was ‘butchered’ by censors on consequent releases) as well as going to some lengths to clean it up and improve variable grading. Whatever the case, it looks great for its age.

There are two standard audio tracks French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. with optional English, German, and French SDH subtitles (with the descriptive text appearing in red) for the main feature.

Special features include a number of items exclusive to this release.

• Introduction – By Professor Ginette Vincendeau. In English, with optional French and German subtitles. (7 minutes).

• On the Port of the Shadows - a documentary featuring interviews with film historian N.T. Binh, journalist Philippe Morisson, La Cinematheque Francaise restoration supervisor Camille Blot-Wellens, acclaimed directors Claude Lelouch and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and writers Jean-Pierre Berthome and Bernard G. Landry. There’s a phone interview included with actress Michelle Morgan recorded in May 2012 who sounds remarkably coherent despite her advancing years. In French, with optional English and German subtitles. (45 minutes).

• Restoring Le Quai Des Brumes - Serge Toubiana, Director of La Cinematheque Francaise, and restoration supervisor Camille Blot-Wellens discuss the restoration process. The interview was conducted exclusively for Studio Canal in 2012. In French, with optional English and German subtitles. (11 minutes).

• Booklet – Though I haven’t seen it, apparently the disc ships with a booklet on the film written by Professor Ginette Vincendeau.

If you enjoy really well-made melodrama and are a fan of classic cinema then you’ll want to get hold of ‘Port of Shadows’. With Studio Canal putting in a great deal of effort to make this release as good as it can be you can be confident that you are buying the best possible edition available today. Excellent stuff!