Plot: What’s it about?
Marie (Simone Signoret) is a beautiful woman, one that enchants numerous men and is desired by countless strangers. She is also a prostitute, one who is owned by Roland, who also happens to be her boyfriend. Although she is a prostitute, Roland remains jealous of her affections for other men, even though it doesn’t prevent him from collecting the earnings. Roland and his cronies work as drug pushers, pimps, and basic criminals, but ones who believe they have a high social rank. This because they all work for Felix Leca (Claude Dauphin), a crime boss with notable power and influence within his territories. The group soon welcomes a new member, a former prison friend of one of the members. The new man is Georges Manda (Serge Reggiani) and as soon as he arrives, he is taken with Marie. Not just to a sexual extent either, but he begins to fall for her and the feeling might be mutual. This enrages Roland and while a slight scuffle ensues, Marie and Manda continue to grow closer, even with a simple dance. When Roland approaches Leca to attain compensation, he is shocked when Leca offers to purchase Marie instead. This sets into motion a chain of events that impacts all involved, as violence, love, betryal, and even murder are engaged. How far will Manda go to protect the woman he loves and how far will Roland go to eliminate his competition?
A true collector’s brand and a film buff’s dream come true, The Criterion Collection is stocked with excellent examples of cinema from across the world. Even so, a few titles found within the collection have raised eyebrows, such as The Rock. But most of the entries deserve a place in such a hallowed assortment, including this superb motion picture, Casque d’or. This is not a movie that dazzles, so don’t look for stylish visuals or grand designs, as that is what you’ll find. Instead, Becker uses a more subtle, understated approach for this film, but don’t be mislead by that statement. When you hear understated, you probably think of slow and dull, but when done with skill, such an approach can be quite effective. In this case, that means that the storyline is based on realistic turns, the actors don’t go over the top, and on the whole, we have a realistic, believable cinematic experience. So if you need wild plot twists, inexplicable character changes, and scene chewing performances, then Casque d’or is not the movie you want to see. But if you like well crafted stories, anchored in realism, with excellent, nuanced performances, then you’ll be in heaven here. Casque d’or has romance, betrayal, passion, love, and revenge, all executed with great skill. In other words, yes this is a melodramatic motion picture, but Becker never lets this become a common, soap opera style drama. I have to be honest, this is not a movie most people will want to see again and again, but Casque d’or is still a masterful old school drama. The replay value isn’t high, so a purchase is hard to recommend, but a rental is a must, even for casual film fans.
Video: How does it look?
Casque d’or is presented in full frame, as intended. This is yet another testament to Criterion’s dedication, as this treatment is top notch in all respects. I’ve never seen a passable version of Casque d’or, but this new transfer sparkles. As always, Criterion has used a digital restoration process to enhance the elements, so debris, unwanted grain, and even scratches have been minimized, with striking results. The image isn’t just cleaner, it is also sharper and more refined, with more depth than you might expect. The elements still have some worn moments, but compared to the alternatives, this is a dynamic visual presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original French soundtrack is preserved here via a mono option, which has been restored and enhanced for this edition. Criterion has cleaned up the elements and removed many imperfections, but this is still an older mono soundtrack. As such, some flaws remain and the audio has a thin presence in most scenes. This movie relies on dialogue however, so we don’t miss depth or dynamic presence in this case. I found dialogue to be clear and easy to understand, while the other elements seem in proper order as well. Not a dynamic soundtrack, but one which handles the material well and offers no reason to complain. An English language track is also offered, somewhat of a rarity for a Criterion release. This disc also includes optional English subtitles, which have been retranslated for this release.
Supplements: What are the extras?
I always look forward to audio commentary tracks with film scholar Peter Cowie, as he has some of the best sessions out there. This track proves to be more of the same, as Cowie is well researched and supplies a constant flow of insight. What makes his tracks so worthwhile is that Cowie is a skilled speaker, so he isn’t a monotone, unlike many of the other film scholars who provide these tracks. You can also check out interviews with stars Simone Signoret and Serge Reggiani, both of which are worth a look. This disc also includes some behind the scenes clips, as well as an excerpt from the French television series Cineastes de notre temps, an episode which was dedicated to Becker.
