Plot: What’s it about?
The Christmas season has reached a small Quebec village, where a young boy lives with his foster family. Benoit (Jacques Gagnon) was an orphan, but now he lives in this little town with his Aunt Cecile (Olivette Thibault) and Uncle Antoine (Jean Duceppe), who run a local business. The two run a general store and since they live within a mining area, business is better than average, although Antoine also serves another post in the town. You see, he also works as the village’s undertaker and this comes to into play, when a young man dies in one of the town’s more distant locations. As Benoit and Antoine travel by sleigh to retrieve the boy’s corpse, a lot happens and it all comes to a head when the corpse & coffin are lost. This story deals with young Benoit and the changes he faces as he comes of age, as well as the problems of Antoine & Cecila and the quirks of the small village lifestyle.
I’d heard a lot of good things about this film, but until this disc was issued, I was never able to see Mon Oncle Antoine. I had solid hopes and in the end, this was a good movie to be sure, but not to the extent I had expected. But then again, I suppose my expectations were a little high, so if you go in with an open mind, I think this will work much better. I am not one to complain about a slow pace, but I do feel this one moves a little too slow at times, which makes it harder to watch. Mon Oncle Antoine should move a little slower than most films and often that slow pace helps the atmosphere, but in a few instances, it is just too slow and that throws off the experience, at least in my opinion. I’ve watched movies where little has happened and it still held my attention, but I had to refocus at times here, which was not too cool, in my book. But this film is still more than solid, even with the creaky pace and when the story slows too much, just sit back and soak in the visuals. That is where this film excels, as the lush visuals reflect the winter atmosphere to perfection, very impressive indeed. I recommend this picture as a rental and since Image has done little with the disc, I think a purchase is in order only for those who love the movie.
Video: How does it look?
Mon Oncle Antoine is presented in a full frame transfer. I am unsure of the original aspect ratio, but since this image doesn’t seem to be cropped, I won’t knock the score much. The print used shows small flaws, but since they’re so frequent, it can be a little distracting at times. The image looks a little dated, but it was made in 1971 and as such, this is to be expected somewhat. The colors have that ’70s feel and look a little faded, but I think the basics are covered, while flesh tones are natural enough also. No real problems with contrast, which seems solid enough, if not as refined as I would have liked. In the end, this is a solid transfer and all, but I wish it could have been cleaned up a little, however.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original French language track is included and while mono, it seems to handle the basics well enough. The music and sound effects lack the depth we’ve come to expect, but in terms of mono mixes, not much to complain about. The dialogue is loud and clear at all times, with no volume or clarity issues to report. This disc also includes an English dubbed track, as well as optional English subtitles, in case you’ll need those options.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.
