The most sensitive, perceptive and resonant portrait of depression I have ever seen.
Like many French films of the 60s (Malle is generally not considered a New Wave director, but the dividing line is blurry), "The Fire Within" uses Paris as not only a setting, but a secondary character. The film, like "Breathless" or "Cleo from 5 to 7," the film also functions as a documentary about the city, a city that cruelly teases Alain with signs of life but affords him no entry point. Legendary cinematographer Ghislain Cloquet (who worked with Bresson and Rivette among others) uses graceful, flowing camera work to capture a real time sense (the film takes place over about 24 hours) of an empty man moving alone through a full and crowded space, a prisoner turning in circles in his metaphoric cell.
True depression is difficult to capture on film, especially when method actors engage their "process" to simulate the emotion (see Albert Finney´s bombastic performance in "Under the Volcano"). Malle and Ronet work together to create the saddest, loneliest, most desperate man ever to appear on film. He only wanted things to "stay still," but the world is always rushing on. It always goes to hell.
Video
The film is presented in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. As usual for Criterion, the transfer is superb, above average even by their standards. I can´t find any flaws.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the French audio.
Extras
The single-disc release features two short documentaries: "Malle´s Fire Within" (27 min), a collection of interviews with Malle´s collaborators including Volker Schlöndorff who worked as assistant director on the film, and "Jusqu´au 23 juillet" (29 min), a 2005 documentary directed by Noël Simsolo which compares the film to the source novel.
The DVD also includes a September 1994 interview with Malle shot for German television (21 min) and a 1966 interview with Ronet (6 min) recorded for the French television series "Portrait d´acteur."
The insert booklet offers an essay by Michel Ciment, and an appreciation of Ronet by Peter Cowie.
Film Value
Sad, wise and, above all, true, "The Fire Within" is en extraordinary achievement. It is the best Louis Malle film I have seen, better even than his well-known "My Dinner with Andre" (1981) and the underrated "Atlantic City" (1980). Alain Leroy is an unforgettable character, so palpably real that I feel I know him. I feel the "M" word marching inexorably in the direction of this review… yes, "The Fire Within" is a Masterpiece.
True depression is difficult to capture on film, especially when method actors engage their "process" to simulate the emotion (see Albert Finney´s bombastic performance in "Under the Volcano"). Malle and Ronet work together to create the saddest, loneliest, most desperate man ever to appear on film. He only wanted things to "stay still," but the world is always rushing on. It always goes to hell.
Video
The film is presented in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. As usual for Criterion, the transfer is superb, above average even by their standards. I can´t find any flaws.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the French audio.
Extras
The single-disc release features two short documentaries: "Malle´s Fire Within" (27 min), a collection of interviews with Malle´s collaborators including Volker Schlöndorff who worked as assistant director on the film, and "Jusqu´au 23 juillet" (29 min), a 2005 documentary directed by Noël Simsolo which compares the film to the source novel.
The DVD also includes a September 1994 interview with Malle shot for German television (21 min) and a 1966 interview with Ronet (6 min) recorded for the French television series "Portrait d´acteur."
The insert booklet offers an essay by Michel Ciment, and an appreciation of Ronet by Peter Cowie.
Film Value
Sad, wise and, above all, true, "The Fire Within" is en extraordinary achievement. It is the best Louis Malle film I have seen, better even than his well-known "My Dinner with Andre" (1981) and the underrated "Atlantic City" (1980). Alain Leroy is an unforgettable character, so palpably real that I feel I know him. I feel the "M" word marching inexorably in the direction of this review… yes, "The Fire Within" is a Masterpiece.
Average user rating (1-5):
Not yet rated.
Not yet rated.
[release]23736[/release]