This “Limited Edition” Blu-ray from Radiance Films is currently available for purchase.
This week, Radiance Films released the stellar drama, La Tête Contre Les Muirs, which was conceived, written by, and starring Jean-Pierrre Mocky. The success of that picture allowed Mocky to fully turn his attention to directing for the next ten years. But, given Mocky’s charismatic onscreen persona, it was only a matter of time before he returned to acting. In Solo, he serves as both co-writer, director and lead. Even though it may have been made many years after La Tête Contre Les Muirs, this film shares a few similarities.
For one, both pictures deal with an important issue of the day. And this time out, Mocky’s directing allows the picture to fully embrace the naturalistic tone that appears in some sections of the earlier movie. Conversations feel authentic, and the photography feels raw with a slight verite style, like it’s capturing action as it is occurring. Radiance Films is now presenting a “Limited Edition” Blu-ray of Solo, so that international film enthusiasts can either discover it and/or enjoy the title in the highest possible quality.
Set just after the civil unrest in France in May, 1968, the plot follows Vincent Cabral (Jean-Pierre Mocky). Vincent is a musician and thief, smuggling jewels into France during his trips abroad. He returns home to visit his younger brother Virgile (Denis Le Guillou), only to discover that his sibling has not only joined, but is leading a revolutionary group. The outfit has already assassinated several wealthy aristocrats and prostitutes at an orgy, and are ready to set a bomb off at another location and kill more.
Brother Vincent can see their political point of view, but is far more relaxed and jaded. He spends most of his time stealing from the upper class and doesn’t really want those he’s taking advantage of to be eliminated. So, the protagonist decides to try to find his brother before police can locate and shoot Virgile. But in the process, Vincent ends up becoming associated with the revolutionaries, and even crosses paths with his brother’s female cohort, Annabel (Anne Deleuze).
Set over the course of one evening, this is actually a lengthy chase, with the lead trying to hunt down his brother while avoiding officers also in pursuit. Naturally, the film deals with the disdain of students and the lower-classes towards high society, and there are plenty of discussions between Vincent and those associated with the movement about their goals. Everyone makes good points and the film doesn’t judge any of its characters. Concerns over capitalism, as well as the relentlessly violent pursuit of justice, are all discussed. Like in real life, there are no easy answers to the problems raised, but the characters debate, which helps detail everyone’s motivations and keep viewers invested in all of them.
The film is also exciting, as Vincent ends up in the firing line when a blunt and less-than-observant investigator decides that he is the real mastermind behind the operation. The protagonist ends up resorting to unusual tactics to try and draw attention away from himself which even leads to an explosion and a few close calls. As you might have already guessed, the film ends on a dark and tragic note, but one that certainly feels appropriate given the story and dangers presented. While one could reasonably argue that the screenplay contains a lot of plot conveniences (with most of the characters frequently sitting next to each other), but they do add tension to the proceedings. So, if you can forgive that aspect, and the majority of viewers, myself included, will, then this is another exceptional picture from Mocky. Like the previous film, it combines traditional thrills with big, complex issues in a compelling and dynamic manner.
Once again, Mocky’s production house supervised a 4K restoration of the movie and the image quality is strong. Unlike the previous title, this is a color film, and the hues are deep. There is a speckle here and there and a few establishing night location shots are grainy, but the general picture looks remarkably clean and some scenes are remarkably crisp. This is likely as detailed as the movie will ever appear.
As for extras, there is an excellent interview with Jean-Pierre Mocky that was recorded in 2018. He discusses the genesis of the project. Mocky mentions sitting in a French café after the May 68 student and workers rebellion, and hearing a conversation between 20-somethings about continuing the fight to change society through any means necessary. This inspired him to tackle the subject, and the result was one of the first films to deal with aftermath and attitudes after the civil unrest.
This was a small film that required extra funding from Belgium to get it made, but Mocky realized that countries like Italy and Germany had been going through similar political and social troubles. The filmmaker felt that the movie would play everywhere, and it ultimately was a massive success at Cannes and traveled well through Europe. Mocky also notes that he wasn’t thrilled with casting options, so, even though he was a little older for the part than written, he decided to give himself the lead. This would mark his first onscreen appearance in ten years and he received acclaim for it. The filmmaker/actor talks about the ultimate message and what he feels was accomplished with the movie.
Additionally, there is a 2022 discussion with co-star Anne Deleuze, who tells funny stories about the production. This was her first onscreen appearance, and so she did her best to enjoy the experience. Deleuze notes that everything was hectic, and large portions of the story were shot on-the-fly and quickly. She immediately thought that this was normal for all film productions, until taking on jobs afterwards and realizing that the urgency and chaotic approach on Solo was different from the norm. It’s a fun interview.
Mocky’s assistant, who appeared in the bonuses on the previous release, also appears to give some analysis of the film and context. He also goes into detail about the production, the attitudes of many about the troubles during this era, and his experiences with Mocky. He also notes the movie’s eventual release, and the success it garnered worldwide. The talk is, again, insightful and enjoyable.
A gallery is also included, along with a booklet containing two archival articles on the movie originally published in 1970.
Solo is a striking film that combines action and political commentary in a fascinating and exciting manner. The new Blu-ray from Radiance Films offers excellent picture quality, wonderful extras, and is another winner. It comes highly recommended.
