Imagine if JULES ET JIM was more about a neo Nazi and a communist. That was how a member of the team sold this film to me. Having never seen it, I smiled thinking how contemporary it sounded and indeed after watching, was. Jean-Louis Trintignant, that power house of French cinema, turns in an exceptional caged performance as Clement, a wealthy son of an industrialist, who is also a secret right-wing terrorist. His wife is the beautiful Anne (Romy Schneider). She is a happy go lucky actress that is abused and controlled by her most financially stable husband. After he is double-crossed by the cell’s leader Serge (Pierre Asso), he swears vengeance and leaves her with a good friend Paul (Henri Serre), living in the country. But as time goes, love flows and his return means blood will be spilled.

Radiance have, over the course of mere months, established themselves as savvy film curators. LE COMBAT DANS L’ILE, might not be their most comprehensive or well managed release in terms of extras and promotion. However, it is one of their best looking (I have seen four of their releases). The 2K restoration (I have no Standard to compare) is rich in tone but also rugged in terms of light exposure. I sadly was unable to read the booklet but can a test to the best extra here being Jean-Louis Trintignant interview for Belgium TV. He talks about national service and his route into acting via photography. Short but so rich.  Alain Cavalier 1962 interview that briefly speak about the time of revolutionary feel and artistic zeal. Its the moment that the film comes from and its pointed and pertinent. Finally that short film Un américain. Exciting and valid for time and space of Paris. Its short but sharp in detail and emotion.

LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES:

• 2K Restoration from the original camera negative
• Original uncompressed French mono PCM audio
• Interview with Alain Cavalier from French television show Cinema page (1962, 5 mins)
• Faire la mort: A commentary featurette by Cavalier on photos from the Cinémathèque française (2011, 5 mins)
• Interview with star Jean-Louis Trintignant from the Belgian television show Cinescope (1983, 7 mins)
• The Succulence of Fruit: An interview with French critic Philippe Roger who provides an analysis of the film and Cavalier’s work (2020, 37 mins)
• Un américain – Cavalier’s first short film about a sculptor who comes to Paris (1958, 17 mins)
• France 1961 – a short film made by Cavalier on the occasion of Zeitgeist’s DVD release of the film (2010, 13 mins) 
• Behind-the-scenes photos including images from the archive of Louis Malle
• Trailer
• Optional English subtitles
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
• Limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Ben Sachs who considers the film in the context of the French New Wave and genre filmmaking; and scholar and author of Late-Colonial French Cinema Mani Sharpe looks at the film and its political dimension
• Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

https://www.radiancefilms.co.uk/products/le-combat-dans-lile-le