Director: François Truffaut
Screenplay: François Truffaut, Jean-Louis Richard
Based on a Novel by: Cornell Woolrich (as William Irish)
Starring: Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Claude Brialy, Michel Bouquet, Charles Denner, Claude Rich, Michael Lonsdale
Country: France, Italy
Running Time: 107 min
Year: 1968
BBFC Certificate: 12
Francois Truffaut conducted a series of interviews with Alfred Hitchcock in the mid-sixties and published them in 1966 as the book Hitchcock/Truffaut. Just two years later, he directed and co-wrote The Bride Wore Black, often seen as a love letter to the work of the ‘master of suspense’. He even brought on Hitchcock’s regular collaborator Bernard Herrmann to compose the soundtrack, on top of basing the film on a novel by Cornell Woolrich, who wrote the source material for Rear Window and several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
Kent Jones, on the other hand, who provides an essay on Radiance’s forthcoming Blu-ray release of The Bride Wore Black, claims Truffaut made it because he wanted some easy cash, so he looked for a genre movie based on a popular novel that could be quick and cheap to make and give another decent role to Jeanne Moreau. Truffaut reportedly wasn’t very fond of the film after it was made either.
Many other critics and cineasts would disagree though, finding The Bride Wore Black to be an underappreciated gem among Truffaut’s more fêted work. It’s a film I hadn’t seen previously but, being a big Hitchcock fan, I’ve long been intrigued by it. As such, I figured I’d give the Radiance Blu-ray a watch to see what I thought of it.
The film follows the story of Julie Kohler (Jeanne Moreau), a young woman who meticulously plots to kill five men, one by one, using cunning tactics and her seductive allure to get close to them. Each victim represents a chapter in her chilling plan, intricately designed to fit their individual personalities and crimes.
As Julie carries out her mission, the film flashes back to unveil (pun intended) the reasons behind this quest for vengeance, which isn’t difficult to figure out given the title of the film.
The Bride Wore Black is not a total Hitchcock rip-off, as some would lead you to believe. It’s largely the score and dark, murderous subject matter that gives off that idea. Otherwise, this feels like somewhat of a different beast. In an interview included on the disc, Truffaut claims he was interested in taking the setup for a Hollywood film but presenting it in a distinctly French fashion. He focuses on characters over plot, keeping the latter simple, allowing for longer conversations and more careful, measured build-up to any scenes of suspense or excitement. However, whilst the film takes its time over each killing, there’s no superfluous nonsense to cause your interest to wane.
Surprisingly, Truffaut wasn’t entirely happy with Herrmann’s score. Kent Jones discusses this in his essay, calling the music excellent but not matching the film quite as effectively as Herrmann’s other classic soundtracks. I can see where he’s coming from, particularly as the film doesn’t mimic Hitchcock as much as I’d expected, as described above. However, being a big fan of Herrmann’s music, I did love the score, with its gloriously sinister, swirling cues.
Interestingly, whilst I’ve talked a lot about the Hitchcock influence over the film, the title I was most reminded by whilst watching The Bride Wore Black is Kill Bill. Tarantino claims he hadn’t seen Truffaut’s film before making his revenge epic, but the similarities are startling, even if they’re quite different, stylistically speaking.
Like Tarantino, Truffaut does throw in a few unusual techniques though, with some complex blocking of camera and actor movements, as well as some experimental cutting. Some of his playful effects aren’t entirely successful, the most notable being the opening murder, which climaxes in an unconvincing push over a balcony edge but, overall, the film is stylistically interesting. Truffaut uses all the cinematic tools at his disposal to tell his story visually or audibly. Giving visual clues as to what Julie is planning before we know, for instance, or in the stunning final shot that caps the film off perfectly.
Away from the film’s style and influences, it has a strong feminist slant. Most of the men Julie targets are deeply flawed and generally think with their nether regions. They’re either womanisers or pig-headed at the least. On top of a form of feminist wish-fulfilment, this allows the audience to root for Julie, despite her quest being terrifyingly immoral.
Overall then, whilst The Bride Wore Black owes a debt to Hitchcock, Truffaut adds enough of his own fingerprints to make the film stand apart. He delivers an icy cold revenge movie that’s expertly calculated to keep you gripped through its simple tale.
Film: 
The Bride Wore Black is out now on region B Blu-Ray, released by Radiance Films. The picture looks wonderfully natural, with a detailed but not overly sharp image and no notable damage. Colours are slightly muted but I suspect this is as intended, as it fits the tone. The mono sound is pleasing too.
Limited Edition Special Features:
– High-Definition digital transfer
– Original uncompressed French mono PCM audio
– Archival interviews with François Truffaut (1968, 12 mins) and Jeanne Moreau (1969, 5 mins)
– Appreciation by filmmaker Kent Jones (Hitchcock/Truffaut) (2023, 15 mins)
– Barry Forshaw on Cornell Woolrich and the adaptation (2023, 9 mins)
– Original trailer
– Les surmenés (Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, 1958, 25 mins) – an early short written by Truffaut and starring Jean-Claude Brialy
– Optional English subtitles
– Reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters
– Limited edition booklet featuring archival writing by Truffaut and Moreau, and a contemporary article on the film by Penelope Houston
– Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
In his interview, Truffaut talks of his love of the book and how he wanted to find an unusual role for Moreau. He also discusses the feminist aspects of the film. He covers a lot, in fact, in the 12 minutes the interview runs for, motoring away on different topics.
Jeanne Moreau’s interview, from 1969, is only short at 5 minutes but it’s a worthwhile addition. She speaks about how Truffaut worked with her, describing his approach as being quite unusual.
Kent Jones’ 15-minute piece is honest and informative, discussing Truffaut’s intentions behind the film and both its qualities and problems. He also talks about Truffaut’s work of the period in general, comparing it to a couple of the director’s contemporaries. It’s a valuable addition to the set.
Barry Forshaw’s piece here provides a quick look over the life and work of Cornell Woolrich. It’s fairly brief but gives you a good idea of the source of the film and the importance of the now largely forgotten author.
The short film ‘Les surmenés’ wasn’t directed by Truffaut but he co-wrote it and it features The Bride Wore Black’s Jean-Claude Brialy. The short opens with an extended opening documentary sequence on the perils of overworking in the modern age, as well as a cute animated scene-setter. Then we follow the story of a young woman, Catherine (Yane Barry), who moves to Paris for work and a new life with her husband. As warned in the introduction, modern life and its rapid pace get too much for her. The film is pleasant enough and has some nice moments but it’s bland and a little preachy overall.
I wasn’t provided with a copy of the booklet to comment on that, unfortunately.
Overall, it’s a solid package for a film that’s well worth your time. As such, it’s another firmly recommended purchase from Radiance, who are looking set to become one of the best boutique labels in the UK.
Disc/package: 