Following on from its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, STUDIOCANAL have announced a brand new 4K restoration of the masterful LE QUAI DES BRUMES (PORT OF SHADOWS, 1938) from visionary French director Marcel Carné (LE JOUR SE LÈVE) on Blu-Ray & DVD from 13th October. Considered a cornerstone of French poetic realism and a pioneering influence of later film noir and the French New Wave, LE QUAI DES BRUMES is a broodingly atmospheric and visually striking romantic tragedy starring Jean Gabin (LA GRANDE ILLUSION) in the role that helped cement him as a major star, alongside Michèlle Morgan (STORMY WATERS), as doomed lovers whose fleeting happiness is continuously threatened by the inexorable hand of fate.
The new 4K restoration was carried out at the Transperfect laboratory using a combination of the film’s incomplete original negative and a 1938 standard nitrate fine grain. Colour grading referenced a vintage 35mm nitrate print to faithfully capture Eugène Schüfftan’s haunting cinematography and honour Alexandre Trauner’s iconic set design.
Synopsis:
Jean (Gabin), a deserter from the Colonial Army, arrives in the misty port of Le Havre, hoping to vanish from the world. Guided by a gentle tramp, he finds refuge by the harbour and meets Nelly (Morgan), a young woman caught in her own quiet despair. As love sparks between them, Jean glimpses a chance at redemption. But in the fog-bound streets, fate is always close behind - and just as hope takes root, tragedy strikes.
Directed by Marcel Carné and written by Jacques Prévert, the film captures the melancholy and fatalism of pre-war France, with luminous performances and shadow-soaked cinematography by Eugène Schüfftan. Michèle Morgan’s transparent raincoat and beret - widely believed to reflect CHANEL’s aesthetic - remain one of cinema’s most enduring visual icons.
Extras:
The Poetry of Misfortune
Introduction by Ginette Vincendeau
Alternate credits
French language with English Subtitles / Cert: 12 / Running time: 118mins