BFI Giving Jean-Pierre Melvillle’s Les Enfants Terribles Blu-Ray Upgrade

Next month The BFI are set to give Jean-Pierre Melville‘s Les Enfants Terribles Blu-ray upgrade.

In this compelling tale of obsession, teenage siblings Paul and Elisabeth create an intense, private world in their shared room. They live, sleep, bicker and play out erotically charged games within their chambre, without heed to the world around them. However, when outsiders intrude into their disturbingly private realm, the scene is set for tragedy. Newly restored, this French classic comes to Blu-ray  in December with extras including a new commentary by Adrian Martin.

The mercurial, multi-talented Jean Cocteau provides the screenplay, adapted from his own haunting novel, while the single-minded, self-sufficient Jean-Pierre Melville directs. Despite their clashes on set, what emerges is a unique film that is as true to Cocteau’s vision as it is to Melville’s.

The film stars Edouard Dermith, Nicole Stéphane, Renée Cosima, Jacques Bernard

Special features

  • Newly remastered in 4K and presented in High Definition
  • Commentary by Gilbert Adair (2004): archive commentary track by the novelist and film critic, whose novel The Holy Innocents was inspired by Les Enfants terribles
  • Commentary by Adrian Martin (2021): newly commissioned commentary track by the film scholar
  • Ginette Vincendeau on Jean-Pierre Melville (2004, 19 mins): the film scholar and author of Jean-Pierre Melville: An American in Paris on the filmmakers background and the recurring themes in his work
  • Volker Schlöndorff interview (2004, 10 mins): the filmmaker discusses his apprenticeship under Jean-Pierre Melville
  • Trailer
  • Gallery
  • **First pressing only** Illustrated booklet with new writing on the film by Dr Deborah Allison, an article and responding letter about the film from Sight and Sound in 1952 and 1953, director and writer biographies, notes on the extras and credits

France / 1950 / black and white / 106 mins / French, with optional English language subtitles / original aspect ratio 1.37:1 // BD50: 1080p, 24fps, LPCM 2.0 mono audio (48kHz/24-bit)

Jean-Pierre Melville’sLes Enfants Terribles  will be  released on Blu ray and  digitally, including BFI Player, on 13th December.


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