Customer Reviews

Alain Delon - Five Film Collection (The Widow Couderc / Diabolically Yours / La Piscine / Le Gitan / Notre Histoire)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The films in this collection are not exactly classics and do not compare with Delon's best works such as "Le Samourai" and "Mr. Klein". However, if you are a die-hard Delon fan, you will not be disappointed. Mostly average, some are better than others. 1) "Swimming Pool". If you are a fan of Romy Schneider, you will not be disappointed. She simply radiates. The plot moves terribly slowly. It's a weak rehash of the "Purple Noon". 2) "Diabolically Yours". Silly and outdated. Senta Burger, then popular Germain actress, is not in the same league as Romy Schneider. 3) "Widow Courderc". This is excellent. Almost classic. The film is beautiful to look at with its natural setting. Good period details. Great acting abounds. Simone Signoret gives thoughtful, heart-breaking performance. If the ending was not so ridiculous, it would have been a classic. 4) "Gipsy". An average crime drama. so called B-film. 5) "Notre Histore". This is an interesting turn for Delon. He is actually more expressive than usual and shows a wider emotional range here. But overall this stylized film is rather boring to sit through.

This is a very good collection of the less well known works of Alain Delon. And it includes The Swimming Pool with Romy Schneider & Jane Birkin. But like any collected works, if you are not a Delon fan it may be hard going for some. I think he is a terrific screen actor and the five films in this collection add to his repertoire of, say, the hero as outsider...Delon has an interiority totally unique & compelling. He's fabulous to watch! Voila.

I bought this set because one of my favourite Delon films, Le Piscine is included. Of the five films it seems the least dated, and still conveys an imagined idyllic existence for anyone who cannot spend the summer in a large house with a pool high above the coast of the French Riviera, with or without Romy Schneider but any other icon of the era. Widow Couderc is well acted by Simone Signoret and Delon and the atmosphere of hard working farm life well established. Le Gitan is interesting, but not a film to want to watch again. Notre Histoire has an intriguing idea of presenting the lives and loves being established as stories told by the cast which may or not be as lived but as wished. Diaboliqument Votre is the flm that has dated the most. It's intriguing concept of the Delon character being brainwashed in his sleep by Senta Berger and Sergio Fantoni has less coviction than it should and the outcome is not any surprise. This spoils the involvement of the spectator unfortunately. All in all a good selection of Delon's lesser famous films from the years 1967 to 1984. One can see him mature, and develop an interest in stories that present an ambiguous moral denouement. My only disappointment is that the disc of Le Piscine arrived badly scratched as it had slipped inside the cover during shipment.

Excellent transfers. Hope they put out a Volume 2 and include SHOCK TREATMENT (for obvious reasons!). Another good one for vol. 2 would be DANCEMASTER

This collection of Alain Delon is good because it has several films not very popular starred by this French actor. The quality of DVDs is good in general with a good presentation. All DVDs are spoken in French and subtitled in English and Spanish. However, the DVD with the film "The swimming pool" (La piscine) has a shortcoming, you must see it with both subtitles on, i.e. English and Spanish together something that does not happen in the other two DVDs. This inconvenience should be avoided in similar collections, e.g. Catherine Deneuve.

The Delon collection is a wonderful overview of his early work. I enjoyed it very much, and will watch again and again.

I'm reviewing Le Piscine (The Swimming Pool). The setting is up the mountain from St Tropez, FR. The characters are Parisians on vacation for a month renting a villa with a beautiful stone swimming pool/terrace. Handsome Delon and lovely (sexy) Romy Schneider are together for healing - it seems Delon's character at one point in his recent past tried to commit suicide. Suddenly an old lover of Romy's arrives uninvited who's surprisingly brought his pretty teenage daughter that no one ever knew he had. Romy's Ex apparently has been showing up lately in the couple's life & it seems to Delon he's trying to split them up. Needless to say Delon is not happy when Romy invites them to stay for a few days. This awkward arrangement, where Delon seems to be left with the teenager alone, is the beginning of an interesting kind of triangle.

That is the basis of this 120 minute movie. Some say it drags at times, but I am so fascinated by the gorgeous setting and characters, that the slow casual pace doesn't concern me. Even details of meals intrigue the viewer, and you'll get a good laugh from a party that is suddenly sprung upon the vacationing couple by their guest who has friends down in St Tropez... probably to put a dent in the romantic atmosphere the couple so longed for.

If you're new to Delon & Schneider, you are in for a treat. This couple has zinging electricity together on screen... off screen the two were the hottest couple in Europe during their 4-6 year engagement which ended in heart break due to their diverging budding careers.

Think of this as purchasing The Swimming Pool and with it you get 4 extra dramatic movies by one the best actors in Europe during the late 50's to 90's. Delon is one of the most handsome & talented actors of his generation. He's the "James Dean of France" who didn't die - who went on to have a full career - and Romy? she is unique unto herself.

The last time I saw a French movie with Alain Delon in it was 27 years ago at CSU where I took French classes. I'm so glad that I could find this DVD from Amazon which includes several films from my favorite actor. I really enjoy it.

3 excelent movies , 2 ok,the widow couderc,la piscine and le gitan are the best.the others very boring in my opinion.

I purchased this video for a friend who is a huge Alain Delon fan. I know that it is something she is going to enjoy.