No Lie: Arrow Video’s Collection of Claude Chabrol Films are Here

Arrow Video has released five forgotten classic French noir films from the late director Claude Chabrol, now available for the first time on Blu-ray to the American viewing audience. Very underappreciated and often overlooked by film historians of today, Chabrol was a master of his craft, and this set, entitled Lies & Deceit, encompasses five of his standout directorial pieces of his era.

Largely inspired by Alfred Hitchcock, Chabrol relied heavily on making thriller films that appealed to the French moviegoing audience, and gave his wife, Stéphane Audran, a leading role in most of them.

Critics of his films often would mention that Chabrol was a “new wave” director that went mainstream with his films and eventually found success in making films that appealed to him. Often littering his movies with inside jokes made for his own amusement, Chabrol ultimately cemented his legacy as one of the crucial filmmakers of the French New Wave (nouvelle vague) era.

A few people may be turned off just by hearing the term “French New Wave Noir”, but I assure you, out of the five films presented you will enjoy at least one of the offerings this set brings to you. From high suspense thrillers to experimental art films, this set has at least one film inside that will make you a fan of this style of movie-making and storytelling.

Box set breakdown

Limited Edition Contents:

High definition (1080p) Bluray presentations of all five films

New 4K restorations of Madame Bovary, Betty, and Torment (L’enfer)

Original lossless French PCM mono audio on Cop Au Vin (Poulet au vinaigre), Inspector Lavardin, Madame Bovary, and Betty

Original lossless French PCM stereo audio on Torment (L’enfer)

Optional English Subtitles

Fully illustrated 80page collector's booklet of new writing on the films by film critics Martyn Conterio, Kat Ellinger, Philip Kemp, and Sam Wigley plus select archival material

Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella

Disc One: Cop Au Vin

Brand new commentary by film critic Ben Sachs

An Interview with Ian Christie, a brand-new interview with film historian Ian Christie about the cinema of Claude Chabrol

Claude Chabrol at the BFI, Chabrol discusses his career in this hour-long archival interview conducted onstage at the National Film Theatre in 1994

Claude Chabrol, Jean Poiret & Stephane Audran in conversation, an archival Swiss TV episode in which the director and cast discuss Cop Au Vin (Poulet au vinaigre)

Archive introduction by film scholar Joël Magny

Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol

Theatrical Trailer

Image Gallery

Disc Two: Inspector Lavardin

Brand new commentary by film critic Ben Sachs

Why Chabrol?, a brand new interview with film critic Sam Wigley about why the films of Claude Chabrol remain essential viewing

Archive introduction by film scholar Joël Magny

Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol

Theatrical Trailer

Image Gallery

Disc Three: Madame Bovary

Brand new commentary by film critic Kat Ellinger

Imagining Emma: Madame Bovary on screen, a brand-new visual essay by film historian Pamela Hutchinson

Archive introduction by film scholar Joël Magny

Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol

Theatrical Trailer

Image Gallery

Disc Four: Betty

Brand new commentary by film critic Kat Ellinger

Betty, from Simenon to Chabrol, a brand-new visual essay by French Cinema historian Ginette Vincendeau

An Interview with Ros Schwartz, a brand-new interview with the English translator of the Georges Simenon novel on which the film is based

Archive introduction by film scholar Joël Magny Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol

Theatrical Trailer

Image Gallery

Disc Five: Torment

Brand new commentary by film critics Alexandra HellerNicholas and Josh Nelson

On Henri Georges Clouzot, an archival interview with Claude Chabrol in which he talks about fellow director Henri Georges Clouzot (Les diaboliques), whose original attempt to make L’enfer was abandoned, and how the project came to Chabrol

An Interview with Marin Karmitz, an archival interview with Marin Karmitz, Chabrol’s most frequent producer

Archive introduction by film scholar Joël Magny

Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol

Theatrical Trailer

Image Gallery