The tense 1949 drama Le Silence de la Mer has to be one of the most audacious debut movies given the Criterion Collection treatment. This World War II-era story of a cultured Nazi official intruding upon the lives of a quiet innkeeper and his niece is given an austere, dreamlike treatment by Jean-Pierre Melville (Le Samurai; Bob le Flambeur). The director's moody, repetitive, dialogue-heavy approach and deliberate pacing perhaps aren't for every taste, but a comprehensive Blu Ray edition puts it on an equal plane with Melville's later classics.

Melville faced a lot of difficulties getting Le Silence de la Mer made, which makes this final achievement all the more remarkable. Based upon a novel that was considered a sacred text for the war's French resistance movement, the story becomes much more than a patriotic ode to resiliency in Melville's hands. The sensitive portrayal supplied for the main character, an otherwise by-the-book Nazi official, transforms this drama into a deeper meditation on memory, nostalgia and the triumph of imagination over any form of thought-controlling doctrine.

Taking place a few years earlier, during the early months of Nazi occupation of France, Le Silence de la Mer at first appears to be set up as the recollections of its narrator, a Frenchman played by Jean-Marie Robain (the unnamed character is billed as "The Uncle" in the credits). The simple, snowy-haired gent runs a rural inn with his niece (Nicole Stephane, "The Niece") - a prosaic existence disturbed by Nazi troops canvassing the area. An arriving officer, Werner von Ebrannac (Howard Vernon), politely explains to the uncle that he needs to stay at the inn for the foreseeable future. The uncle and niece wordlessly acquiesce to the officer - barely able to contain their rage at him and what he represents. Despite the vow of silence the uncle and niece have taken toward their unwanted guest, von Ebrannac is captivated by them. Over the next six months, von Ebrannac makes it a nightly ritual to visit them in their living room in an attempt to break through their steely resistance. His courtly manners, everyday dress, and enthusiastic nostalgia for French literature and history makes an impression on the uncle. The uncle's attempts to communicate with von Ebrannac are shut down, however, by the resolute niece. By the end of the Nazi's stay, von Ebrannac has fallen for the mute young woman. Although he spent much of the inn stay crowing about the wonderful possibilities of a unified Germany and France, von Ebrannac returns to his post in occupied Paris a changed man.

For a film that was essentially made quickly (27 days), on the sly and using borrowed equipment and whatever resources Melville could scrape up, Le Silence de la Mer ends up being a triumph. Howard Vernon's characterization of von Ebrannac as an erudite, well-mannered gentleman (who happens to be a Nazi) has more than a few traits in common with the upright gangsters and criminals who populated Melville's later films. Meanwhile, the other two main actors do wonders with their taut, mostly dialogue-free roles. As the film progresses, the evolving tension between the officer and the innkeepers becomes a simmering back-and-forth of wills. Along with the invaluable help of his cinematographer, Henri Decaë, Melville elevates what would otherwise have been a simple, patriotic story into something more profound and affecting. For an object lesson on how to illuminate what would normally be typical domestic melodrama scenes, just watch the segments inside the innkeepers' cozy, fireplace-lit den with Vernon delivering his sentimental monologues while Robain and Stephane sit, resolute and stick-still. Creatively shot, subtly performed and beautifully lit, they reveal Melville as a gifted artist who absorbed what influenced him (American and European thrillers and melodramas) and crafted it into something original. It's not a perfect film - there are some issues with the story's confusing, shifting point-of-view (pointed out earlier), and the parts with Vernon in full Nazi regalia touring the newly occupied Paris awkwardly mixed spontaneously shot new footage with bits of period newsreels. Even with the parts that don't quite work, however, you have to admire the boundless creativity involved.

The Blu Ray:

Criterion's single-disc Blu Ray edition of La Silence de la Mer comes in a standard Blu-sized clear plastic keep case. The handsome packaging (based on the original poster art) includes a great, substantial 38-page booklet with an essay, interview, credits and other info.

Video

The 1.33:1 black and white image on La Silence de la Mer has been given a clean digital restoration from a 35mm positive source for this release. While the photography looks slightly blown out in brighter areas, overall it's a pristine, beautifully detailed image. The restoration job preserved the source's grainy texture while cleaning out all instances of dirt, specks and age. The image looks especially impressive in the many interior scenes illuminated by a flickering fireplace and atmospheric noir lighting.

Audio

The film's mono soundtrack was also given a restoration which equalized the sound levels and removed instances of pops, clicks and other defects. The 24-bit track is a pleasant listen for this simple, dialogue-reliant film. An optional English subtitle track, newly translated for this edition, is the default selection on the disc.

Extras

Criterion has supplied this one with an excellent array of extras, some relating specifically to La Silence de la Mer and others on Melville's career in general.

• 24 Hours in the Life of a Clown, Melville's first short film from 1946, makes a welcome addition here. This narrated semi-documentary follows a middle-aged performer named Beby in delightful vignettes - very different for Melville, but one can see his talent for lively visual storytelling in this enjoyable short.
• A interesting Interview with Ginette Vincendeau has the Melville scholar discussing this particular film and how it relates to his later work.
• The 2008 documentary Code Name Melville explores the director's time in the French Resistance and how it affected his subsequent films.
• Another documentary, Melville Steps Out of the Shadows, specifically delves into the production hurdles faced on La Silence de la Mer. The 2010 piece runs at 42 minutes.
• Finally, the disc also includes an Interview with Jean-Pierre Melville conducted in 1959 for French television.
• The package's 38-page booklet contains an observant essay by author and critic Geoffrey O'Brien, along with a comprehensive interview with Melville discussing the film's production. This interview was a translated excerpt from Rui Nogueira's 1971 book Melville On Melville.

Final Thoughts

Superbly crafted on a minuscule budget, the tense World War II drama La Silence de la Mer established Jean-Pierre Melville as one of France's most important filmmakers. Criterion's comprehensive, expertly done Blu Ray edition ought to convince all of the merits of this stirring, intimate anti-war statement. Highly Recommended.

Matt Hinrichs is a designer, artist, film critic and jack-of-all-trades in Phoenix, Arizona. Since 2000, he has been blogging at Scrubbles.net. 4 Color Cowboy is his repository of Western-kitsch imagery, while other films he's experienced are logged at Letterboxd. He also welcomes friends on Twitter @4colorcowboy.