#297: BRESSON, Robert: Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)

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BRESSON, Robert (France)
Au Hasard Balthazar [1966]
Spine #297
DVD


A profound masterpiece from one of the most revered filmmakers in the history of cinema, director Robert Bresson's Au hasard Balthazar follows the donkey Balthazar as he is passed from owner to owner, some kind and some cruel but all with motivations beyond his understanding. Balthazar, whose life parallels that of his first keeper, Marie, is truly a beast of burden, suffering the sins of man. But despite his powerlessness, he accepts his fate nobly. Through Bresson's unconventional approach to composition, sound, and narrative, this seemingly simple story becomes a moving parable of purity and transcendence.

95 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
in French
1:66:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2005
Director/Writer


Robert Bresson was 65 when he wrote and directed Au Hasard Balthazar.

The Film

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Eight-page wraparound featuring an essay by James Quandt.

Commentary

None.

Video interview

With film scholar Donald Richie.
Un metteur en ordre: Robert Bresson

A 1966 French television show about the film, featuring Bresson, Jean-Luc Godard, Louis Malle, and members of Balthazar’s cast and crew.
Original theatrical trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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