Licensor Information
Plaza Productions International
Directed by: Jean Renoir
Based on the classic Emile Zola novel, Jean Renoir’s La bête humaine was one of the legendary director’s greatest popular successes—and earned star Jean Gabin a permanent place in the hearts of his countrymen. Part poetic realism, part film noir, the film is a hard-boiled and suspenseful journey into the tormented psyche of a workingman.
Streaming Options
Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Format:
DVD
Disc:
DVD-9 (1 Disc)
Total: 1 Disc
Regions:
1 (DVD)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33:1
Audio Options:
French Dolby Digital Mono 1.0
Resolution:
480p/29.97
Subtitles:
English
Supplements
Types of Supplements Included: Introduction, Interview, Archival Footage, Gallery, Theatrical Trailer, Booklet
- Introduction to the film by Jean Renoir
- New interview with director Peter Bogdanovich
- Archival footage of Jean Renoir directing actress Simone Signoret
- Interviews with Jean Renoir, Émile Zola scholar Henri Mitterand, and others on adapting Zola to the screen
- Gallery of on-set photographs and theatrical posters
- Theatrical trailer
- A booklet featuring critic Geoffrey O'Brien, film historian Ginette Vincendeau, and production designer Eugène Lourié
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Film
Picture
Audio
Supplements
Artwork
Release Credits
Producer: Abbey Lustgarten
Artwork: Michael Boland
Release Notes on Restoration
La bete humaine
La bête humaine is presented here in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. On widescreen televisions, black bars will appear on the left and right of the image to maintain the proper screen format. This new high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit Datacine from a 35mm fine-grain master positive. In order to create the most complete version of the film, certain parts of the feature were transferred from the best existing film element, a 35mm theatrical print, and edited in the fine-grain transfer. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System. To maintain optimal image quality through the compression process, the picture on this dual-layer DVD-9 has been encoded at the highest-possible bit rate for the quantity of materials included.
The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the 35mm magnetic audio track, and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss, and crackle. The Dolby Digital 1.0 signal will be directed to the center channel on 5.1-channel sound systems, but some viewers may prefer to switch to two-channel playback for a wider dispersal of the mono sound.
The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the 35mm magnetic audio track, and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss, and crackle. The Dolby Digital 1.0 signal will be directed to the center channel on 5.1-channel sound systems, but some viewers may prefer to switch to two-channel playback for a wider dispersal of the mono sound.

