Au hasard Balthazar (1966)

[MifuneFan]

Au hasard Balthazar (1966)

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

Disc Features

• New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• Interview from 2005 with film scholar Donald Richie
• “Un metteur en ordre: Robert Bresson,” a 1966 French television program about the film, featuring Bresson, filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard and Louis
• Malle, and members of Balthazar’s cast and crew
• Original theatrical trailer
• Plus: An essay by film scholar James Quandt

Cover by Sarah Habibi