Fire Within, The: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Mar 13, 2026
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Louis MalleRelease Date(s)
1963 (November 5, 2025)Studio(s)
Nouvelles Éditions de Films/Arco Film (Umbrella Entertainment)- Film/Program Grade: B
- Video Grade: B
- Audio Grade: A-
- Extras Grade: B-
Review
[Editor’s Note: This is a Region-Free Australian Blu-ray import.]
Louis Malle referred to The Fire Within (Le Feu follet) as something that’s not “entertainment.” In fact, it was something much more personal. Something that not only drew upon the novel it was based upon, Pierre Drieu La Rochelle’s Will O’ the Wisp, which was itself inspired by the tragic life of poet Jacques Rigaut, but was also autobiographical for the 30-year-old filmmaker who already had Elevator to the Gallows, The Lovers, Zazie dans le Métro, and A Very Private Affair under his belt. He was beginning to sense that his life was already over, that growing any older was an impossibility. Contemplating suicide, he decided to work though these dark feelings by putting them into his next film, adapting Drieu La Rochelle’s novel about a man who, despite his admirers and what the world is expecting of him, is feeling the exact same way.
Alain Leroy (Maurice Ronet) is a recovering alcoholic, separated from his wife and drying out in a clinic where he spends much of his time alone. Once his doctor tells him that he’s cured and can get on with his life, he secretly vows to kill himself the next day. He then spends some time in Paris rekindling old friendships with those who are cautious of him and his past. He has a series of reunions, but comes no closer to avoiding his self-chosen fate. Other members of the cast include Léna Skerla, Jean-Paul Moulinot, René Dupuy, Bernard Noël, Ursula Kubler, Jeanne Moreau, Alain Mottet, Jacques Sereys, Alexandra Stewart, and Henri Serre, among others.
In Alain Leroy’s post-war reality, there appears to be a struggle among those his own age to “grow up,” essentially. To stop the fraternizing, the drinking, and the womanizing and become a more valuable and productive member of society (emphasis on the “productive”). Throughout the course of his (final?) day, he’s being dragged in different directions by his old friends, some of whom have settled down and had a family, and others who continue to lead bohemian lifestyles with drugs and alcohol ever at the ready. Ultimately, he finds that neither of these things are very appealing to him, but also that the notion of loving somebody enough to be with them exclusively is unfeasible. He’s a tragic character, but not one who wallows in self-pity, nor does he ask for any pity from others. Sadly, he never gets the kind of help that he should really receive, like so many others who turn to suicide as a way of removing themselves from their pain and suffering.
Performances are solid across the board, especially from Maurice Ronet who truly carries the film. The inclusion of the wonderful Jeanne Moreau (Elevator to the Gallows, La Notte, Jules and Jim) gives the film its only character who seems to have an inkling of Alain’s true intentions, sensing a deep sadness within him. Unfortunately, no one comes to him in time.
The Fire Within received the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1963, the year of its release, and continues to be celebrated among the finest films of the Nouvelle Vague.
The Fire Within was shot by cinematographer Ghislain Cloquet on 35mm black-and-white film with spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.66:1. Umbrella Entertainment presents the film on Region-Free Blu-ray (a dual-layered BD-50 disc) using what appears to be a restoration performed by Gaumont at some recent point in time, though we don’t have any previous releases featuring this master to make comparisons to. In all honesty, it can sometimes be a frustrating presentation. It’s organic and sharp with a finely-resolved layer of natural grain (most of the time anyway), but grayscale can be a mixed bag that sometimes leaves the picture appearing flat with very little contrast and various levels of crush in the shadows. It’s a shame because the core presentation is otherwise crisp with nice detail elsewhere in the frame. It’s also a clean and stable picture with bitrates in the 30 to 40Mbps range.
Audio is included in French 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional English subtitles. It’s a solid split-channel track with plenty of fine support for the dialogue and score. The overall soundtrack is clean with no obvious issues, faring much better than its visual counterpart.
Umbrella Entertainment’s Region-Free Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release of The Fire Within sits in a clear Amaray case with a double-sided insert featuring the mandatory Australian Classification Board ratings label on the front and the same artwork on the reverse without it, as well as a slipcover. Alongside this is a double-sided poster, a set of 8 artcards, and a 48-page booklet entitled The Fire Within: Behind the Scenes Experiences and Art, which contains the essay The Portrayal of Depression in The Fire Within by Sam Woolfe; an interview excerpt with Louis Malle by Andrew Horton; The Rise and Fall of Pierre Drieu La Rochelle from the Tikhanov Library; and special thanks. All of this material is housed in a rigid slipcase, with all of the artwork created by Moses Lee (outside of the insert which re-uses the original French theatrical poster artwork). This is a Limited Edition numbered release available exclusively at Umbrella Entertainment’s web store, but they’re also offering a standard version, minus the artcards, booklet, and slipcase. The following disc-based extras are included on both releases:
- Audio Commentary with Adrian Martin
- Louis Malle on Louis Malle: Remembering The Fire Within (HD and Upscaled SD – 24:51)
- To Leave Without Having Touched Anything: Kat Ellinger on The Fire Within (HD – 12:15)
- Trailer (HD – 1:31)
New to this release is an audio commentary with film critic Adrian Martin. It’s a reactive track in the best possible way in that Martin analyzes the film while watching it, delving into Louis Malle’s style and use of the frame. He also speaks about the film’s thematics and its place within its time, as well as the careers of those involved with it. It’s an excellent and informative track.
Also new are a pair of featurettes. In Louis Malle on Louis Malle, the director speaks during a 1994 interview about the genesis of the project, being influenced by Robert Besson to cast non-actors for authenticity, identifying with the character of Alain Leroy, screening the film at the Venice Film Festival, casting Maurice Ronet, being pleased with the final film, having a crisis in his 30s despite his success, making a film to exorcise his own suicidal thoughts, not wanting to become a part of the establishment, acquiring the rights to the original novel, the film’s similarities to Elevator to the Gallows, the effect that Ronet had on his role, Alain’s incapability of loving others, becoming more of a human being through the story, the post-War setting of the film, some of Malle’s works taking place over the course of a single day or night, how time works in film, and his unintentional uses of a single period of time in his work. To Leave Without Having Touched Anything is a video essay by Kat Ellinger on the post-war France influence on French cinema, including The Fire Within; how it affected young male psyches in a world that had more traditional expectations for them; Alain Leroy’s interactions and connections prior to his intended suicide; and his fragmentation of self after having worn a variety of personal and societal masks. Last is the film’s trailer.
It’s worth pointing out that this release doesn’t contain any of the extras from The Criterion Collection’s 2008 DVD release of the film, including a 1994 interview with Louis Malle from German TV, a 1966 interview with Maurice Ronet, and the featurettes Malle’s Fire Within and Jusqu’au 23 Juillet. Not included from the Region 2 DVD release of The Louis Malle Collection: Volume 1 by Optimum Releasing in the UK is a brief interview with Louis Malle, and missing from the Region B Blu-ray release by Arthaus in Germany is Louis Malle’s 1973 documentary Humain, trop humain (currently streaming on the Criterion Channel).
Umbrella’s Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release of The Fire Within is certainly welcome, though one can’t help but wonder if a 4K Ultra HD release with an improved picture is somewhere around the corner. Regardless, this is still a fine release with some excellent bonus materials in a very attractive package.
- Tim Salmons
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