Georges Franju's Judex is an arch, playful tribute to the serials of the influential silent filmmaker Louis Feuillade. Franju shuffles through the plot of Feuillade's lengthy serial of the same name, about an adventurer named Judex (Channing Pollock) whose revenge against the corrupt banker Favraux (Michel Vitold) unleashes a complicated series of schemes. The film is defined by its complex twists and turns, its melodramatic indulgences: a wronged father (Rene Genin) who's searching for his missing son; the fiendish femme fatale Marie Verdier (Francine Berge) who faces off against Judex; the plots centering around Jacqueline (Edith Scob), the daughter of Favraux; the incompetent detective Cocantin (Max Montavon), who seems more comfortable as a babysitter than an investigator. The film opens with Favraux being blackmailed by Judex, who threatens to expose the banker's many crimes if he doesn't give his ill-gained fortune back to his victims.

BD50 + 2xDVD9 | 1080p AVC, NTSC | 01:37:48 | 44.6 Gb + 13.7 Gb
Language: Francais
Subtitles: English
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Director: Georges Franju
Cast: Channing Pollock, Francine Berge, Edith Scob, Sylva Koscina
Country: France, Italy

Extras:

Francine Berge - in this video interview, actress Francine Berge recalls how she was approached to play Anna in Judex, and discusses the film's unusual structure and visual style, her performance, Georges Franju's directing methods, and how some of the most memorable sequences were shot. Francine Berge was one of the French director's three favorite actresses. (The other two were Emmanuelle Riva and Edith Scob). The interview was recorded in 2012 for the Cinematheque francaise in Paris. In French, with optional English subtitles. (11 min, 1080i).

Jacques Champreux - in this video interview, scenarist Jacques Champreux discusses his collaboration with Georges Franju on Judex and points out some of the differences and similarities between the film and the serial that inspired it. (Georges Franju's film was a remake of Louis Feuillade's 1916 serial). The interview was conducted in 2007. In French, with optional English subtitles. (12 min, 1080i).

Franju le visionnaire - this documentary program focuses on the life and legacy of Georges Franju. Included in the program are clips from various films directed by Georges Franju and clips from archival interviews with the French director. The program was created by Andre S. Labarthe, and was original broadcast on September 2, 1998, as part of the French television series Cinema, de notre temps. In French, with optional English subtitles. (52 min, 1080p).
1. Introduction
2. Blood of the Beasts
3. Head Against the Wall
4. Documentaries and art films
5. Color vs. black and white
6. Judex
7. Eyes Without a Face

Le Grand Melies - this early biographical film directed by Georges Franju in 1952 is a homage to the great George Melies (A Trip to the Moon). It features Madame George Melies and Andre Melies (in the role of his father). In French, with optional English subtitles. (32 min, 1080p).

Hotel des Invalides - this early short film directed by Georges Franju in 1952 focuses on the history of the legendary Hotel des Invalides, which was founded in 1675 by Louis XIV as a retirement home for disabled veterans. Hotel des Invalides also houses some of France's greatest war heroes and dignitaries, including Napoleon Bonaparte. The film is narrated by Michel Simon (L'atalante, Beauty of the Devil). The soundtrack for the short was created by composer Maurice Jarre, who scored Judex. In French, with optional English subtitles. (23 min, 1080i).