The Crimson Rivers 4K 2000 Ultra HD 2160p

One day. Two detectives. Two investigations. One crime.

Distinguished policeman Pierre Niemann is sent to the small town of Gwernon to investigate a mysterious murder that occurred near a legendary private school located in the Alps, beyond the reach of civilization. The killer's motives are unclear, and instead of help, the investigation runs into a wall of silence. At the same time, young policeman Max Kerkerje, a former car thief, finds himself in a cemetery 400 kilometers from the Alps. Someone has disturbed the grave in which rested a child who died twenty years ago.

These two, at first glance unrelated events in a short time will bring detectives together, and two crimes will be one, leading into the darkness of ancient times ...

User Review
Good genre thrillers are not so common as to be neglected. So anyway, knowing Mathieu Kassovitz's talent as a director ('Hate' was excellent) and the generally positive reaction to 'The Crimson Rivers', I finally watched this example of French cinematography. The movie has both American influences and distinctly European properties.

As I watched it, I had some complaints about the script. The investigation at the beginning of the movie goes too smoothly and confidently, and by the denouement Kassovitz is in too much of a hurry to spill everything on the audience. Such a rush is not at all appropriate. But not counting this, the writer (and screenwriter too) Jean-Christophe Granger competently created quite a curious plot with a secluded university with its global secrets.

Of course, you can scold the creators of the movie for its similarity to 'Seven', 'The Name of the Rose', 'The Silence of the Lambs'. But now, in the era of post-modernity, it is almost impossible to find a genre thriller that is original enough to be called similar to something else. So the plot and its presentation in 'The Crimson Rivers' may not be super-original, but the screenwriter and director do their job. At the end it will be like Shakespeare's 'All are punished!'

Taking into account that the script plan in the movie has some lapses, Kassovitz very successfully uses the main trump cards that he had in 'The Crimson Rivers' - Jean Reno, Vincent Cassel and alpine landscapes, which suit the gloomy mood of the movie. The cameraman Thierry Arbogast was able to perfectly show the harsh and majestic mountain nature, rainy and discomfiting scenes at night and university interiors hiding terrible secrets in their domestic comfort. And a couple of different-aged cops confidently leads the viewer through the nooks and crannies of writer Jean-Christophe Granger's schemes. Both are old, unshaven, but Renault is rather associated with fatigue and with his star status in narrow circles, and Cassel with the energy of a young policeman who has not yet had time to extinguish.

Mathieu Kassovitz confidently alternates between helicopter panoramas, camera flyovers on a crane and circling steadicam-shooting. The viewer is not allowed to get bored with long and drawn-out plans from a static camera - the pace of the movie dictates its own conditions. All these exersises with the camera are voiced by the enchanting music of Bruno Coulais, creating the right feeling of anxiety and fascination with the mountains. So externally, the movie leaves a very good impression. It is stylish but not garish.

But all this decoration wouldn't play a big role if “The Crimson Rivers” didn't manage to do what good thrillers are supposed to do. But Kassovitz was able to add a proper level of suspense and ominous atmosphere, and not only in scenes with various gory content. And that's a sign of directorial success.

Info Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265 (64.6 Mb/s)
Resolution: 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Info Audio

#French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
#French: FLAC 2.0

Info Subtitles

French SDH, English.