Le Pont du Nord

French New Wave director Jacques Rivette wove his fascination with conspiracies, games, and theater throughout his films, including 1981's Le Pont du Nord, which unfolds in the shadow of the political activism and idealism of the late-1960s. Longtime Rivette collaborator Bulle Ogier stars as Marie, a former revolutionary who returns to Paris following a prison term to find that her erstwhile lover, Julien (Pierre Clémenti), is now involved in the underworld. Pascale Ogier (Bulle's real-life daughter) costars as Baptiste, a young woman who arrives in Paris on a moped and immediately appoints herself guardian to the disillusioned Marie as they become caught up in a dangerous game. The actresses co-wrote the screenplay with Rivette, lending the narrative a decidedly female perspective (which is a hallmark of many of Rivette's pictures; in fact, Le Pont du Nord is ultimately something of a companion piece to Rivette's imaginative 1974 classic Celine and Julie Go Boating, which also charts the adventures of two women in Paris on a fantastic adventure). While not for all tastes, this is an engaging and inventive work that captures a unique sensibility in French filmmaking. Making its U.S. home video debut on DVD and Blu-ray, extras include video essays and a booklet. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)