Mouchette

The DVD debut of Robert Bresson's 1967 classic is a cause for celebration. Living in a bitterly isolated environment, 14-year-old peasant girl Mouchette's life revolves around her abusively alcoholic father, terminally-ill mother, and caring for her baby brother. Viewed with contempt and scorn by her neighbors, Mouchette's behavior is anything but angelic, especially when she comes in contact with mud (she either throws it at her nasty schoolmates or leaves muddy footprints on the church floors). Her one random act of quasi-kindness—helping a poacher, who believes he has killed a game warden, to escape—is repaid with an act of brutality. With its bleak and harshly unsentimental view of rural life, Mouchette is a fiercely original work of art featuring an uncommonly strong performance by young Nadine Nortier in the title role—her physical defiance of the cruel world around her is perfectly offset by the pained haunting gaze in her unblinking eyes. According to the Internet Movie Database, Mouchette was Nortier's only film—but for those who measure in quality rather than quantity, this is one of the finest child performances ever. Presented with one of Criterion's characteristically flawless digital transfers, DVD extras include audio commentary by film scholar Tony Rayns, a half-hour documentary on Bresson, and a TV segment with on-set interviews of cast and crew. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (P. Hall)