Le Trou

This new and excellent 4k restoration of Le Trou comes with an equally enjoyable set of extras - the best of the bunch in the current batch of Studiocanal's Becker Classics releases, which also include Edward And Caroline, Casque d'Or and Touchez Pas Au Grisbi.

The interview with Jean Becker is even more detailed than that accompanying Grisbi, and its incredibly moving to hear him talk about his father's illness at the time of the making of the film and how his death, at just 53, along with also losing his brother when he was in his fifites, hitting him hard. In among the other gems, he reveals how they created the 'periscope' toothbrush effect, although he also laments that he isn't keen on this sort of reveal as it means "the magic is gone".

L’Envers du décors (The Backstage), an older behind-the-scenes featurette features people including writer José Giovanni, Jean Becker and others talking about the making of the film. It's full of interesting stuff, even if the way it is edited - with each talking head fading to black and white at the end of their segment - coming across as unnecessarily mannered, especially considering how naturalistic Becker's filmmaking is. A recent interview with Philippe Leroy (Manu) offers further insight, while an interview with Jean Keraudy (Roland) from the time the film was made offers a snapshot of the period.

As with all the films in this current set of releases an overview interview with Becker expert Ginette Vincendau is also included. The entire series has been thoughtfully compiled to avoid repetition, making it a very satisfying set.