“FASCINATING! The movie’s main source of energy lies in the electromagnetic forces of desire, jealousy, violence and cinema itself. The plot wanders with a marvelous, slightly demented freedom from Paris to the countryside, from political thriller to romantic melodrama.”
– A.O. Scott, The New York Times

A hidden gem of 1960s New French Cinema, Alain Cavalier’s Le Combat dans l’île is as coolly modern as it is tensely gripping. Filled with thrilling plot twists, jazzy gun battles and stormy betrayals, this scintillating neo-noir unfolds against a backdrop of ’60s political turmoil and is strikingly shot in stark black and white by legendary cinematographer Pierre Lhomme (Army of Shadows, The Mother and the Whore).

The charismatic, surly son of a wealthy industrialist, Clément (Jean-Louis Trintignant, of Z and The Conformist) leads a double life as a member of a right-wing extremist organization. When he’s ratted out after a failed assassination attempt on a prominent politician, Clément and his long-suffering wife Anne (the luminous German screen siren Romy Schneider) flee Paris to the idyllic country home of his childhood friend, pacifist print-maker Paul (Henri Serre, of Jules and Jim). As affection blossoms between Paul and Anne, the emotional as well as political tensions soar—and eventually explode.

- Gorgeous new high-definition transfer, supervised by cinematographer Pierre Lhomme
- “France 1961”: a new short film by Alain Cavalier, created especially for this DVD release
- Rare behind-the-scenes photos, including images from the archive of Louis Malle’s production company
- Exclusive booklet with remembrances from Lhomme and a new essay by film critic Elliott Stein