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List Price: $19.95 | | Label: Fox Lorber
Salesrank: 29149
Released: November 23, 2004 |
| Our Price: $13.32 |
| Used Price: $7.73 |
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MPAA Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
DVD extras include: 16x9 anamorphic, 5.1 sound, interviews with Andre Techine, Gaspard Ulliel & Gilles Perrault, subtitle control, storyboards, photo gallery. Set in 1940 at the beginning of France's occupation by the Germans, Strayed stars French film icon Emmanuelle Béart (Nathalie, 8 Women) as Odile, a young and beautiful widow fleeing Paris with her two children. When German planes bomb the road filled with refugees, Odile's car is destroyed and the three must escape into the woods. There they encounter Yvan (sexy newcomer Gaspard Ulliel - Brotherhood of the Wolf), a 17 year-old illiterate delinquent whose survival skills and charm soon prove indispensable. They soon take shelter in an abandoned house and become a makeshift family. Odile, at once suspicious of and attracted to the mysterious stranger, soon finds herself at the center of a fascinating set of personal and sexual dynamics. One of the most respected filmmakers in France, André Téchiné (Wild Reeds, Rendez-Vous) once again, builds on his reputation as one of the most sensitive and intelligent filmmakers working today.
Description of Strayed:
Emmanuelle Béart gives another beautiful performance in this fable-like story of World War II. She plays a widow with two children in tow; escaping from Paris, their car is bombed in the countryside and they stagger into the woods along with a rough, savvy teenage boy (the feral Gaspard Ulliel). Their idyll in an abandoned chateau takes up the remainder of the film, as various tensions simmer within this ad hoc family unit. Director Andre Techine (Wild Reeds, Scene of the Crime) is a master of the small, telling moment and the frailty of people in a natural landscape. He also proves, in the riveting sequence of Germans attacking the line of refugees, that he could probably make a great action film if he cared to. Along with Béart's sensuality, his treatment of hushed interiors and sympathy for the imagination of children creates an intimate arena for these lost souls. --Robert Horton
Strayed Reviews:
Overlooked Masterpiece of World Cinema 
2009-03-27 - There are some films that are absolutely flawless...and I count this movie among them. I was stunned at how good this picture is. First of all, think about the movie allegorically. Here we have a 17 year old juvenile delinquent (Yvan) - an illiterate actually - who possesses more toughness, common sense, courage, even generosity than the French men in uniform (whether soldier or policeman). I felt that Andre Techine was telling us that if France had more men like the young Yvan, then the nation would not have suffered the national disgrace and humiliation of losing the war in 41 days. The soldiers were content to save their skins, accept confinement under the Germans, and go on with the lives. Yvan - on the other hand - refuses to accept confinement on any level.
I wanted to address another issue, raised by another reviewer, Grady Harp. I disagree with his opinion that Odile, the beautiful widowed mother, engages in an intimate relationship with Yvan because she grows to have a physical attraction for him. I see it differently. In the absence of her husband who just died in the war and in the confusion of leaving Paris, Odile is totally uprooted. Yvan - who dutifully brings food for the family and who assists in finding shelter for her children - is a replacement for her husband. Later, when the soldiers arrive, she is very uncomfortable with the men in uniform. In that short period, Yvan disappears. When he reappears, Odile is so relieved that the sexual union starts from nervousness and relief. Only during the act does she discover, to her own astonishment, her pleasure...a pleasure multiplied by the fact that she is giving Yvan the only gift she can, which is herself.
Both Emmanuelle Beart and Gaspard Ulliel gave amazing performances. One small detail... Ms. Beart was "dressed down" for the part. I thought that was most appropriate. Compared to a film like "Casablanca" where Ingrid Bergman is "dressed up", the director of "Strayed" tells his story of French refugees with far more credibility.
Good Movie Gone 
2009-03-10 - With all due respects to Techine and the stunning Emmanuelle Beart, who plays Odile, the sad, siren of a mother trying to survive another tragedy, the last portion of screenwriting, of this otherwise fine movie, is a hurried mess.
Synopsis; Fleeing Paris during WWII from the Germans, a mother and her 2 children hook up with a mysterious, young man(Gaspard Ulliel, I liked him in "A Very Long Engagement") who seems to know his way through trouble. They hold up in an abandoned but beautiful home in the country unsure about their fate.
Most of this movie is captivating. The character development under the looming cloud of wartime terror drives the interest as they find a temporary serendity; the children actors are very good, and we care about their outcome.
Contrary to the cover, there's very little sex in the movie. Suddenly, near the end of the flick, they throw in a quick, poorly timed, weird, ho-hum, love scene. After so much care building the suspense and the relationships, they rush off to the ending, slam-bam. And it's a dud. "C'est la guerre!" One might say. Ok, but we were left scratching our heads wondering if they ran out of money.
Plops to a conclusion 
2008-12-19 - Yes the leads are excellent. Yes the scenery is lovely. Yes that is one good looking woman. Yes the tale has a tension hanging over it. Guess what folks? That's not enough for a good film.
The eventual coupling of these two folks, all over the cover of the box yet lasting a few seconds but still too long, struck both me and my wife as incomprehensible. (And I know what we "learn" at this moment, which wasn't surprising to me.) This woman, who has truly sacrificed for her children, would not risk pregnancy here. Would she? This life of hunger and fear and desperation and worry and privation would not be enhanced by a baby. Nope---we found it implausible, distracting, and all too obligatory.
And the grainy black and white film of collapsing buildings and frightened refugees only shows how "unreal" the color scenes were. We never truly felt engaged.
Strayed: Téchiné's Return to Form.
2008-10-20 - André Téchiné's name is synonymous with great French films. He is best known for My Favorite Season (1993) and Wild Reeds (1994), both of which are included in the recent release of the Andre Techine Boxset. Based on Gilles Perrault's novel, Le Garçon aux yeux gris, Strayed (Les égarés) (2003), is a return to form for Téchiné a decade after his release of Wild Reeds. Set in June, 1940, the subtle wartime drama tells the poignant story of Odile (Emmanuelle Béart), a beautiful beautiful young widowed teacher, who flees Nazi-occupied Paris for the South with her small daughter, Cathy (Clemence Meyer), and teen-aged son, Philippe (Gregoire Leprise-Ringuet). After they are joined by a wilderness-savvy young man with a shaved head, Yvan (Gaspard Ulliel), the four seek refuge in an abandoned chateau as an unconventional family. There are no anti-Nazi lessons here. The film is ultimately about the relationships between the four characters. Béart brings an equally intelligent and sensual performance to this World War II story. The impressive film reveals Téchiné's gift as a storyteller This DVD edition features interviews with Téchiné, Gaspard Ulliel, and Gilles Perrault.
G. Merritt
Strayed
2007-03-15 - I don't really know what to say other than that this is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. Gaspard Ulliel (Hannibal Rising) was excellent as Yvan. Emmanuelle Beart was also wonderful.
