The Criterion Collection

I honestly think this movie section deserves its own Criterion Collection thread, so let’s kick things off with a single link. Slavoj Žižek is picking his favorites from the collection. Look, I’m not exactly a huge fan of his, but this is actually pretty interesting...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqpx...SjJKzzXg7ntPlQ

There's something cool about this selection. refn can't even pronounce Stalker, and cuaron hasn't even seen Two-Lane Blacktop. It's kind of hilarious.

One of my absolute favorites in my collection:

Nice work on this thread.
http://www.criterion.com/explore/top10
Honestly, the Criterion Collection thread deserves a sticky.
Vertigo!

Casey Cox2 said:There’s something about those guys. Refn can’t even pronounce Stalker, and Cuaron hasn't even seen Two-Lane Blacktop.

One of my favorites:

It's airing on Discovery Channel tonight at 11:20 PM.

I’ve chewed through a decent chunk of their DVD collection over the last few years. Honestly, if Slavoj Žižek can do it, I guess I can too. Here are my top 10 : The human Condition:

top 10 : The human Condition

We're talking about Masaki Kobayashi’s anti-war trilogy here. Honestly? It's some of the most devastating, gut-wrenching cinema I've ever had the misfortune of watching. Truly heavy stuff.

Army of Shadows.

Classic Jean-Pierre Melville. Atmospheric, zero fluff, and featuring an incredible performance by Lino Ventur. This might have been the role of his life.

Samurai Rebellion

Another Masaki Kobayashi flick. Honestly, I think this might be Toshiro Mifune's absolute best performance.

The Wages of Fear good. Just... wow. It’s heavy. It’s tense. It’s everything. You watch it and you just feel that knot tightening in your stomach. It’s pure, unadulterated cinematic pressure. Truly something else.

That good old French pessimism. 😁

Paths of Glory advice.

Everyone knows this one.

Bicycle Thieves

A solid introduction to Italian Neorealism.

The Lower Depths extremely bitter.

Based on Maxim Gorky. This version was edited by Jean Renoir. Kurosawa actually went and filmed two different versions after the war.

Diabolique

One of the best endings ever. It’s so damn perfect that you can really only watch this movie once. 😁

Rififi. Pure noir perfection. Honestly, I don't think anything else quite hits that level of tension. It’s just masterfully done.

I’ve always had a soft spot for noir, and for the longest time, I considered Jules Dassin to be the absolute king of the genre. I used to swear that The Naked City was his crowning achievement, but honestly? Rififi completely changed my mind. It’s just on another level. Because of the anti-communist witch hunts back then, Dassin actually had to flee the USA, which is why he ended up making this masterpiece in France.

Grand Illusion again Renoir.

It’s Grand Illusion again Renoir. A classic anti-war movie where the real conflict isn't even about the tension between the German and the Frenchman—it's all about those crushing class divides among the POWs.

Peter Ruiz2 said:Army of Shadows[/URL]

Classic Jean-Pierre Melville. Totally Atmosferican, zero unnecessary fluff, and featuring an incredible Lino Ventur. This might honestly be his role of a lifetime.

I’m a huge fan of noir, and Jules Dassin has always been right at the top of my list for the genre. For a long time, I thought his best noir was The Naked City, but Rififi totally changed my mind. Because of the anti-communist witch hunts, Dassin actually had to leave the USA, so this one ended up being made in France.

If you’re digging Melville and Dassin, you’ve gotta check out Claude Sautet’s Class... assuming you haven't already.

As for Clouzot... yeah, pure classic French fatalism.

Peter Ruiz2 said:The Lower Depths extremely bitter...

Based on Maxim Gorky. This version was edited by Jean Renoir. Kurosawa actually filmed two different versions after the war...

Dodes'ka-den isn't quite as much of an adaptation of that play as The Lower Depths (1957) is—maybe Kurosawa's most underrated movie...

I’m definitely backing the recommendations for Diabolique and Samurai Rebellion, though I can't help but wonder what drives people to tackle The human Condition... One look at that runtime and I'm already exhausted... 😁

Larry Thompson85 said:If you’re actually into Jean-Pierre Melville and Jules Dassin, you should probably check out Claude Sautet's Class... assuming you haven't already.

Not yet. Thanks for the recommendation.

Michael Lopez2 Asks:
Honestly, I don't think Dodes'ka-den is really an adaptation of that play at all. If you're looking for that connection, you have to look at The Lower Depths (1957)—which might just be the most underrated Kurosawa-esque film out there.

I’m definitely signing off on those recommendations for Diabolique and Samurai Rebellion. But honestly, I have to wonder what's actually driving people to sit through The human Condition... I just looked up the runtime and I already feel like I need a nap. 😁

It took me a few months just to work my way through the entire trilogy. 😁 I remember watching the first one and then waiting like three or four months before even touching the second. Honestly? Seeing the total runtime actually made me feel a little sick to my stomach. But yeah, it's worth it.

I’m backing the recommendations for Diabolique and Samurai Rebellion, though I have to wonder what drives people to tackle The human Condition... I look at the runtime and I just want to take a nap. 😁

The human Condition is easily the greatest film trilogy in the history of art.
Not even The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars can touch Masaki Kobayashi.
By the way Star Wars was basically inspired by The Hidden Fortress.

It was quite a pleasure to peruse these selections, and even more so to see how frequently Luis Buñuel features prominently; indeed, The Wages of Fear, child paradise, Gatopardo, Seven Samurai, and Rashomon are all titles I would certainly include in my own top 10 : The human Condition.
It is rather surprising, isn't it, how remarkably grounded most of the respondents seem to be, given the complete absence of any pretentious hipsters peddling obscure titles?

Samuel Robinson2 said:By the way Star Wars was inspired by The Hidden Fortress.

I actually think The Hidden Fortress is a great, charming movie. I haven't seen Star Wars yet (unbelievable, I know, but some people exist 😬), so I'm curious how it stacks up against THF.

As for those Japanese films, my favorite Criterion picks are:

House of Onibaba
House of Onibaba
Kuroneko Rashomon
Rashomon
Twenty-Four Eyes
Gate of Hell
Woman of The Dunes

Michael Lopez2 said:Dodes'ka-den isn't really much of an adaptation of that play compared to Donzoko (1957) - The Lower Depths (which might honestly be the most underrated Kurosawa-esque film out there).

Props to Kurosawa, but the Renoir version wins hands down.

Michael Lopez2 said:The Hidden Fortress is absolutely killer—such a charming flick. I haven't even seen Star Wars yet (unbelievable, I know, but hey, some people exist). 😬Anyway, I'm curious to see how it stacks up against THF.

When it comes to those Japanese filmmakers, here are my absolute favorite titles from The Criterion Collection:

Hausu
House of Onibaba
Kuroneko Rashomon
Rashomon
Twenty-Four Eyes
Gate of Hell
Woman of the Dunes

Look, let's just be real here: THF is a much better directed movie than Star Wars. Period. 🙂

When it comes to the Japanese masters, I’m putting my money on Yasujirō Ozu. And honestly? Woman of The Dunes is just gorgeous.

Michael Lopez2 said:I think Star Wars is great and really charming. I haven't seen Star Wars yet (unbelievable, but some people exist 😬), so I want to see how it compares to The Walt Disney Company.

Regarding Japanese cinema, my top Criterion picks are:

House of Onibaba
House of Onibaba
Rashomon
Rashomon
Twenty-Four Eyes
Gate of Hell
Woman in the Dunes

Check out this one if you haven't already.

Criterion = a guarantee of quality. You have to see them all... Well, almost all of them.

Michael Lopez2 said:I think Star Wars is a fantastic, really charming movie. I actually haven't seen the original Star Wars yet—believe it or not, some people still exist who haven't 😬—so I'm curious how it stacks up against The Walt Disney Company's other classics.

As far as Japanese cinema goes, my absolute favorites from The Criterion Collection are:

House of Onibaba
Onibaba
Rashomon
Rashomon
Twenty-Four Eyes
Gate of Hell
Woman in the Dunes

And "Sansho the Bailiff"? Mizoguchi 🙏 That's easily one of the greatest films ever made!

Out of that list, "Rashomon" and "Woman in the Dunes" are just masterfully directed, and "Twenty-Four Eyes" is an undeniable gem of classic Japanese filmmaking... I'm glad you brought it up.

Twenty-Four Eyes is beautiful, though it's sadly overlooked compared to the other titles I mentioned. Aside from Hideki Takamine's work, I've only seen Carmen Comes Home—which was actually the first Japanese color film—and the sequel, Carmen Falls in Love. I have a soft spot for both and hope Criterion releases them soon.

Visually speaking, Sansho the Bailiff is one of the most stunning black-and-white films I know, even if the plot feels a bit nonsensical to me. Personally, my favorite Mizoguchi film is Ugetsu.

I should also mention those Jean Painlevé documentaries on Criterion; some are quite fun and I really dig his filming style. The collection is titled Science Fiction.

Michael Lopez2 said:Visually speaking, Sansho the Bailiff is one of the most stunning black-and-white films I've ever seen—but honestly, the plot just doesn't click for me. For me, Mizoguchi's best work has to be Ugetsu.

Okay, I’m actually at a loss for words here. If a family tragedy like that doesn't make sense to you, then I really have no idea what kind of movies you're into—or what even constitutes a coherent plot in your book. This is a new one for me, seriously.

It’s not that the whole movie is nonsensical, just certain parts. Especially that scene where the brother, sister, and the dying slave girl prepare to escape captivity, and the sister tells her brother to leave her behind in the woods because she'll just slow him down—yet insists he take the dying woman along, even though he'd have to carry her the whole way. Then there's the part where the sister goes to drown herself in the lake. That specific moment really sticks out to me, because her sacrifice should have been the emotional core of the film, but it felt pretty half-baked.

Plus, some of the characters just don't hold up. After years in a labor camp, the brother turns into this cynical jerk who coldly brands slaves with a hot iron and wants to stay at the camp, then suddenly, without any explanation, he wants to smuggle himself out and becomes a human rights activist.

Don't get me wrong, the film is moving, beautiful, and striking, but I can't bring myself to agree that it's one of the greatest films ever made or anything like that.

Michael Lopez2 said:It’s not that the whole movie is a total mess, but man, some of these scenes are just nonsensical. The worst part? That bit where the brother, the sister, and the dying slave girl are all trying to make their break from captivity. The sister looks at her brother and basically tells him to just leave her behind in the woods because she'll only slow him down—but then insists he takes the dying woman along since she "can't" carry her, even though she’s the one who’s been lugging her around the entire time. Makes zero sense. And then the sister goes and tries to drown herself in the lake. That scene hits me right in the gut, mostly because... Sisterhood is a total scam. Victim mentality is everywhere. It really should’ve been the movie's big, climactic moment, but honestly? They totally fumbled the execution. It was just limp.

Some characters in this flick are just straight-up half-baked. You’ve got this brother who spends years in a POW camp only to turn into this cynical piece of work who's out there cold-bloodedly branding slaves with a hot iron, acting like he wants to stay in the camp forever. Then, out of nowhere, he’s suddenly all about smuggling stuff out and playing the human rights activist. It makes zero sense. One second he's a villain, the next he's a saint. Pick a lane.

Don't get me wrong—the movie is moving, gorgeous, and hits you right in the gut. It’s impressive, sure. But I am absolutely not buying the hype that it belongs on some "greatest films of all time" pedestal. Not happening.

Orson Welles is the absolute king. Look, *The Searchers* and *Citizen Kane* are total masterpieces, no doubt, but if we're being real, my favorite has to be *Sunset Boulevard*. If I remember correctly, his films make up the biggest chunk of my personal collection. Check out this latest drop from The Criterion Collection. They finally put out Sunset Boulevard. It’s about time, honestly. This thing is a total masterpiece, even if it’s a bit dark for some people. If you haven't seen it yet, you're seriously missing out on one of the best noir pieces ever made. Just go watch it already.