The Criterion Collection

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

What would the best blind buy from Truffaut or Godard? I have watched The 400 Blows & Breathless. I liked Breathless a bit more. I have not watched any of the others available.

Band of outsiders
Every Man for himself
Vivre sa vie
Weekend

Jules & Jim
The Last Metro
The Soft Skin

Vivre Sa Vie is Godard's masterwork and the best of those early French new wave films imo.

...but it's pretty depressing.

[diskspinner]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Vivre Sa Vie is Godard's masterwork and the best of those early French new wave films imo.

...but it's pretty depressing.

Thanks...yeah, I read about the movie theater (crying) scene.

I am contemplating between Vivre Sa Vie & Jules & Jim as of now...

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

What would the best blind buy from Truffaut or Godard? I have watched The 400 Blows & Breathless. I liked Breathless a bit more. I have not watched any of the others available.

Band of outsiders
Every Man for himself
Vivre sa vie
Weekend

Jules & Jim
The Last Metro
The Soft Skin

Band of Outsiders - the most 'fun' film of the ones listed here
Every Man for Himself - haven't seen it. love Godard, but will approach w/ caution based on what I heard.
Vivre sa vie - the best of these 4 Godard films... artful, yet accessible (like Breathless is)
Weekend - best blind buy? eliminate this one from consideration

Jules and Jim - my personal favorite of the films listed here that I've seen. fantastic score, gets better with multiple viewings.
The Last Metro - was accused of being a little Oscar bait-ish.. I really enjoyed it, but it doesn't belong on any short list of the best of Godard/Truffaut
The Soft Skin - haven't seen it yet, but I do own it.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Vivre Sa Vie is Godard's masterwork and the best of those early French new wave films imo.

...but it's pretty depressing.

early Godard is too playful for it to be depressing.. for me, anyway.

maybe multiple viewings will have me seeing it differently.

[Show spoiler]the scene when she's watching The Passion of Joan of Arc is pretty incredible, though. I cried, too... and being that it comes only 10 minutes into the film, you're not sure why you're moved so much. phenomenal stuff

.

[PowellPressburger]

I always want to like Jules and Jim more than I do. I think it is a good film, I can't describe why but it is one of my least favorite films of his, I prefer The 400 Blows or any of the Antoine Doinel films or even The Bride Wore Black. I know it sounds shocking. I have bought both the DVD and BLU for Jules and Jim I'm never that amazed by it.

I did like The Soft Skin.

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Band of Outsiders - the most 'fun' film of the ones listed here
Every Man for Himself - haven't seen it. love Godard, but will approach w/ caution based on what I heard.
Vivre sa vie - the best of these 4 Godard films... artful, yet accessible (like Breathless is)
Weekend - best blind buy? eliminate this one from consideration

Jules and Jim - my personal favorite of the films listed here that I've seen. fantastic score, gets better with multiple viewings.
The Last Metro - was accused of being a little Oscar bait-ish.. I really enjoyed it, but it doesn't belong on any short list of the best of Godard/Truffaut
The Soft Skin - haven't seen it yet, but I do own it.

BAND OF OUTSIDERS is not bad, but I'll agree that VIVRE SA VIE is the best of these Godard titles (though my favorite is CONTEMPT and I rather like PIERROT LE FOU and UNE FEMME MARIEE more than these others). Have not yet seen EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF. Would not recommend WEEKEND unless you're already a confirmed Godard fanatic.

All these Truffauts are well-worth seeing. I like THE LAST METRO a lot. I can appreciate JULES AND JIM, especially in Criterion's beautiful edition. My favorite of these, however is THE SOFT SKIN, which starts out like a pretty good romantic melodrama, and eventually develops into a French new-wave Hitchcockian thriller. My favorite Truffaut is probably DAY FOR NIGHT, which has a scene with a cat and some milk that pays direct homage to one of the bits in THE SOFT SKIN.

[spargs]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

What would the best blind buy from Truffaut or Godard? I have watched The 400 Blows & Breathless. I liked Breathless a bit more. I have not watched any of the others available.

Band of outsiders
Every Man for himself
Vivre sa vie
Weekend

Jules & Jim
The Last Metro
The Soft Skin

Band of Outsiders is probably Godard's most accessible work, but while I admire the film very much, I believe Vivre sa vie to be the better film.

Of those 3 Truffaut films, Jules & Jim is the best.

[R o d]

Originally Posted by jw007

I just got finished watching my blu-ray of Bad Lieutenant (1992). Wish this film and others by Abel Ferrara were Criterion releases. Such an amazing indie flick.

Bad Lieutenant is a film without a single redeeming quality (with the possible exception of Keitel's performance). When I left the theater the first thing I wanted to do was take a shower.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by R o d

Bad Lieutenant is a film without a single redeeming quality (with the possible exception of Keitel's performance). When I left the theater the first thing I wanted to do was take a shower.

Harvey Keitel's performance and character was one of the bleakest I've ever seen in any film. That alone is required viewing for any film scholar who wants to see something totally lurid, totally grimy, totally perverse. When I think of that famous line in Taxi Driver: "Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets", I think of this movie, Bad Lieutenant.

[joie]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Well my brothers, it has come down to this for my final blind buy of the sale:

Friends of Eddie Coyle

or

Picnic At Hanging Rock

or

Hiroshima Mon Amour


Thoughts?

A guy with a broken nose would probably enjoy Friends of Eddie Coyle most.

[PowellPressburger]

Friends of Eddie Coyle is the best, I know the transfer from DVD to BLU isn't the biggest revelation but for those who don't own it perfect time during the Barnes sale. Mitchum, Richard Jordan and Peter Boyle are all great.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

Thanks...yeah, I read about the movie theater (crying) scene.

I am contemplating between Vivre Sa Vie & Jules & Jim as of now...

In Godard's defense Dreyer's Passion of Joan of Arc is really that moving a film.

Which brings up the question where is The Passion of Joan of Arc Criterion ? The MoC release has been out for ages now and is every bit a revelation in terms of contrast and depth/detail.


Just picked up Il Sorpasso & Palm Beach Story. Never seen Il Sorpasso. I think I will need to setup some kind of shock collar/electric fence mechanism around B & N to prevent me going back. I always end up carrying around 5-6 titles and having to force my self to put a few back. I've been in there so much even the clerk said "Man you must be stocking up on Criterion"

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

Friends of Eddie Coyle is the best

You've seen all three?

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

You've seen all three?

Yes, I like Picnic at Hanging Rock also, and I know Hiroshima Mon Amour is much loved but I prefer Last Year at Marienbad I can watch that on repeat. Hiroshima I will have to buy on BLU soon. (I used to own the DVD) I just didn't love the movie. I need to see it again.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

I always want to like Jules and Jim more than I do. I think it is a good film, I can't describe why but it is one of my least favorite films of his, I prefer The 400 Blows or any of the Antoine Doinel films or even The Bride Wore Black. I know it sounds shocking. I have bought both the DVD and BLU for Jules and Jim I'm never that amazed by it.

I did like The Soft Skin.

I can't stand the girl in Jules and Jim.

...her actions at the end of the movie make me sick.

[PowellPressburger]

I like the actress, but she is troubled to say the least. Her character does have a hard time with life for sure, a lot of internal conflict there, but yeah the movie has some fun in it but as it moves along the characters and move feel more disconnected and cold not in a bad way just the way it is.

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

Thanks...yeah, I read about the movie theater (crying) scene.

I am contemplating between Vivre Sa Vie & Jules & Jim as of now...

Get both! Besides The 400 Blows, Jules and Jim is the classic Truffaut film everyone refences when talking about him. I really like The Last Metro, but it is a slow build and not as rewatchable as others.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

I like the actress, but she is troubled to say the least. Her character does have a hard time with life for sure, a lot of internal conflict there, but yeah the movie has some fun in it but as it moves along the characters and move feel more disconnected and cold not in a bad way just the way it is.

It was really nice of her to

[Show spoiler]drive her car off the edge of a bridge with Jim in it

.

...without asking him how he felt about it.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Well my brothers, it has come down to this for my final blind buy of the sale:

Friends of Eddie Coyle

or

Picnic At Hanging Rock

or

Hiroshima Mon Amour


Thoughts?

I’ve seen all 3. I’d go Picnic, Coyle, then Hiroshima.

I’m in the minority on Hiroshima. I have all kind of problems with it. I think it is pretentious drivel. ..and please people, don’t challenge me on the use of the word “pretentious,” I’ve explained my feelings on this film a couple times in this thread already.

Picnic features fantastic cinematography, a top notch transfer, a gorgeous female lead.. its lyrical, has great costumes, and will make your sub-woofer woof.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

There's a scene where Eiji Okada's character touches her face, and it immediately reminded me of this scene from Amour:



It would be wonderful if Criterion releases this too.

How did she not get the oscar.... mystery.

Her portrayal was so real and honest, was such a heart breaking film - highly recommend it though!