The Criterion Collection

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

Anyway, Rashomon was good, better than Seven Samurai, but I'm still not fully sold on Kurosawa. I'm sure reading that for some will be as frustrating as when I see people who aren't enamored with Godard's works. In the grand scheme of Japanese cinema, Kurosawa just doesn't interest me and tackle themes I'm invested in in the same way Ozu or Imamura do.

About a week ago, when posters were giving Godard their negative opinion, I was asking myself where is the poster with Une Femme Mariee avatar to post a glaring positive opinion. In my naive way of being, I thought Godard would be more popular in this thread, I guess not.

I feel some films have more emotional weight in older film viewers. Some young film viewers that I know consider Godard and Fellini boring, their complaint being that more than half of the movie is just talking, and they end up thinking it is a pretentious film.

An 18 year old does not know or sees the world differently than a person who has been married or working more than 10 years. Their concerns are completely different. Rashomon is a great example of different views and perspectives from different individuals. I really cannot find a film that depicts this scenario as good as Rashomon, well maybe The Thin Blue Line.

[Joe Dalek]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

maybe its just the "french" new wave style that doesnt do it for me. i like the japanese new wave stuff way more or "noir" movies. but i dont get why people do often compare oshima to godard. oshima is way above godard in my opinion in terms for "style" and how the movies are cut. (godard has probably the worst style for editing movies and narrative ive ever experince since i watch movies.....)

Godard was ahead of Oshima (and most). Things he was doing in 1963, 1964, 1965 showed up in Oshima's films of 1967, 1968, 1969...I love Japanese Summer: Double Suicide, Diary of a Shinjuku Thief, The Man Who Put His Will On Film, but those films have an obvious Western influence. Compare to Contempt, Pierrot le fou, Masculin Feminin, 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her, La Chinoise...I just can't imagine the influence is that hard to see. And to state that Godard's editing style is "the worst"? Ha!

[Mansinthe]

i said in my opinion. from the movies ive seen.. sorry godard is "for me" way to overrated..if you like him , thats absolutly fine for me.

but breathless is now my least favorite criterion, i do own.(and have seen, included the releases from other labels in the collection). and the first one i will resell again. along with une femme marie from MoC..

im not one of the person thats gonna learn to love a movie, only cuz it was released by criterion or is regarded as a movie one should give a 4/5 star rating. i dont deny the influnce godard had to other directors i do like much more, but that doesnt make him his movies better (for me !)

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

im not one of the person thats gonna learn to love a movie, only cuz it was released by criterion or is regarded as a movie one should give a 4/5 star rating. i dont deny the influnce godard had to other directors i do like much more, but that doesnt make him his movies better (for me !)

None of us are going to relate to the works of each and every one of the iconic directors. Wes Anderson movies do not quicken my pulse. The only David Lynch movie that I enjoy enough to own is Dune (although I did have some fun analyzing Mulholland Dr. during my DVD days). Most Coen Brothers movies miss the mark with me. I could also take or leave movies by Paul Thomas Anderson. I like Robert Altman's Nashville enough to hold on to my copy and revisit the movie, but it's also my least favorite of the Criterion Blu-rays that I own.

I adore the early Godard movies that take cues from classic American crime films, but he starts to lose me with his late 1960s output. I may get into the groove of the later movies one day, because I know that I'll be a different person five or ten years from now than I am now. For now, though, Breathless is one of the coolest flicks in my collection.

Tokyo Story is the only Ozu film that I have seen to date, but I absolutely loved it, and was surprised at the emotional gut punch that the film delivered. Late Spring is sitting my stack of Blu-rays yet to watch, so I'm looking forward to delving more into his work.

My two favorite Akira Kurosawa movies are Stray Dog and Seven Samurai. I admittedly tend to favor the "Westernized" Kurosawa films, but I also have a great love for more subtle works like Rashomon, No Regrets for Our Youth, One Wonderful Sunday, The Idiot, or Ikiru. My appreciation of this director's scope was enhanced by reading his book, Something Like an Autobiography.

[smoss469]

I might not be able to drink my own water right now, but at least the USPS can be counted on to deliver the goods!

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by smoss469

I might not be able to drink my own water right now, but at least the USPS can be counted on to deliver the goods!

Outstanding. These are both on my Top Five list of Criterion Blu-rays.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by smoss469

I put Rashomon in with the same camp as Hidden Fortress. A solid movie but not one that I'll watch very often. I have Seven Samurai and the Yojimbo/Sanjuro set in the stack that I need to watch, I'm hoping they'll end up getting more repeat viewings. (Especially Yojimbo, I'm a huge fan of the plot and loved every 'remake' I've ever seen).

You'll like SS and Yojimbo/Sanjuro more than Rashomon, I'm pretty sure of it. You also NEED to see High and Low. It blew me away recently.

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Outstanding. These are both on my Top Five list of Criterion Blu-rays.

army of shadows is now sitting around 3 months on my shelf.. unwatched. life of oharu probably even more, cant remember really

could make a double feature out of army of shadows and the Moc release of Le Silence de la Mer.

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

You'll like SS and Yojimbo/Sanjuro more than Rashomon, I'm pretty sure of it. You also NEED to see High and Low. It blew me away recently.

I've been putting aside some cash waiting for the next CC Flash Sale (should be next month). When it rolls around, I'm going to get probably 6-7 releases off the CC wishlist.

However I have a lot of work to do clearing off my desk, Christmas + Post Christmas Gift Card splurge have left me with a LOT. I'm almost ashamed of the size of the stack. (That doesn't even include the 3 Eclipse Sets + Zatoichi set I have on shelves in a closet).

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

i said in my opinion. from the movies ive seen.. sorry godard is "for me" way to overrated..if you like him , thats absolutly fine for me.

but breathless is now my least favorite criterion, i do own.(and have seen, included the releases from other labels in the collection). and the first one i will resell again. along with une femme marie from MoC..

im not one of the person thats gonna learn to love a movie, only cuz it was released by criterion or is regarded as a movie one should give a 4/5 star rating. i dont deny the influnce godard had to other directors i do like much more, but that doesnt make him his movies better (for me !)

Like I mentioned in a prior post, you should give Vivre Sa Vie or Pierrot Le Fou a try. You might not like Breathless, but you might enjoy another film of his (this usually turns out to be the case).

I am in your same shoes with Ophuls
Lola Montes seems to be, for me, a OK/mediocre film. The cinematography and film settings are great, but the story and main actress are mediocre at best. I am willing to give Ophuls another chance with The Earrings of Madame de..., which many consider his true masterpiece.

[dmarvin]

Originally Posted by fahrenheit290

I actually just watched Rashomon for the first time two nights ago. As someone new to Kurosawa's oeuvre (as well as Japanese cinema), I was very impressed by the film's structure (the unmatched and innovative POV/perspective devices), and found the overall work surprisingly emotional. Going in, I didn't realize how overt the conversations would be among the characters retelling the stories, questioning the human soul, its capacity for good and evil. If we're discussing the Japanese-ness of Kurosawa's filmmaking, I would definitely point to those scenes. Maybe the sentimentality, or straight-forwardness there is very different from Ozu's style? More telling you and explaining to an audience than showing you, not sure. What most stands out to me was the camerawork and the acting. There were some glorious shots...I loved the bandit waking up and seeing the samurai's wife go by him on the horse, the beautiful photography of the Rashomon gate, the intercuts of the sunlight through the forest. I had read that some people thought Mifune was too ridiculous in the role, but I really had no problems with his style of acting--and loved the performance of Machiko Kyo as the wife, who showed great range, and the small part of the possessed medium, a striking sequence in the film.

I blind bought it after watching Seven Samurai in a film studies class I was taking last summer. I wound up writing a 10-page essay about it for my final. A truly terrific film, and I'm generally quite reluctant to watch foreign films. But Kurosawa...I love that guy. I also would disagree with the critics who found Mifune's performance to be ridiculous. This guy absolutely owns the screen in everything I've seen him in. A true movie star if I ever saw one. I love Takashi Shimura too. His quiet brilliance is always in stark contrast to the screen presence of Mifune, but the two work so well together on screen.

[SimBelm]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Like I mentioned in a prior post, you should give Vivre Sa Vie or Pierrot Le Fou a try. You might not like Breathless, but you might enjoy another film of his (this usually turns out to be the case).

x2. I absolutely love Godard, but I think Breathless is one of his weaker films.

[nondiatonic]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I like all of my Criterion titles enough to revisit in the future. If I had to rank my Criterions in order of preference, though, then Nashville would be down at the bottom. [...]
I'll give 3 Women a chance someday, based on your above comparison. Thanks!

Originally Posted by brandon_260

After coming away very disappointed with Nashville, I gave Altman a second shot today with 3 Women. [...] From what I gather, this seems to be pretty far removed from the rest of his body of work, which is disappointing.

Altman is certainly not high on most peoples lists, but might I suggest:

Short Cuts
McCabe and Mrs. Miller
The Long Goodbye
Thieves Like Us
The Player

That's probably enough of a start, although he has done a lot of great work that is not listed here.

Since Altman is one of my favorite directors I hate to see him written off based on a single bad viewing. I think any of the above will most likely make you want to see more. That is if 3 Woman doesn't do the trick.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

None of us are going to relate to the works of each and every one of the iconic directors. Wes Anderson movies do not quicken my pulse. The only David Lynch movie that I enjoy enough to own is Dune (although I did have some fun analyzing Mulholland Dr. during my DVD days). Most Coen Brothers movies miss the mark with me. I could also take or leave movies by Paul Thomas Anderson. I like Robert Altman's Nashville enough to hold on to my copy and revisit the movie, but it's also my least favorite of the Criterion Blu-rays that I own.

First PTA and now the Coen brothers? Blood Simple, Fargo, No Country For Old Men... some of my all-time favorites. Have you seen A Serious Man, Owl? That would be my #4 favorite. If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend it. I guess all of their films are unique, so I can't describe it as "different." This one, however, is idk... more intellectually stimulating? Check it out.

I am certain I am in the minority here, but I saw The Big Lebowski once and kinda feel like I never need to see it again. I actually did see parts of it a second time and it just doesn't do it for me. And also, I would, without hesitation, put their filmography up against Tarantino's work any day of the week.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Like I mentioned in a prior post, you should give Vivre Sa Vie or Pierrot Le Fou a try. You might not like Breathless, but you might enjoy another film of his (this usually turns out to be the case).

I am in your same shoes with Ophuls
Lola Montes seems to be, for me, a OK/mediocre film. The cinematography and film settings are great, but the story and main actress are mediocre at best. I am willing to give Ophuls another chance with The Earrings of Madame de..., which many consider his true masterpiece.

Prior to perusing the blu-ray.com site with great frequency, Godard was one of the only directors with whom I was somewhat familiar with his work. Band of Outsiders is a lot of fun and I have no qualms with Breathless, either. With that being said, none of the posters here have really influenced me to seek out any more of his work.

I actually took out Vivre sa Vie from the library just yesterday and I am looking forward to seeing for myself which side of the fence I stand on. Will report back some time within the next week.

[nondiatonic]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

First PTA and now the Coen brothers? Blood Simple, Fargo, No Country For Old Men... some of my all-time favorites. Have you seen A Serious Man, Owl? That would be my #4 favorite. If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend it. I guess all of their films are unique, so I can't describe it as "different." This one, however, is idk... more intellectually stimulating? Check it out.

I am certain I am in the minority here, but I saw The Big Lebowski once and kinda feel like I never need to see it again. I actually did see parts of it a second time and it just doesn't do it for me. And also, I would, without hesitation, put their filmography up against Tarantino's work any day of the week.

I wouldn't be so harsh on the Coens as to compare them to Tarantino ().

A Serious Man is certainly one of their best. Barton Fink and The Man Who Wasn't There should be mentioned here too.

I agree that my first viewing of The Big Lebowski was definitely lackluster; however, I laughed much harder during subsequent viewings.

[Show spoiler]I also like the psuedo-noir aspects. The Dude is out of place (and over his head in a Hitchcockian sense). He is single minded to begin with, but as the movie progresses he begins to try to form to the role the movie has forced him into (i.e. something of a private eye). It's fun to watch him copy the cliche investigative methods he's seen in film noir of the past and flounder hopelessly doing so.

Also, Jeff Bridges absolutely disappears into the role.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

First PTA and now the Coen brothers? Blood Simple, Fargo, No Country For Old Men... some of my all-time favorites. Have you seen A Serious Man, Owl? That would be my #4 favorite. If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend it. I guess all of their films are unique, so I can't describe it as "different." This one, however, is idk... more intellectually stimulating? Check it out.

I am certain I am in the minority here, but I saw The Big Lebowski once and kinda feel like I never need to see it again. I actually did see parts of it a second time and it just doesn't do it for me. And also, I would, without hesitation, put their filmography up against Tarantino's work any day of the week.

Tarantino shouldn't even be uttered in the same sentence with the Coens. The Coens have atleast 6 or 7 all time classics. Tarantino has 2 maybe?

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Roninblues

To the few that will watch a Japanese film, am I the only one that likes Kurosawa's Red Beard?

I did not mention Red Beard in my above post, but I really like the film. The earthquake scene must have been interesting for Kurosawa to film, given the real earthquake experience that he discusses in his autobiography.

Originally Posted by nondiatonic

Altman is certainly not high on most peoples lists, but might I suggest:

The Long Goodbye

Despite my muted reaction to Nashville, I'll definitely be blind-buying The Long Goodbye when it hits Blu-ray around here. It looks right up my alley.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I am certain I am in the minority here, but I saw The Big Lebowski once and kinda feel like I never need to see it again. I actually did see parts of it a second time and it just doesn't do it for me. And also, I would, without hesitation, put their filmography up against Tarantino's work any day of the week.

Think one poster here said that most Coen movies would be less arcane and removed if they didn't look down like the gods on their characters and laugh, and basically treat them as something amusing they scraped off their shoe.
Fargo, for example, would be a tighter mystery, if the Bros. weren't so amused at the idea of good actors doing Funny Minnesota Accents, and Barton Fink might make more of a coherent point if the Bros. weren't busy showing off all the stuff they know about 30's Hollywood trivia.
(Oh, and stoners think the Coens were on their side for making Big Lebowski? Okay, who wants to break the bad news to them? )

Think they pretty much said all they have to say in Raising Arizona, and that spirit transmigrated into Barry Sonnenfeld's body, where he beat it into the ground with the MIB films.
I'll grant them O Brother, Where Art Thou, though, for at least knowing how to direct a musical, even if they found Depression-era Southerners a little too colorfully amusing.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Think one poster here said that most Coen movies would be less arcane and removed if they didn't look down like the gods on their characters and laugh, and basically treat them as something amusing they scraped off their shoe.

My problem with the Coen Brothers films is that they try too hard to make each every person onscreen stand out in some oddly distinguished way, and their efforts have the over-the-top effect of making all of their movies seem like tours through a carnival freakshow. When every single hotel clerk, every single secretary, every single cab driver, and every single walk-on actor sticks out like a cockroach on a wedding cake, the result detracts from the story at hand and lends an obtrusive quirkiness to the proceedings.

My favorite Coen Brothers film, and one that I truly do love, is No Country for Old Men. Since I read the Cormac McCarthy novel before seeing the movie, though, I still watch it with a "what could have been?" wistfulness, because I wonder how much better this great story would have fared at the hands of a different director. I would love to have seen an adaptation of No Country for Old Men directed by Michael Mann or by Clint Eastwood.