The Criterion Collection

[ngower]

Call for opinions: What is the single most emotionally devastating work in the Collection? Just one—only one! In other words, what film has absolutely destroyed you emotionally and shaken you to your very core? Offer a brief explanation why, but please limit it to one as I'm sure this ought to elicit a number of responses.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by ngower

Call for opinions: What is the single most emotionally devastating work in the Collection? Just one—only one! In other words, what film has absolutely destroyed you emotionally and shaken you to your very core? Offer a brief explanation why, but please limit it to one as I'm sure this ought to elicit a number of responses.

Antichrist.

The acting is so raw and realistic, the visuals are so beautiful yet haunting, you feel the emotion the characters go through... watching someone suffering and going through grief, pain and despair.

The subtle soundtrack just adds to the anxiety and fear and backups the stunning visuals.

It is one of my favourite films, but I can't help feeling dread and misery when I go to watch, or even think about it - but I am drawn in by this dark fairy tale.

There are many other films in the collection though that emotionally affects and drains me.

Antichrist - Official Trailer - YouTube

Antichrist - Official Trailer - YouTube

[The Great Owl]

I love how Terrence Malick's films seem to accentuate that we humans, with all of our various struggles and situations, are simply another part of nature. This theme, if I can call it that, is especially evident in Malick's first three films, culminating in The Thin Red Line, where war is viewed not so much as an affront to nature, but simply another aspect of nature that will be overgrown and replaced in time. The New World, The Tree of Life, and To the Wonder run along these thematic lines as well, but in less overt ways. I particularly appreciate how The Tree of Life takes a grand scale approach to depicting a family's place in the grand scheme of the world's creation, and how it juxtaposes small-town religion aspects with scenes of evolution, as if to show that the family is small and insignificant in the big picture, yet somehow majestic and all-encompassing as well.

To the Wonder is a fascinating movie to me. The movie delves into the internal crises of its human characters against a backdrop of possible environmental contamination of natural settings. To the Wonder strikes me as a reminder that things will always be corrupted, then repaired, corrupted again, and repaired again.

In all of Malick's movies, the main characters are observed more than anything else, almost as though one might watch ants scurrying about in an ant farm. They are dealing with issues both internal (divorce, alienation) and external (war, colonization, etc.), but the grass continues to grow around them, and the sun still rises every day.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I love how Terrence Malick's films seem to accentuate that we humans, with all of our various struggles and situations, are simply another part of nature. This theme, if I can call it that, is especially evident in Malick's first three films, culminating in The Thin Red Line, where war is viewed not so much as an affront to nature, but simply another aspect of nature that will be overgrown and replaced in time. The New World, The Tree of Life, and To the Wonder run along these thematic lines as well, but in less overt ways. I particularly appreciate how The Tree of Life takes a grand scale approach to depicting a family's place in the grand scheme of the world's creation, and how it juxtaposes small-town religion aspects with scenes of evolution, as if to show that the family is small and insignificant in the big picture, yet somehow majestic and all-encompassing as well.

To the Wonder is a fascinating movie to me. The movie delves into the internal crises of its human characters against a backdrop of possible environmental contamination of natural settings. To the Wonder strikes me as a reminder that things will always be corrupted, then repaired, corrupted again, and repaired again.

In all of Malick's movies, the main characters are observed more than anything else, almost as though one might watch ants scurrying about in an ant farm. They are dealing with issues both internal (divorce, alienation) and external (war, colonization, etc.), but the grass continues to grow around them, and the sun still rises every day.

When I watch Malicks films I also think we aren't seeing the truth but we are seeing the thoughts and feeling of that character, more so in To The Wonder.

Yeah she dances around a lot, but is she actually doing it, or is it a visual representation of her emotions and feelings.

I love it.

I also love how To The Wonder is described as a ballet - non stop moving throughout, energy and beauty.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by ngower

Call for opinions: What is the single most emotionally devastating work in the Collection? Just one—only one! In other words, what film has absolutely destroyed you emotionally and shaken you to your very core? Offer a brief explanation why, but please limit it to one as I'm sure this ought to elicit a number of responses.

Bicycle Thieves is still the saddest film that I have ever seen.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by ngower

Call for opinions: What is the single most emotionally devastating work in the Collection? Just one—only one! In other words, what film has absolutely destroyed you emotionally and shaken you to your very core? Offer a brief explanation why, but please limit it to one as I'm sure this ought to elicit a number of responses.

Blue is the Warmest Color.

I don't have time, however, to articulate. Maybe later.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

When I watch Malicks films I also think we aren't seeing the truth but we are seeing the thoughts and feeling of that character, more so in To The Wonder.

Yeah she dances around a lot, but is she actually doing it, or is it a visual representation of her emotions and feelings.

I love it.

I also love how To The Wonder is described as a ballet - non stop moving throughout, energy and beauty.

All of the characters in To the Wonder are dancing. The movie is basically a ballet where the people drift back and forth from the center of the screen to the outer edges. The story has an ingenious flow to it in this regard.

[Sifox211]

Originally Posted by ngower

Call for opinions: What is the single most emotionally devastating work in the Collection?

I've had it for years and haven't girded myself up for watching it yet, but I imagine Night & Fog would fit the bill perfectly.

Also another minor cheat: assuming they release it, Dancer in the dark. I saw it in the cinema when it first came out and was completely wiped out by it; but at the same time I was very troubled by what I read as blatant emotional manipulation by the director and for that reason don't want to ever see it again!

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Sifox211

I've had it for years and haven't girded myself up for watching it yet, but I imagine Night & Fog would fit the bill perfectly.

Also another minor cheat: assuming they release it, Dancer in the dark. I saw it in the cinema when it first came out and was completely wiped out by it; but at the same time I was very troubled by what I read as blatant emotional manipulation by the director and for that reason don't want to ever see it again!

Probably safe to include most of Lars Von Trier's films, the final moments of epidemic are terrifying.

[fahrenheit290]

I loved Au Revoir Les Enfants. I tried to buy the BD yesterday but didn't have success. I've seen it on DVD, so I hope the blu-ray is a clear enhancement.

[ngower]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Antichrist.

I've always been intrigued by this one but always viewed it more along the lines of something like Salo than something which would be emotionally draining. I'll have to reevaluate my presumptions and give it a go sometime.

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Bicycle Thieves

I bought the DVD a few years ago but still haven't removed the shrink-wrap as I'm waiting for the inevitably Blu Ray. But it certainly is tempting.

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Blue is the Warmest Color

The final third or so where she's constantly weeping is devastating. On the desk in the classroom, smoking in her windowsill, just before she comes home to the party, that reunion with Emma, etc. Definitely a good pick.

Originally Posted by Sifox211

Night & Fog//Dancer in the dark

Night and Fog is one I always intend to pick up during the sales as it's so cheap, but alas I haven't seen it. And good lord, Dancer in the Dark. That final sequence had me weeping like a baby. I'll need to re-watch that soon—just murdered me when I first saw it.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by ngower

I've always been intrigued by this one but always viewed it more along the lines of something like Salo than something which would be emotionally draining. I'll have to reevaluate my presumptions and give it a go sometime.


Night and Fog is one I always intend to pick up during the sales as it's so cheap, but alas I haven't seen it. And good lord, Dancer in the Dark. That final sequence had me weeping like a baby. I'll need to re-watch that soon—just murdered me when I first saw it.

Hey, she did warn you! She told you when it was the next to last song, and thats when she recommends turning off a film :P

Also, I think with Antichrist I suffer depression and anxiety so I don't know if that is why I connect with ti so well and feel drained by it - in a way it does help me and I am addicted to the film lol

[Page14]

Originally Posted by ngower

Call for opinions: What is the single most emotionally devastating work in the Collection? Just one—only one! In other words, what film has absolutely destroyed you emotionally and shaken you to your very core? Offer a brief explanation why, but please limit it to one as I'm sure this ought to elicit a number of responses.

I'm thinking the highly praised Shoah would be a strong contender. A 9+ hour documentary on the horrors of the Holocaust as told by people who actually experienced it (survivors and witnesses).

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by ngower

Call for opinions: What is the single most emotionally devastating work in the Collection? Just one—only one! In other words, what film has absolutely destroyed you emotionally and shaken you to your very core? Offer a brief explanation why, but please limit it to one as I'm sure this ought to elicit a number of responses.

Shoah

Why?

Subject matter x duration of film.

[The Great Owl]

As far as devastating Criterion titles go, Forbidden Games is certainly up there as well. It's probably the second saddest film for me behind Bicycle Thieves.

[Polaroid]

Oh!!

Haneke's films are great contenders for emotionally draining films!

We need his films in collection - The Seventh Continent's ending is horrifying.

[Meek12345]

Originally Posted by Meek12345

Hey Pro-B! Thanks for the review! Do you think that Criterion decided to use the recently restored print from France because they believed that they couldn't make any further improvements or that the film looks as good as it ever will since the original negative was lost? I'm wondering if the film will ever be restored or modified some way in the future. I plan to buy the Demy set, but this "bad" review of Lola's video quality is causing me to have some reservations about buying it.

Has anyone seen a post/review or something from Pro-B during the last day or two? Pro-B will usually post a reply to my questions within minutes or hours, but not this time. I guess Pro-B is really busy this week. I posted the question above yesterday morning.

I watched Lola for the first time on TCM a few weeks ago, and the video quality looked fine to me. I'm guessing that TCM used the most recent French restoration print when they aired Lola last month. Has any other member here seen Lola recently on TCM or maybe via the French blu release? I wish I had been able to keep Lola on my DVR, so I could watch it again tonight and look for all of the flaws that Pro-B described. I wonder why Criterion would release this film with subpar video quality. I can only assume that everyone involved in the restoration in France believe that this is the definitive version of the film.

P.S.
Hey Polaroid! Have you watched the 2nd film in the Zatoichi set yet? Please give it a try. The series gets better with each film.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by lemonski

One of those was me. As for your question, I read it four times and I still can't understand it, it makes no sense. Maybe that's why you're not getting an answer.

Seemed pretty clear to me. He was pretty much asking brandon_260 what made him believe that bwdowiak's objections to the film were the result of him not being able to follow it.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Meek12345

P.S.
Hey Polaroid! Have you watched the 2nd film in the Zatoichi set yet? Please give it a try. The series gets better with each film.

Ah not yet! really can't wait as I loved the first - been a bit distracted as bought over 30 films this month and got a bit lost in the pile haha!

I need to try watch 2 a night or something, I forget they are dual format so can chill out in bed and watch in here who partner watches god knows what in other room haha

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by ngower

Just to chime in: I don't think anyone disagrees that Malick can be verbose or obtuse

I do (disagree, that is). Malick might be accused of being "obscure", but I don't think anyone can reasonably accuse him of being "obtuse".

Ditto Heidegger.