The Criterion Collection

[LPMA]

Maybe Mu7ho77and Dr. is really being saved for spine 777 like someone suggested!

[kuro_sawa]

I'm late to the party, but Blind Chance being in the announcement made my heart beat a bit fast and Honeymoon Killers, while I know is in the works from Arrow, still feels like it came out of nowhere. So excited for these two. Hopefully this puts a little more weight on that Dekalog rumour and that they might also have Kieslowski's other films, such as No End and The Scar.

[jw007]

Thoughts on the announcements:

I'm curious about the Beresford titles (Mister Johnson and Breaker Morant) so here's a new discovery for me... didn't realize he had directed Black Robe. That is a very memorable film, so I'll investigate these two here that are coming to Criterion. I love the James Ivory title, A Room With a View, and will be a very nice companion piece to the out of print Howard's End which I own on blu-ray. I'm not crazy about Moonrise Kingdom as its not my favorite Wes Anderson film, but I may add this one to my library possibly. The other 2 titles interest me too, with the upgrade of The Honeymoon Killers... and that Kieslowski title which I think is the pick of the litter for September, Blind Chance. The more I learn about that Kieslowski film, the more interested I am in seeing this.

Overall, its neither a light or heavy month, but a medium month for me.

[AaronJ]

Oh well.

I'll wait until the October releases. If nothing, then I give up. I quit.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by jw007

Thoughts on the announcements:

I'm curious about the Beresford titles (Mister Johnson and Breaker Morant) ... I love the James Ivory title, A Room With a View, and will be a very nice companion piece to the out of print Howard's End which I own on blu-ray.

Your thoughts match mine here. Reading the synopses for the Beresford films, I was intrigued. Mister Johnson's plot sounds a little similar to that of an Indian film I'd seen years ago called Massey Sahib, about a native cosying up to his white "sahib" and giving himself airs of English-ness. That film was made in 1985, a few years before the Beresford film, and is regarded as one of the classics of Indian arthouse cinema.

For years I had been considering getting the very economical UK blu of Room with a View. But a new restoration may just tip me over to angling for the Criterion instead.

[oildude]

This is a GREAT month of announcements. There are several really good films here. To read what seems to me more than the usual "mehs" and complaints is both funny and sad. Look at it as a chance to expand some of your movie watching horizons.

So glad Breaker Morant is finally coming back into print, and as part of the Criterion Collection where it will get the release it deserves. Bruce Beresford's powerful courtroom drama is one of the finest examples of Australian cinema, and stands right alongside 12 Angry Men, Paths of Glory, Anatomy of a Murder (all from Criterion), and a few others at the top of the genre. I would encourage every film fan to seek it out if they have never seen it.

Breaker Morant is unique among courtroom dramas because it takes place in a military court/tribunal set during the Boer War (1899-1902). Based on true events, the stakes are high as three Australian officers of an elite anti-guerilla cavalry force are placed on trial for murder and other crimes during the waning days of the conflict, a messy colonial war that the British want ended as quickly as possible and as a consequence are willing to sacrifice a few of their own to demonstrate to the Boers their commitment to fairness and justice. The film touches on themes of the brutality of fighting irregular Boer commandos on the veldt, subduing a hostile population of mainly women and children whose men are all off in commandos, and the British Empire's attempts to confederate all of South Africa amid hopes for reconciliation with their Boer opponents. By the time of the events in the film, the Boers have, for all intents and purposes, lost the war, yet they refuse to yield. Instead, they have broken up into guerilla bands that have for nearly two years dragged the conflict on and on in the hope that the British will tire and negotiate in their favor and the German Empire will intercede on their behalf. In their desperation to bring the Boer commandos to surrender, the British have moved the Boer women and children off their farms into overcrowded camps (so that they can no longer provide succor to the guerillas), cordoned off the veldt into sections using barbed wire and blockhouses within which they then conduct clearing operations, and formed anti-guerilla cavalry units designed to hunt down the die-hards among the Boers. These tactics, while slowly proving successful, are ugly and costing the British dearly in the court of world opinion.

It is against this background that the events in the film take place. As a prelude to World War I, the Boer War had witnessed shocking losses for a British and Commonwealth public coming face to face with the reality of the killing power of Maxim guns, high-explosive shells, and smokeless powder that did not give away a shooter's location. Through this runs a thread of Australia rising above its penal colony roots and coming into its own as a nation and contributing member of the empire. In exploring what would cause ordinary men to violate the accepted rules of war, Beresford gives us a drama that poses questions to its audience for which there are no easy answers. What would cause a disciplined battle hardened unit of basically decent men to suddenly cross the line of acceptable behavior? What is acceptable behavior in a new kind of war for a new century that has devolved to where bushwhacking and murder have become the norm? Are the Australians on trial truly guilty of war crimes or are they being made examples of in the interest of higher politics?

What makes Breaker Morant such a riveting film is the quality of its script and its fully developed characters. The acting is superb, with memorable performances from Edward Woodward as Harry "Breaker" Morant (an English-born Australian nicknamed for his skill at breaking horses before joining the army); Bryan Brown as one of Morant's officers also on trial with him, and especially Jack Thompson as the defense attorney. Special mention goes to Lewis Fitz-Gerald as the third officer on trial, a young and idealistic Australian who only wants to do his best and cannot fathom how events have led him to his present circumstances. This is a great film, Beresford's masterpiece in my opinion, and one of the highlight announcements from Criterion this year.

[monorail91]

I'm assuming the lack of enthusiasm for A Room with a View is because everybody already owns the 2-disc DVD?? LOVE this movie, am beyond stoked to have it go Criterion!

[jw007]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Your thoughts match mine here. Reading the synopses for the Beresford films, I was intrigued. Mister Johnson's plot sounds a little similar to that of an Indian film I'd seen years ago called Massey Sahib, about a native cosying up to his white "sahib" and giving himself airs of English-ness. That film was made in 1985, a few years before the Beresford film, and is regarded as one of the classics of Indian arthouse cinema.

I mean, I can't believe I never knew anything about this director, Bruce Beresford. I'm a bit embarrassed by my naiveté. I majored in "film studies" at university and I never once was screened a Beresford film, at least from my recollections. I love these types of discoveries, esp. on themes of the human condition and sociological aspects of humanity, especially in film. This director looks like he's right up my alley and I'm probably just going to go ahead and blind-buy both of these titles when they are released later this year. Something tells me that Mister Johnson in particular will make for a good double feature with White Material, that is already a Criterion title.

[jw007]

And my ignorance even shows more... that I still don't know enough about Australian films...and that Breaker Morant is one of the greatest films from Australia. And here I thought Picnic at Hanging Rock and Peter Weir were Australia's finest. Hello Bruce Beresford.

[jw007]

oildude: Why do I sometimes get you confused with ShellOilJunior? Must be the oil.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by jw007

I mean, I can't believe I never knew anything about this director, Bruce Beresford. I'm a bit embarrassed by my naiveté. I majored in "film studies" at university and I never once was screened a Beresford film, at least from my recollections. I love these types of discoveries, esp. on themes of the human condition and sociological aspects of humanity, especially in film. This director looks like he's right up my alley and I'm probably just going to go ahead and blind-buy both of these titles when they are released later this year. Something tells me that Mister Johnson in particular will make for a good double feature with White Material, that is already a Criterion title.

As a longtime fan of Australian cinema, and especially of two of its directors in particular, Peter Weir and Bruce Beresford, who both transitioned to Hollywood, it is always a pleasure to welcome a future convert.

For all of their good to great Hollywood films, Weir and Beresford's best work for me remains their Australian output.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by jw007

oildude: Why do I sometimes get you confused with ShellOilJunior? Must be the oil.

I have never dressed like a woman, nor chased after Marilyn Monroe, if that helps avoid your confusion.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by oildude

As a longtime fan of Australian cinema, and especially of two of its directors in particular, Peter Weir and Bruce Beresford, who both transitioned to Hollywood, it is always a pleasure to welcome a future convert.

https://twitter.com/campbellwhyte/st...46785708765185

[jw007]

Originally Posted by oildude

As a longtime fan of Australian cinema, and especially of two of its directors in particular, Peter Weir and Bruce Beresford, who both transitioned to Hollywood, it is always a pleasure to welcome a future convert.

For all of their good to great Hollywood films, Weir and Beresford's best work for me remains their Australian output.

I'm a big fan of Australian rock / pop music, in addition to their films... maybe I should move there. Those Aussies have been on my mind for the longest time. I look forward to discovering Beresford soon.

Originally Posted by oildude

I have never dressed like a woman, nor chased after Marilyn Monroe, if that helps avoid your confusion.

Yes, avatars are quite different. But oil sure sticks...and is sticky...and is stuck in my brain still.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by jw007

I'm a big fan of Australian rock / pop music, in addition to their films... maybe I should move there. Those Aussies have been on my mind for the longest time. I look forward to discovering Beresford soon.

Wait until after our next election. You don't want to be here right now.

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Don's Party...phfft...

What we really need is a double-feature release of The Adventures of Barry McKenzie and Barry McKenzie Holds His Own.

Hah. I'd buy it

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by oildude

As a longtime fan of Australian cinema, and especially of two of its directors in particular, Peter Weir and Bruce Beresford, who both transitioned to Hollywood, it is always a pleasure to welcome a future convert.

For all of their good to great Hollywood films, Weir and Beresford's best work for me remains their Australian output.

They are both pretty ordinary directors that made a couple of good films imo, but even their best Australian films still have that mannered kind of style to them that really bothers me about Anglo-art films or 'period' dramas, especially from that period.

I'm surprised that anyone, anywhere, could be really into Australian cinema, but kudos to you I suppose.

[filmmusic]

I also love Peter Weir and hope soon for a Criterion Mosquito Coast.
(and why not The Year Living Dangerously and Gallipoli too. The Australian Bluray of the latter has audio issues)

[adamhopelies]

It's a quiet month for me. Beresford isnt my kind of filmmaker at all, so I won't be revisiting Breaker Morant (I've not seen Mister Johnson). I'm kinda surprised that more hasn't been made of the fact that the director of Driving Miss Daisy is now in the collection tho! On a similar note I can't abide Merchant/Ivory, though A Room With A View is probably my favourite of them all. I'm in no rush ever to see the film again tho. The Honeymoon Killers is coming from Arrow, so I'll hold out for that from them.

I am interested in Blind Chance, and was already planning on picking up Moonrise Kingdom.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

It actually works very well without the title on beach:



Looks awful without the yellow title however:

Ultimately I prefer it with both, but if I think the version you did with the title on the beach looks better than the one with the yellow title.