The Criterion Collection

[Old Geezer]

I just fell in love with Liv Ullmann! I have seen many of her movies before and always admired her as an actress but I just finished watching The Emigrants/The New Land. What an incredible set of movies! It is the story of poor Swedish farmers who, after enduring hardship after hardship, decide to immigrate to the New World. It shows in astonishing detail their travels over land and sea to their new home in Minnesota. It chronicles their ups and downs, joys and sorrows, so minutely that you actually become a part of their family (at least I did).

Liv Ullmann's performance was absolutely stunning and her interview for the Criterion release was just icing on the cake. Of course I would be crazy not to mention the performance of Max von Sydow or director Jan Troell. Clocking in at 393 minutes, it is an experience that takes patience but you will be well rewarded for your time. Best movie(s) I've seen in quite some time!

[mrjohnnyb]

I love the moment when Wonka pulls a stray hair from Mike Teevee's head.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2pt2-F2j2g

[buffetfroid]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Speaking of Von Trier ...

I'm assuming some of these are rights issues. Not that I would know, but that's what I'm assuming. But I would really like to see these Lars titles in the collection:

Manderlay -- As far as I know, there is no release for this in any region.

Dogville -- I adore this movie, and it has the same problem as above.

Dancer in the Dark -- Talk about powerful. And I don't think there's a release for this one either.

Melancholia -- This one isn't that important really, as the present Magnolia Pictures release is about as solid as it could be.

A collection of the first three, however, in a box would be sorta neat. But as I said, I have no idea what the issues are.

People talk about Von Trier a lot in this thread but it seems the Kingdom doesn't really get mentioned. What's up with that? It's probably my favorite thing he's done (that I've seen, obviously)

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Old Geezer

I just fell in love with Liv Ullmann! I have seen many of her movies before and always admired her as an actress but I just finished watching The Emigrants/The New Land. What an incredible set of movies! It is the story of poor Swedish farmers who, after enduring hardship after hardship, decide to immigrate to the New World. It shows in astonishing detail their travels over land and sea to their new home in Minnesota. It chronicles their ups and downs, joys and sorrows, so minutely that you actually become a part of their family (at least I did).

Liv Ullmann's performance was absolutely stunning and her interview for the Criterion release was just icing on the cake. Of course I would be crazy not to mention the performance of Max von Sydow or director Jan Troell. Clocking in at 393 minutes, it is an experience that takes patience but you will be well rewarded for your time. Best movie(s) I've seen in quite some time!

Agreed. I took an entire day to enjoy The Emigrants and The New Land last month, and I was blown away by how the attention to detail created such an immersive experience.

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by Purplenoon

Couldn't agree more: great review. Unforgettable movie and performance by Falconetti, who never acted again, and died very young. Her life would make a great film as a matter of fact. All of Dreyer's films are unimpeachably excellent, but this might be his best.

Falconetti never did another movie, but she certainly acted on stage both before and after Joan of Arc. She was 54 when she died in 1946, not exactly old, but I'd hardly call 54 "very young".

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Maria Falconett's transcendent performance in The Passion of Joan of Arc left me utterly speechless.

[Show spoiler]


Succinctly put, Carl Theodore Dreyer's magnificent The Passion of Joan of Arc made for one of the most powerful cinematic presentations I've ever witnessed. I've seen my fair share of silent films over the years, to my recollection, all of them with an accompanying musical score. This was something entirely different. As I was watching Criterion's DVD release stream via Hulu, the entire film was seemingly cloaked in reverential silence, and I cannot, in retrospect, imagine how the experience could be improved upon. Without a single spoken word, or audible cue, you are left utterly alone with your thoughts, contemplating the morality, or lack thereof, of those empowered by the church to be spiritual leaders, all while simultaneously marveling at the courageous piety displayed by this young woman.

There are two salient points I've come away with upon completion of this work: one, Dreyer, as a director, was clearly ahead of his time. And Maria Falconetti's otherworldly turn in the titular role, widely regarded as one of, if not the finest performances in film history, is richly-deserved. In her second, and final, film appearance, she has left a veritable blueprint for future generations of dramatic actors to study, and draw inspiration from. By the end of the film, as she was being carried to the stake where her body would be consumed by fire, I was in tears. So much of this film echoes the Passion of Christ: English-sympathizing French soldiers openly mocking her as she provides her testimony before her judges. The crown upon her head. Threats of torture in order to procure her "confession". Though the script is derived from the actual account of her trial and execution, these parallels to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ are clearly stylistic choices. And they're utterly effective. Once again, the viewer is reminded of the atrocities that have been committed throughout history, in the name of God.

These mostly contemptible men are wonderfully rendered by Dreyer and cinematographer Rudolph Maté; they are disturbing to look at, almost feral in appearance; their faces, twisted by time, their gross imperfections further exaggerated by the harshest of lighting, variations in camera angle, and a complete lack of makeup. Their effrontery is all the more appalling because they are the visual embodiment of self-righteous evil in the guise of pious men. When Joan refuses to acquiesce to their demands, they set about tricking her, falsifying a document from France's King Charles. When probed about the genesis of her actions, she answers that she was born to drive all the English from France, and her mission comes directly from God.



The rules of cinematography that we've come to expect from modern film making are largely absent; there is no real spatial frame of reference; these men, as they rise up in objection to Joan's words, shot from below to loom with an air of intimidation, appear to confront the terrified girl nearly face to face. They spit on her, poke and prod her, and ultimately, wear her down. Conversely, Jeanne d'Arc is shot with soft light. While Falconetti's face is also entirely lacking makeup, it is her eyes that provide the narrative's emotional anchor, and her physical performance is nothing short of riveting. Dreyer discovered Maria Falconetti working in amateur theater; he was not immediately impressed with her first performance. But, instinct compelled him to see her again, and, in Falconetti, he found his muse. Often shot from above, the lighting seemed to illuminate a deep reservoir of feeling within the actress; her eyes convey terror, sadness, and yet, and an intractable resolve that is easily understandable, regardless of the viewer's native tongue. Title cards are, at times, completely unnecessary. The viewer need not know what is being asked of her; Falconetti's emotional response speaks to the core of the interrogation, and seeing her float effortlessly between one extreme to another makes for a joyful viewing experience. I was absolutely transfixed.

Watching Joan's ordeal is, of course, uncomfortable. As I have opined so many times in the past, film is often at its most compelling as a medium when it makes the viewer recoil, and yet think. We know the inevitable outcome of these proceedings before the first frame of film illuminates the screen. The providence afforded to The Maid of Orléans is known to people around the world, her legend spreading well beyond the borders of her native France. When Joan is brought to the torture room, she is still. Quiet. Falconetti is almost ethereal in appearance, while her accusers are wildly animated, seemingly overflowing with some form of blood lust. Then, there is this wonderful quickening of tempo, as the camera switches from Joan's face to the spinning torture wheel. As the wheel accelerates, Joan's increased terror is palpable. And, though it seems as if the whole exercise was mere theater for the public, her ultimate fate preordained, even with knowledge that Joan cannot escape, there is a moment of fleeting hope where she signs her confession, momentarily escaping death. But as she faces the realization of what, exactly, she has done, she compels the man charged with preparing her for imprisonment to bring the judges back to her. She recants her confession, and is immediately accused of being an instrument of Satan. Yet, there is a wild twist. Though she has been recently subjected to a bloodletting, Joan regains her strength, reaffirms her love for God, and accuses her judges as being the true instruments of evil, tormentors there for the sole purpose of testing her faith. This seals her fate.

This film immediately jumps to the top of my "must upgrade" list for Criterion. Eureka commissioned a second restoration of the film for their blu-ray release, so it's just a matter of Criterion acquiring the master for distribution. As for those of you who have not yet seen this film, there's still time to watch it on Hulu. I assume that it will remain as part of the streaming catalog available on FilmStruck starting here in the fall, but I do not know if it will be a permanent fixture, or one of the films that floats in and out of availability. While the DVD version does exhibit some residual damage from the nitrate print found in 1981, it's still a massive improvement over the previously-known examples. It's a beautiful film to watch. Do not delay in seeing this. The Passion of Joan of Arc represents the pinnacle of film making.

Awesome. I picked up the Eureka Blu-Ray from the UK for this just last month as a blind-buy, and the movie exceeded all my expectations.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Dancer in the Dark -- Talk about powerful. And I don't think there's a release for this one either.

Dancer In The Dark is available on bluray. I have it!

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Dancer In The Dark is available on bluray. I have it!

Is that the German or Japanese edition? How does it look?

Been contemplating an import myself, but wasn't sure if it'd be worth it.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Is that the German or Japanese edition? How does it look?

Been contemplating an import myself, but wasn't sure if it'd be worth it.

I used to own the Japanese Blu-ray and it looked and sounded good.

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by buffetfroid

People talk about Von Trier a lot in this thread but it seems the Kingdom doesn't really get mentioned. What's up with that? It's probably my favorite thing he's done (that I've seen, obviously)

The Kingdom is great! I'd love to see it get a nice release, though I don't know I ever saw the second season... Didn't the story get left hanging after one of the actors died and Lars pulled the plug, since he didn't want to replace him?


I'd love to see a nice release of Dogville and Dancer. I think Dogville is LvT's pinnacle, but I haven't rewatched anything of his in ages, so it'd be interesting to reevaluate.

[Purplenoon]

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

Falconetti never did another movie, but she certainly acted on stage both before and after Joan of Arc. She was 54 when she died in 1946, not exactly old, but I'd hardly call 54 "very young".

Thanks: I stand corrected. Was unaware of her stagework, and thought she was around 40 when she died.

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by senseabove

The Kingdom is great! I'd love to see it get a nice release, though I don't know I ever saw the second season... Didn't the story get left hanging after one of the actors died and Lars pulled the plug, since he didn't want to replace him?

Yes. Ernst-Hugo Järegård (the Swedish neurosurgeon Helmer) died while season 3 was being written. Lars von Trier said that without him there was no show. A couple of years later the actress Kirsten Rolffes (the spiritualist patient "Drusse") died as well and that killed any chance of reviving the show.

[Nuck Horris]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

And no release of Medea.

The Facets Video DVD is still in print.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Maria Falconett's transcendent performance in The Passion of Joan of Arc left me utterly speechless.

[Show spoiler]Succinctly put, Carl Theodore Dreyer's magnificent The Passion of Joan of Arc made for one of the most powerful cinematic presentations I've ever witnessed. I've seen my fair share of silent films over the years, to my recollection, all of them with an accompanying musical score. This was something entirely different. As I was watching Criterion's DVD release stream via Hulu, the entire film was seemingly cloaked in reverential silence, and I cannot, in retrospect, imagine how the experience could be improved upon. Without a single spoken word, or audible cue, you are left utterly alone with your thoughts, contemplating the morality, or lack thereof, of those empowered by the church to be spiritual leaders, all while simultaneously marveling at the courageous piety displayed by this young woman.

There are two salient points I've come away with upon completion of this work: one, Dreyer, as a director, was clearly ahead of his time. And Maria Falconetti's otherworldly turn in the titular role, widely regarded as one of, if not the finest performances in film history, is richly-deserved. In her second, and final, film appearance, she has left a veritable blueprint for future generations of dramatic actors to study, and draw inspiration from. By the end of the film, as she was being carried to the stake where her body would be consumed by fire, I was in tears. So much of this film echoes the Passion of Christ: English-sympathizing French soldiers openly mocking her as she provides her testimony before her judges. The crown upon her head. Threats of torture in order to procure her "confession". Though the script is derived from the actual account of her trial and execution, these parallels to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ are clearly stylistic choices. And they're utterly effective. Once again, the viewer is reminded of the atrocities that have been committed throughout history, in the name of God.

These mostly contemptible men are wonderfully rendered by Dreyer and cinematographer Rudolph Maté; they are disturbing to look at, almost feral in appearance; their faces, twisted by time, their gross imperfections further exaggerated by the harshest of lighting, variations in camera angle, and a complete lack of makeup. Their effrontery is all the more appalling because they are the visual embodiment of self-righteous evil in the guise of pious men. When Joan refuses to acquiesce to their demands, they set about tricking her, falsifying a document from France's King Charles. When probed about the genesis of her actions, she answers that she was born to drive all the English from France, and her mission comes directly from God.



The rules of cinematography that we've come to expect from modern film making are largely absent; there is no real spatial frame of reference; these men, as they rise up in objection to Joan's words, shot from below to loom with an air of intimidation, appear to confront the terrified girl nearly face to face. They spit on her, poke and prod her, and ultimately, wear her down. Conversely, Jeanne d'Arc is shot with soft light. While Falconetti's face is also entirely lacking makeup, it is her eyes that provide the narrative's emotional anchor, and her physical performance is nothing short of riveting. Dreyer discovered Maria Falconetti working in amateur theater; he was not immediately impressed with her first performance. But, instinct compelled him to see her again, and, in Falconetti, he found his muse. Often shot from above, the lighting seemed to illuminate a deep reservoir of feeling within the actress; her eyes convey terror, sadness, and yet, and an intractable resolve that is easily understandable, regardless of the viewer's native tongue. Title cards are, at times, completely unnecessary. The viewer need not know what is being asked of her; Falconetti's emotional response speaks to the core of the interrogation, and seeing her float effortlessly between one extreme to another makes for a joyful viewing experience. I was absolutely transfixed.

Watching Joan's ordeal is, of course, uncomfortable. As I have opined so many times in the past, film is often at its most compelling as a medium when it makes the viewer recoil, and yet think. We know the inevitable outcome of these proceedings before the first frame of film illuminates the screen. The providence afforded to The Maid of Orléans is known to people around the world, her legend spreading well beyond the borders of her native France. When Joan is brought to the torture room, she is still. Quiet. Falconetti is almost ethereal in appearance, while her accusers are wildly animated, seemingly overflowing with some form of blood lust. Then, there is this wonderful quickening of tempo, as the camera switches from Joan's face to the spinning torture wheel. As the wheel accelerates, Joan's increased terror is palpable. And, though it seems as if the whole exercise was mere theater for the public, her ultimate fate preordained, even with knowledge that Joan cannot escape, there is a moment of fleeting hope where she signs her confession, momentarily escaping death. But as she faces the realization of what, exactly, she has done, she compels the man charged with preparing her for imprisonment to bring the judges back to her. She recants her confession, and is immediately accused of being an instrument of Satan. Yet, there is a wild twist. Though she has been recently subjected to a bloodletting, Joan regains her strength, reaffirms her love for God, and accuses her judges as being the true instruments of evil, tormentors there for the sole purpose of testing her faith. This seals her fate.

This film immediately jumps to the top of my "must upgrade" list for Criterion. Eureka commissioned a second restoration of the film for their blu-ray release, so it's just a matter of Criterion acquiring the master for distribution. As for those of you who have not yet seen this film, there's still time to watch it on Hulu. I assume that it will remain as part of the streaming catalog available on FilmStruck starting here in the fall, but I do not know if it will be a permanent fixture, or one of the films that floats in and out of availability. While the DVD version does exhibit some residual damage from the nitrate print found in 1981, it's still a massive improvement over the previously-known examples. It's a beautiful film to watch. Do not delay in seeing this. The Passion of Joan of Arc represents the pinnacle of film making.

Very interesting analysis. Thanks for that. A film I've heard a lot about but don't know much about, if that makes senses. As I am region-free, it is tempting to pick up the MoC release as a blind-buy. I just jumped on DVDBeaver to read the review, and see it contains three different versions - including two at different fps speeds, which is intriguing.

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Very interesting analysis. Thanks for that. A film I've heard a lot about but don't know much about, if that makes senses. As I am region-free, it is tempting to pick up the MoC release as a blind-buy. I just jumped on DVDBeaver to read the review, and see it contains three different versions - including two at different fps speeds, which is intriguing.

If you are at all interested in silent movies it's a must-own. And for anyone else it's a must-see at least once. It truly is one of the best movies ever made.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

If you are at all interested in silent movies it's a must-own. And for anyone else it's a must-see at least once. It truly is one of the best movies ever made.

And Anna Karina's character in Vivre sa vie is in complete agreement, I think.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Very interesting analysis. Thanks for that. A film I've heard a lot about but don't know much about, if that makes senses. As I am region-free, it is tempting to pick up the MoC release as a blind-buy. I just jumped on DVDBeaver to read the review, and see it contains three different versions - including two at different fps speeds, which is intriguing.

£15 at the current exchange rate (about $20) is pretty decent for the MoC release imo, even as a blind-buy. It does come in a nice slipbox with a massive booklet. Even the packaging surpassed my expectations.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

£15 at the current exchange rate (about $20) is pretty decent for the MoC release imo, even as a blind-buy. It does come in a nice slipbox with a massive booklet. Even the packaging surpassed my expectations.

Yeah it's worth it almost for the packaging alone. LOL

[The Great Owl]

Valley of the Dolls is priced at $25.87 and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is priced at $19.99 on Barnes & Noble right now.

The total is $48 and change after taxes.

This is a good chance to get these two cinematic milestones for a decent price if you don't want to wait for the next big sale.

I just pre-ordered both of them.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Dancer In The Dark is available on bluray. I have it!

Jeez, you're right. A German version. How did I miss this?! I looked all over, I thought. Maybe I was half asleep or something.

Anyways, thanks.