The Criterion Collection

[mrjohnnyb]

Isn't that a dagger on top of the bloody spot?

Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? - Macbeth, Act II, Scene I

Originally Posted by captveg

This is a 100%, no wiggle room clue for Macbeth. Don't forget that the exact same line from the play was hinted at in the New Years drawing as well.

[joie]

Originally Posted by James78

After Lady Macbeth goads her husband to kill King Duncan, she goes mad with guilt and begins to see blood on her hands. She spends all her time scrubbing them, saying, "Out, damned spot!"

It could be an obsession.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by joie

It could be an obsession.

Ya' think?!

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by joie

It could be an obsession.

"Lady Macbeth believes that an imprecation will work in removing the spot, where cleaning fluids have failed.
(Compare this to Macbeth's 'Out, brief candle' in the play, as many of the characters frequently address inanimate objects in the full knowledge they can't talk back.)"
- Richard Armour, "Twisted Tales from Shakespeare".

[The Great Owl]

I was going to wait until this weekend to delve into the Persona Blu-ray, but my curiosity got the best of me. Here's my rather shaky attempt to get my mind around this film by throwing figurative darts, most of which probably miss the entire dartboard altogether...



Ingmar Bergman's 1966 film, Persona, is a disquietingly intimate story about a nurse, played by Bibi Andersson, who is assigned with the care of an actress, played by Liv Ullmann, who has suddenly stopped speaking in an apparent act of withdrawal from her world. As the two women become acquainted with each other while living together in an isolated seaside home, unforeseen tensions arise, roles are reversed, identities are merged, and facades are shattered. Andersson's Alma and Ullmann's Elisabet are constantly shown in close detail through mirror reflections, windows, and uncanny framing devices in a way that suggests that they are examining us viewers with the same intrusive inquisitiveness with which they are studying each other. When Alma and Elisabet face the camera directly while looking at a mirror reflection, or when Elisabet looks directly into the camera to take a photo with her own camera (an image that The Ocean Blue used as a cover for their 1996 album, See The Ocean Blue), we sense personas being dissected on multiple levels, whether these are the personas of the two women, ourselves, or even cinema itself.

As I watched Persona for the first time tonight, my thoughts drifted to a 1979 song, "Two People in a Room", by the British post-punk band, Wire.

"Two people in a room
Facial movements betray
A private display
Of nervous disorder
And mutual torture

Two people in a room
Bloody image is conjured
But no one is injured
The weapons are chosen
But the action is frozen

Two people in a room
Positions are shifted
The ceasefire uplifted
The lighting is fierce
It's intended to pierce
Any cloak of deceit
And encourage retreat
And God they're so gifted
My God they're so gifted"

There is always an element of discomfort and self-consciousness when two people are in each other's company in an isolated setting, because the act of projecting ourselves in way that serves our idealized perceptions of self are compromised by our tendencies to mirror the mannerisms of the other person. I am always fascinated, for example, by studies that show how the faces of spouses may physically resemble each other after decades of marriage, or by sales tutorials that advise us to mirror the movements of another person when making that person's acquaintance. Bergman's Persona opens itself to a variety of interpretations, but my personal first impression of the film is that it is perhaps cinema's most piercing examination of how we often define ourselves by our perception of how other people see us, and of how we even use cinema as a mirror to form our personas based on how we favor what we see on a screen.

Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann are both entrancing to watch, and it is a testament to their acting abilities that we are sold on the idea that Alma is the one who becomes an active performer when she is placed in close quarters with Elisabet, whom Alma recognizes from her acting roles, while Elisabet becomes the audience. The odd charm of Persona lies in Bergman's seemingly effortless ability to toy with different roles. The actress becomes the audience, the audience becomes the celebrity, the caring nurse becomes a source of danger, the patient becomes a therapist, the extrovert is secretive, and the introvert often becomes an open book. Persona is a beautiful film on a surface level, but the forced intimacy lends an eerie edge to the proceedings.

The black-and-white cinematography of Persona looks fantastic on this Criterion Collection Blu-ray. The use of light and shadows becomes wonderfully ethereal in indoor settings, especially during one sequence where Elisabet wanders into Alma's room, ambles into another adjacent room, and returns in one single-frame shot. The detail of outdoor settings is crystal clear, especially on the jagged beach rocks that seem to represent the apprehension that both female characters have towards the external world (Vietnam, parental responsibilities, marriages, etc.). One helpful supplement, Persona's Prologue, guides us through the mesmerizing but puzzling images of the first few minutes of the film. A series of cast and director interviews provides additional insights into Personal without cheating us of our own interpretations. A 2012 feature-length documentary, Liv & Ingmar, could have easily necessitated its own separate Blu-ray release, so it is a blessing to have it included here as an extra.

This Blu-ray will demand multiple viewings, since my first impression probably does not even scratch the surface of what this visually innovative film has to offer. My first impression is good enough, however, to bestow a five-star rating on this disc.

[joie]

Originally Posted by EricJ

"Lady Macbeth believes that an imprecation will work in removing the spot, where cleaning fluids have failed.
(Compare this to Macbeth's 'Out, brief candle' in the play, as many of the characters frequently address inanimate objects in the full knowledge they can't talk back.)"
- Richard Armour, "Twisted Tales from Shakespeare".

It can be said that Macbeth apostrophized a candle. To apostrophize (speaking of the infinitive) admits addressing someone or something ("something" underlined, if I knew how on the phone), so it's not as deranged as addressing an "inanimate object."

Characters often apostrophize something.

Edit: Here's a modern example of apostrophization: In Chungking Express' second half, the cop apostrophizes a soap bar, a dish towel, and a stuffed animal.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

[Show spoiler]I was going to wait until this weekend to delve into the Persona Blu-ray, but my curiosity got the best of me. Here's my rather shaky attempt to get my mind around this film by throwing figurative darts, most of which probably miss the entire dartboard altogether...



Ingmar Bergman's 1966 film, Persona, is a disquietingly intimate story about a nurse, played by Bibi Andersson, who is assigned with the care of an actress, played by Liv Ullmann, who has suddenly stopped speaking in an apparent act of withdrawal from her world. As the two women become acquainted with each other while living together in an isolated seaside home, unforeseen tensions arise, roles are reversed, identities are merged, and facades are shattered. Andersson's Alma and Ullmann's Elisabet are constantly shown in close detail through mirror reflections, windows, and uncanny framing devices in a way that suggests that they are examining us viewers with the same intrusive inquisitiveness with which they are studying each other. When Alma and Elisabet face the camera directly while looking at a mirror reflection, or when Elisabet looks directly into the camera to take a photo with her own camera (an image that The Ocean Blue used as a cover for their 1996 album, See The Ocean Blue), we sense personas being dissected on multiple levels, whether these are the personas of the two women, ourselves, or even cinema itself.

As I watched Persona for the first time tonight, my thoughts drifted to a 1979 song, "Two People in a Room", by the British post-punk band, Wire.

"Two people in a room
Facial movements betray
A private display
Of nervous disorder
And mutual torture

Two people in a room
Bloody image is conjured
But no one is injured
The weapons are chosen
But the action is frozen

Two people in a room
Positions are shifted
The ceasefire uplifted
The lighting is fierce
It's intended to pierce
Any cloak of deceit
And encourage retreat
And God they're so gifted
My God they're so gifted"

There is always an element of discomfort and self-consciousness when two people are in each other's company in an isolated setting, because the act of projecting ourselves in way that serves our idealized perceptions of self are compromised by our tendencies to mirror the mannerisms of the other person. I am always fascinated, for example, by studies that show how the faces of spouses may physically resemble each other after decades of marriage, or by sales tutorials that advise us to mirror the movements of another person when making that person's acquaintance. Bergman's Persona opens itself to a variety of interpretations, but my personal first impression of the film is that it is perhaps cinema's most piercing examination of how we often define ourselves by our perception of how other people see us, and of how we even use cinema as a mirror to form our personas based on how we favor what we see on a screen.

Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann are both entrancing to watch, and it is a testament to their acting abilities that we are sold on the idea that Alma is the one who becomes an active performer when she is placed in close quarters with Elisabet, whom Alma recognizes from her acting roles, while Elisabet becomes the audience. The odd charm of Persona lies in Bergman's seemingly effortless ability to toy with different roles. The actress becomes the audience, the audience becomes the celebrity, the caring nurse becomes a source of danger, the patient becomes a therapist, the extrovert is secretive, and the introvert often becomes an open book. Persona is a beautiful film on a surface level, but the forced intimacy lends an eerie edge to the proceedings.

The black-and-white cinematography of Persona looks fantastic on this Criterion Collection Blu-ray. The use of light and shadows becomes wonderfully ethereal in indoor settings, especially during one sequence where Elisabet wanders into Alma's room, ambles into another adjacent room, and returns in one single-frame shot. The detail of outdoor settings is crystal clear, especially on the jagged beach rocks that seem to represent the apprehension that both female characters have towards the external world (Vietnam, parental responsibilities, marriages, etc.). One helpful supplement, Persona's Prologue, guides us through the mesmerizing but puzzling images of the first few minutes of the film. A series of cast and director interviews provides additional insights into Personal without cheating us of our own interpretations. A 2012 feature-length documentary, Liv & Ingmar, could have easily necessitated its own separate Blu-ray release, so it is a blessing to have it included here as an extra.

This Blu-ray will demand multiple viewings, since my first impression probably does not even scratch the surface of what this visually innovative film has to offer. My first impression is good enough, however, to bestow a five-star rating on this disc.

I hate you.



GREAT review. It really is an amazing film, and one I've owned on DVD for years, though I admit to not having watched in a while. Now I see everyone grabbing these CC Blu-Rays, and your exquisite review -- how am I supposed to resist?

I'll find a way.

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Because Throne of Blood was already announced months before the New Years clue came out.

It's not unusual for the New Year's cartoon to reference known/announced titles.

[bwdowiak]

I saw a recently restored digital print of Alphaville last night on the big screen here in Chicago. It was my first time seeing it. I’m not the biggest fan of sci-fi flicks and although this might be classified as sci-fi lite, I’d guess that others would enjoy it more than I did. The print looked really clean. I thought there were a few really great scenes. Like Godard’s other films, there is quite a bit of poetry in the images and in the dialogue. Had I been watching it at home, I surely would have listened to parts of the dialogue twice, if not three times, to ponder what they meant to me. I’d buy it on blu-ray if and when it is released. Needs multiple viewings. Not my favorite Godard, but definitely worthwhile.

[blkhrt]

Originally Posted by sc1957

A little something in reference to The Freshman and Harold Lloyd:

Scott Neumyer:
The film looks amazing on Blu-ray. Will the rest of Harold’s catalogue end up being released by Criterion Collection at some point as well?

Suzanne Lloyd:
Yeah, all of it. They’re going to put out all of it. The next thing that I’m working on right now are all the talkies, and we’re going to put them in a box set.

From Parade.

That is great news! Thanks for sharing the link.

[brandon_260]

Has anyone seen any of the Lloyd talkies? I'm definitely interested. One is directed by Leo McCarey, which is super cool, since Make Way For Tomorrow and Ruggles are both fantastic.

[Clare2904]

Hoping for my first positive Wes Anderson experience today. Off to the 16.30 screening of The Grand Budapest Hotel. Decided to shell out an extra $3 and go for the Cineplex UltraAVX experience.

Catching The Wind Rises first in 30 minutes, fancied this one ever since I couldn't get a ticket back in September at TIFF.

[runnersdialzero]

Budapest is Anderson 's best live action film since Tenenbaums. I laughed a lot.

[Blu Titan]

200k "Likes" for CC. Are they having a sale to celebrate or what ?

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

200k "Likes" for CC. Are they having a sale to celebrate or what ?

That would be cool. I (very uncharacteristically) completely missed the last one.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by sc1957

A little something in reference to The Freshman and Harold Lloyd:

[Show spoiler]
Scott Neumyer:
The film looks amazing on Blu-ray. Will the rest of Harold’s catalogue end up being released by Criterion Collection at some point as well?

Suzanne Lloyd:
Yeah, all of it. They’re going to put out all of it. The next thing that I’m working on right now are all the talkies, and we’re going to put them in a box set.

From Parade

.

Nice! I'm planning to watch The Freshman tonight after enjoying Persona last night. The Great Beauty will have to wait for this weekend.

[SilentDawn]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Also, I just looked up "The Story of Film" and it sounds really good. I may check it out.

I couldn't finish that documentary, the narration is astonishingly terrible. Plus, quite a few of the images have nothing to do with any of the films or time periods that the documentary is discussing.

In spite of this, I commend the guy for making a documentary that is so audacious. I just don't think it works.

[James Luckard]

It seems pretty clear that Criterion will be releasing Polanski's Macbeth.

There's a 1979 South Bank Show episode on the Tess BD from the time he was promoting the film. It includes clips from a number of films of his or that were influences on him: Tess, Knife in the Water, Cul de Sac, Olivier's Hamlet, his Macbeth.

However when it gets to Chinatown, the clip that was included in the episode has been crudely edited out and replaced with a modern shot of a production still from the scene - there's a jump and they refer to the clip we didn't see. This clearly means Criterion didn't have the rights to include that clip. However it means they did have the rights to include the clips of Macbeth, along with the other four films, which are already in their catalog

Hopefully we'll see Macbeth from them soon

[Hintermann]

I finally saw Rainer Werner Fassbinder's World On A Wire last week. It is a very had movie to describe but suffice it to say that it reflects the man himself. Fascinating certainly, mindboggling for the most part but certainly makes a lasting impression. To some extent, it is up to the viewer to decide what to make of it - even make-up one's own allegories.

The Criterion transfer in OK at best but I suppose it was the best they could do from an old TV film.

[Spire]

Originally Posted by Hintermann

I finally saw Rainer Werner Fassbinder's World On A Wire last week. It is a very had movie to describe but suffice it to say that it reflects the man himself. Fascinating certainly, mindboggling for the most part but certainly makes a lasting impression. To some extent, it is up to the viewer to decide what to make of it - even make-up one's own allegories.

The Criterion transfer in OK at best but I suppose it was the best they could do from an old TV film.

That was my first* Criterion title and I loved it. It was a little lengthy for one sitting but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

*excluding the Beastie Boys Anthology I bought many years before, with which I didnt know/care what Criterion was at the time :P