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September 2011: The Criterion Collection
by
John Gallagher
THE CRITERION COLLECTION: Since 1984, Criterion has been setting the standard for quality presentation of films for the home market, beginning with laserdiscs, then DVDs, now Blu-rays. They remaster and restore, and load their discs with outstanding bonus features; indeed, the first audio commentary ever was for their second catalogue release, KING KONG. Criterion’s mark of excellence is evident, as always, on several new releases. THE COMPLETE JEAN VIGO collects all the works of the French auteur: his experimental short docs A PROPOS DE NICE (1930) and TARIS (1931), his 44-minute narrative ZERO DE CONDUITE (1933), and his feature L’ATALANTE (1934), completed before his tragic death from tuberculosis at age twenty-nine. The latter two titles are among the most influential works in world cinema, an especial influence on the filmmakers of the French New Wave, and essential viewing for cineastes everywhere. ZERO DE CONDUITE chronicles a mischievous revolt at a boys’ boarding school, while L’ATALANTE details the odyssey of a pair of newlyweds starting life together on a canal barge. Both films are visually exciting, thanks to Vigo’s crucial collaboration with cinematographer Boris Kaufman, who went on to shoot ON THE WATERFRONT (1954), BABY DOLL (1956) and SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS (1961) for Kazan, and six films for Lumet, including TWELVE ANGRY MEN (1957) and THE PAWNBROKER (1964); the stark black and white photographic blueprints of his later work in ON THE WATERFRONT and THE PAWNBROKER are evident in ZERO DE CONDUITE and L’ATALANTE. In typical Criterion fashion, the Blu-ray Special Edition presents all four films in new hi-def digital restorations, and is filled with extras: audio commentaries by Michael Temple, author of Jean Vigo; the score for A PROPPOS DE NICE by Marc Perrone, from 2001; alternate edits of A PROPOS DE NICE, featuring footage cut by Vigo; an episode of the French television series CINEASTES DE NOTRE TEMPS on Vigo, from 1964; a 1968 conversation about L’ATALANTE between Vigo disciples Francois Truffaut and Eric Rohmer; an animated tribute to Vigo by Michel Gondry; Bernard Eisenschitz’ 2001 documentary LES VOYAGES DE “L’ATALANTE;” a 2001 interview with director Otar Iosseliani on Vigo; new and improved English subtitle translations; and finally, a booklet featuring essays by Michael Almereyda, Robert Polito, B. Kite, and Luc Sante.
Stanley Kubrick’s racetrack heist film THE KILLING (1956), based on Lionel White’s novel Clean Break, put the 27-year-old director on the map. It’s a taut thriller with a complex structure; Sterling Hayden and Coleen Gray head a cast of wonderful character actors like Jay C. Flippen, Elisha Cook, Jr., Marie Windsor, Ted de Corsia and the completely unique Timothy Carey. Criterion’s Blu-ray features a new digital restoration, a new video interview with producer James B. Harris (Kubrick’s partner on PATHS OF GLORY and LOLITA as well); a fantastic interview from the early 70s with Sterling Hayden from the French TV series CINEMA CINEMAS; an interview with Robert Polito on pulp novelist Jim Thompson, who co-wrote the script with Kubrick and never forgave the director for taking sole screenplay credit and giving Thompson “Additional Dialogue by;” a restored hi-def digital transfer of KILLER’S KISS (1955), Kubrick’s previous, no-budget effort, fascinating today for its footage of mid-50s Manhattan; and a video appreciation of KILLER’S KISS by critic Geoffrey O’Brien. A booklet includes an essay by film historian Haden Guest, and Roy Frumkes’ excellent interview with Marie Windsor, reprinted from the fall 1992 issue of The Perfect Vision.
One of Roman Polanski’s hardest-to-see (and with KNIFE IN THE WATER, REPULSION, ROSEMARY’S BABY, CHINATOWN and THE PIANIST, one of his masterpieces) is 1966’s CUL-DE-SAC. It is pure Polanski, a delicious, screwball blend of dark comedy, sexual peccadilloes, and the gangster genre. Lionel Stander (who worked for such diverse multi-era directors as Harold Lloyd, Frank Capra, William Wellman, Fritz Lang, Preston Sturges, Sergio Leone, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg as well as Polanski!) excels as a gangster who invades a medieval castle occupied by a most bizarre couple (Donald Pleasence, Francoise Dorleac). This is another newly restored hi-def transfer approved by Polanski himself; extras include the 2003 documentary TWO GANGSTERS AND AN ISLAND, featuring interviews with Polanski, producer Gene Gutowski and cinematographer Gilbert Taylor; a 1987 TV interview with the director; theatrical trailers; and a booklet featuring an essay by critic David Thompson.
There’s a lot of interesting content (essays, news about current and upcoming releases) at www.criterion.com; many Criterion titles are available for streaming at http://www.hulu.com/plus.
Universal’s Blu-ray SCARFACE: LIMITED EDITION includes both Brian DePalma’s 1983 epic, and a DVD of the 1932 Howard Hawks original gangster classic. DePalma’s version boasts grand over-the-top theatrics in an operatic style reminiscent of THE GODFATHER, extreme violence, an iconic Giorgio Moroder score, gorgeous visuals courtesy of cinematographer John Alonzo and producer designer Fernando Scarfiotti awash in reds, yellows and blacks; and a great big performance by Al Pacino as cocaine kingpin Tony Montana. The movie was much derided upon its original release but has steadily grown to become a major cult film. This special edition includes half-a-dozen featurettes on making the picture and its subsequent impact on pop culture, deleted scenes, and a slew of exclusive Blu-ray features (picture-in-picture interviews with DePalma, Pacino, and screenwriter Oliver Stone, and a scene comparison between the Hawks and DePalma versions). There’s even a montage of clips comparing the theatrical version with the cleaned-up network television version.
Twentieth Century-Fox Home Entertainment kicks off its new Fox World Cinema label spotlighting mainstream films from around the globe with Chinese filmmaker Wuershan’s mystical martial arts adventure THE BUTCHER, THE CHEF AND THE SWORDSMAN (2010); Rohan Sippy’s Bollywood crime drama DUM MAARO DUM (2011); and Michele Placido’s extraordinary, relentless ANGEL OF EVIL (2010), the true story of Renata Vallanzasca, leader of a Milanese gang of thieves, told over the course of four decades. Italian superstar Kim Rossi Stuart plays Renata and he is brilliant, with the good looks and ultra-cool of Alain Delon circa 1970, and the passion, charisma and talent of Robert DeNiro1977. Masterfully directed, ANGEL OF EVIL earned eight David di Donatello nominations from the Italian Academy. Extras include deleted and extended scenes and a making-of featurette.
Ridley Scott and Tony Scott executive produced GETTYSBURG (2011) for The History Channel under the direction of Adrian Moat, an exceptional documentary with compelling and authentic recreations of the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil (50,000 killed between July 1st and 3rd, 1863). Sam Rockwell narrates the story of General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate incursion into Pennsylvania, and the three day clash with General Meade’s Union army in and around a sleepy farm community. The Newvideo release includes both Blu-ray and DVD discs.
TCM ALERT: On September 28, TCM presents a 24-hour Tribute to the Library of Congress Film Archive, presenting 13 features and 6 shorts. The LOC Archive holds 140 million feet of film, dating back to the 1890’s, has restored and preserved countless films, and is responsible for the National Film Registry, a list of “culturally, historically or aesthetically important” motion pictures. Highlights of the TCM event include the long-unavailable 1943 romantic drama THE CONSTANT NYMPH starring Joan Fontaine and Charles Boyer; four believed-to-be-lost Will Rogers travelogues from 1927; Mary Pickford’s SPARROWS (1926); King Vidor’s STREET SCENE (1931), hitherto relegated to poor quality dupes; Frank Capra’s Depression drama AMERICAN MADNESS (1932); BABY FACE (1933), starring Barbara Stanwyck, perhaps the ultimate Pre-Code movie; Edgar Ulmer’s atmospheric sci-fi classic THE MAN FROM PLANET X (1951); and, most excitingly, the rare silent version of Lewis Milestone’s early talkie war drama ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930), made for those theatres not yet equipped for sound. For a full schedule head to www.tcm.com.
John Gallagher
jgmovie@gmail.com |
