Top 40: Inside the Criterion Collection

    So I work at The Criterion Collection and get to watch movies from all around the world (I help approve these titles before they go live on Hulu/iTunes/Netflix). Listed below are 40 films I've hand-selected from the hundreds of films I've seen here. An important note: these are films I had never seen before working at Criterion, so they don't reflect my favorites of all time (although some have made the list - they are listed with an asterisk). Lastly, I'm not a professional critic, nor do my views reflect that of the C.C.

1. MASTER OF THE HOUSE - Intriguing silent film about an overbearing father and the ruination of his household - it'll break your heart. From Carl Theodor Dreyer.
2. VAMPYR (*) - An absolute masterpiece and one of my newer favourite films. Far from feeling antiquated or campy, it's an eerily realistic portrait of the unknown that beautifully crystallizes moments in time. Also from Dreyer. 
3. GOD'S COUNTRY - A classic documentary from Louis Malle on the problems, hopes and dreams of a small Minnesotan town - as told from a European vantage point. 
4. ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS - Louis Malle also made great narrative dramas, including this gem about murder and fate. 
5. BOMBAY TALKIE - James Ivory (American) and Ismail Merchant (Indian) produced some of the best Indian (from India) films of all time back in the 60s and 70s. Most of them star Shashi Kapoor, a wonderful Indian actor I liken the "Brad Pitt" of the east. This one's a refreshingly modern film about an Indian movie star's love affair with an English actress. 
6. KING OF KINGS (*) - I know, I should've already seen this one, but Demille's King of Kings, with it's grandiose scope and artful execution, is both a tour de force and a resonating reenactment of the Passion. From Cecil B. Demille. 
7. SUMMER WITH MONIKA - Ingmar Bergman is at his best when he takes things off set, away from the sometimes satisfying, yet ultimately melodramatic forays into the existential. Here a youthful summer romance shifts into a complex drama about responsibility and attachment. 
8. SHAKESPEARE WALLAH - A British family troupe performs Shakespeare for the stage - during the changing face of India in the 50s and 60s. Inquisitive and engaging. Also from Merchent/Ivory.  
9. BITTER RICE - Multi-layered Italian drama about greed, wandering, romance, politics and idealism. From Guiseppe De Santis.
10. HOPSCOTCH - Oddly overlooked dramedy starring Walter Matthau as an ex-CIA operative on a fun run to reveal some not-so-fun secrets. From Ronald Neame.
11. BEFORE THE RAIN - A Macedonian photographer gets wrapped up in the complexities of violence, silence, motives and beliefs. One of the most beautifully shot films I've ever seen. From Milcho Manchevski.
12. BREAKER MORANT - During the Boer wars in Southern Africa, three Austrialian luetenants are on trial for crimes that may have been justified. This film questions our sense of fairness as it portrays moral ambition. From Bruce Beresford.  
13. NAKED ISLAND, THE (*) - A penniless Japanese family inhabit a small island, where back-breaking labour yields meager necessities. When they get a chance to enter town, you feel a weigh lifted off your shoulders. This film is a perfect treasure, a vision of how cinema can change your perspective. From Kaneto Shindô.
14. LENINGRAD COWBOYS GO TO AMERICA - With the Leningrad Cowboys series, Aki Kaurismäki ("Le Havre") lightens our spirits with deadpan Scandinavian humour. A fictional Russian "rock band" travels to America seeking stardom, exposing U.S.A.'s irrational lust for the limelight. A dark joy-ride.     
15. GERMANY YEAR ZERO - A family dealing with plagues, desires and insecurities amidst the fittingly post-war landscape of Berlin. The last segment in Roberto Rossellini's war trilogy. 
16. BEAU SERGE, LE - A man returns to the small town that once defined him, shocked that his old friend has spiraled out of control. But how far would you go to help a friend in need? Is it worth it to sacrifice for someone you once cared for, even if they turn out to be a real deadbeat? And where do you draw the line between charity and irresponsibility? Get drawn into the emotional maelstrom. From Claude Chabrol.
17. BLACK SUN - In the 60s some really indescribably interesting films were being made by Koreyoshi Kurahara. In this one, a Japanese house-squatter engrossed with Jazz and black people (very common for the time) becomes esctatic when a black (AWOL) GI co-opts his "home" for a hiding place. But the GI misunderstands our derelict friend and conflict ensues when the house is torn down. You really just have to see it to believe it. 
18. BETE HUMAINE, LA - Jean Renoir’s arsenal is awe-inspiring. Love! Work! Danger! Uncertainty! 
19. EAR, THE - A commie on the Party committee freaks out when he finds his own home has been bugged. A nightmarish night follows as he and his wife confront some long-dormant trust issues. From Karel Kachyna. 
20. RED SHOES, THE (*) - Why did I wait so long to see this timeless film?! A ballet dancer with stars in her eyes faces a crossroads of work and love. Excellent example of an artistic film packing dramatic heavyweight. From the great (Michael) Powell and (Emeric) Pressburger.
21. BATTLE OF ALGIERS - Strife, revolution, the failure of people, the failure of governments, and the aspirations of both. Another astounding film I had been meaning to catch. From Gillo Pontecorvo.
22. HAMLET - Laurence Olivier...how likable and mesmerizing are your films. I could only choose one, or I would choose them all. A gloriously affecting rendition of the classic from Mr. Olivier himself. 
23. MISHIMA - Paul Schrader presents an avant-garde tribute to acclaimed author Yukio Mishima, told in four parts. No use unfolding what lies in audio (Philip Glass score) visual (glorious sets by Eiko Ishioka) territory. It's arty, dicey, and affecting. 
24. THIS SPORTING LIFE - Richard Harris is "better than Brando" (imho) as a brutish miner drawn into the rugby world. But there's more to this hardened man than meets the eye as vulnerable feelings and experiences are exchanged between himself and the once-quiet widow he is lodging under. A fascinating character study. From Lindsay Anderson.
25. RETURN TO GLENNASCAUL - Hilton Edwards directs an Irish tale about two women living in an old mansion who might be from another realm. Orson Welles makes an appearance and is as electrifying as ever, but the supporting cast is equally dazzling. A short film. 
26. MY CRASY LIFE - Jean-Pierre Gorin’s astonishing documentary about a California Samoan Crip Gang takes us past the gates into their private abode and then abroad to Samoa, where some estranged ex-gangmembers reflect on life and the danger of 'hood' life in Long Beach. Equal parts compelling, hilarious, frightful and ponderous.  
27. STORY OF CHIKAMATSU, A (*) - Masaki Kobayashi has emerged as my second favourite Japanese filmmaker, next to Kurosawa. This film, alternately titled "The Crucified Lovers", is a tale of one small misdeed which snowballs into a mess of unfortunate events. 
28. I WILL BUY YOU - Another masterful Kobayashi picture about a Baseball agency that is trying to acquire a star player before their competitors get to him. Thing is, they must go through the young player's agent, who is a tuff nut. All these elements lead to a surprisingly conclusion.  
29. TRIAL OF JOAN OF ARC - Robert Bresson's take on Joan of Arc is a psychological character study that paints an interesting picture of entitlement, justice, and the will of God.  
30. NIGHT AND FOG IN JAPAN - High-stakes political theatre-like film about revolt, mistrust, and ideal. The stark visuals match perfectly to the idealism of the young university students during a tumultuous era in Japanese history. From Nagisa Ôshima.
31. EARRINGS OF MADAME DE -  Up in the mountains personalities clash and relationships unfurl. A wonderful assemble piece from Max Ophüls.
32. IRONFINGER - James Bond in Japan! Need I say more? A fun romp, and there are more films like this. From Jun Fukuda.  
33. ANTONIO GAUDI - Avant-garde Japanese vision of Gaudi's architecture with an amazing musical score. From Hiroshi Teshigahara.  
34. CLEAN, SHAVEN - Lodge Kerrigan presents a strange character study that implies more than it visualizes. It's a real head trip. 
35. THE ORGANIZER - Rise up workers and unite! A factory mishap leads a town subsisting on the enterprise to revolt - with the help of an enigmatic professor. From Mario Monicelli. 
36. DANTON - Gérard Depardieu shines as Danton, one of the foremen of the French Revolution. The film's hopeful yet ultimately devastating turn of events is transfixing. From the wonderful Andrzej Wajda.
37. SIMON OF THE DESERT (*) - A visionary companion to the films of Alejandro Jodorowsky, Luis Buñuel’s short film (which was meant to be feature-length before funding fell through) is a spiritual odyssey into the extreme. 
38. F FOR FAKE - Orson Welles hits the mark with this tale of magic, forgery, dilierium and mishap.  
39. PRINCESS FROM THE MOON - E.T. meets Japanese psycho-mania. A trippy film with amazing visual effects you just have to experience. From the venerable Kon Ichikawa.
40. FLOWERS OF ST. FRANCIS (*) - Roberto Rossellini's masterpiece (written by Federico Fellini) about Saint Francis of Assisi moves like Biblical poetry. A fully satisfying, inspiring, and memorable work. 

• Extra Credit: 

1. Phantom India - 7-film series by Louis Malle about India that will fill you with wonder.  
2. Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales - 6-film series dealing with a variety of relational issues and developed with critical thinking in mind. 

VISIT: 

www.criterion.com

www.imdb.com

- J.R.L. 

P.S. My co-worker saw a totally different batch of films than I so here's hoping he writes a companion list someday!!