| This July, rediscover Yukio Mishima, Japan’s most popular and controversial twentieth-century writer, whose public death by seppuku made him an unforgettable international artistic and political figure. In both Paul Schrader’s dazzlingly stylized biopic Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (“A handsome, superbly restored edition” —New York Times) and Mishima’s own long-lost short film Patriotism (“Magnificent cinema” —DVD Beaver), now available separately from Criterion, you’ll gain new insights on this man who sought an impossible harmony between body, art, and the society around him. Happy viewing! |
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MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS Paul Schrader “The most unconventional biopic I’ve ever seen, and one of the best.” —Roger Ebert |
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PATRIOTISM Yukio Mishima “Patriotism casts an almost dreamlike spell that is not easily forgotten.” —DVD Talk
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MON ONCLE ANTOINE Claude Jutra “The best Canadian film ever made.” —Toronto International Film Festival critics’ poll
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TRAFIC Jacques Tati “Superb. [A] great and very beautiful movie.” —New York Times
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HIGH AND LOW Akira Kurosawa “Brilliant. A taut moral drama.” —Village Voice
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VAMPYR Carl Theodor Dreyer “A great vampire film. Dreyer preys upon our subconscious fears . . . its mood is evocative, dreamy, spectral.” —Pauline Kael
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MORE CRITERIONS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT:
COMING IN AUGUST
Brand upon the Brain!
The Small Back Room
Twenty-Four Eyes
Salò, or The 120 Days of Sodom
Eclipse Series 11: Larisa Shepitko
David Hudson lives in Berlin and translated screenplays until his blog, GreenCine Daily, swallowed him whole.
It’s awfully daunting to scan a list of over four hundred titles—especially these four-hundred-plus titles—and force yourself to pick out ten. I started out trying to cover all the bases: one from this genre, one from that director. But the list that was taking shape could’ve come from anyone. We’ve been bombarded well enough with canons. So, on a whim, I’ve decided to simply skim the spines and make an impulsive grab at the titles that conjure a memory or a smile—or a chill. This is not a “desert island” list. If it were, there’d be an Ozu, a Bresson, a Sturges, a Lubitsch. I’ll be the first to admit that this approach has led to a pretty goofy top ten, and as the common disclaimer goes, ask me on another day and you’ll get another list, but here goes.
1. John Cassavetes: Five Films
2. M
3. Contempt
4. Berlin Alexanderplatz
5. Yi Yi
6. Burden of Dreams
7. La Jetée/Sans Soleil
8. Dead Ringers
9. The Seventh Seal
10. Six Moral Tales
Click here to read Hudson’s thoughts on his top ten.
© 2008 The Criterion Collection