Schrader-ten_w296

Paul Schrader

It’s pretty hard to go wrong selecting ten “best” or ten “favorites” from the Criterion Collection, although it might be interesting to select the ten worst Criterion releases (something that, in deference to my friends at Criterion, I will not do). As a longtime cinephille I’m familiar with most of the Criterion catalogue. Rather than select ten favorites I’ll choose ten films that I was able to see because of Criterion, films I previously did not know about or were not available.

The Spirit of the Beehive

The Spirit of the Beehive

Víctor Erice

Spain

1973

99 minutes

1.66:1

1.

Wings

Wings

Larisa Shepitko

Soviet Union

1966

85 minutes

1.33:1

2.

Death of a Cyclist

Death of a Cyclist

Juan Antonio Bardem

Spain

1955

87 minutes

1.33:1

3.

The Face of Another

The Face of Another

Hiroshi Teshigahara

Japan

1966

124 minutes

1.33:1

4.

The Furies

The Furies

Anthony Mann

United States

1950

109 minutes

1.33:1

5.

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

Mikio Naruse

Japan

1960

111 minutes

2.35:1

6.

Mala Noche

Mala Noche

Gus Van Sant

United States

1985

78 minutes

1.33:1

7.

Berlin Alexanderplatz

Berlin Alexanderplatz

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Germany

1980

940 minutes

1.33:1

8.

Hands Over the City

Hands Over the City

Francesco Rosi

Italy

1963

100 minutes

1.85:1

9.

Street of Shame

Street of Shame

Kenji Mizoguchi

Japan

1956

85 minutes

1.33:1

10.