The Criterion Collection

Léon Morin, Priest

Jean-Pierre Melville

Austin Cote: “A subtly sensual triumph of mood, setting, and innuendo, irreverent and graceful in its contemplation of theology and repressed desire. ”

The Tin Drum

Volker Schlöndorff

Austin Cote: “A visionary, often chaotic study of madness, characterized by surrealism, eroticism, satire and black comedy.”

Life Is Sweet

Mike Leigh

Austin Cote: “A vivid, lived-in story of ordinary existence, in which even modest dreams carry enormous weight.”

Jubal

Delmer Daves

Monsieur Verdoux

Charles Chaplin

Austin Cote: “A work of true sophistication, concerning marriage, money and murder, deeply philosophical and wildly entertaining.”

Pina

Wim Wenders

Austin Cote: “A remarkable, adventurous visual experience and a vivid representation of human art, highlighting bold legacy and staggering talent. ”

Two-Lane Blacktop

Monte Hellman

Austin Cote: “A gorgeously composed, sophisticated study of male obsession, one of the artistic high points of motor cinema and one of the greatest road movies.”

3:10 to Yuma

Delmer Daves

Austin Cote: “A beautifully shot, psychologically complex western that is by turns both thrilling and humane, directed with intensity and precision.”

On the Waterfront

Elia Kazan

Austin Cote: “A raggedly emotional tale of individual failure and social corruption, this masterpiece of urban poetry remains a timeless classic.”

Medium Cool

Haskell Wexler

Austin Cote: “A visceral cinematic snapshot of the era, providing inventive commentary on the pleasures and dangers of wielding a camera.”

A Man Escaped

Robert Bresson

Austin Cote: “A work of intense spirituality and humanity, unbelievably taut and methodical, made with the simplest of concepts and sparest of techniques.”

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

Austin Cote: “An incomparable film about war, love, aging, and obsolescence, both moving and slyly satirical.”

Ivan’s Childhood

Andrei Tarkovsky

Austin Cote: “A poetic journey through the shards and shadows of youth, it remains one of the most jarring depictions of the impact of war on children.”

Band of Outsiders

Jean-Luc Godard

Austin Cote: “An audacious, wildly entertaining gem, at once sentimental and insouciant, effervescently romantic and melancholy.”

The Ballad of Narayama

Keisuke Kinoshita

Austin Cote: “A hauntingly stylish and vividly formal work from Japan’s cinematic golden age.”

Badlands

Terrence Malick

Austin Cote: “An impressionistic, starkly poetic investigation of American dreams and nightmares juxtaposed with oblique teenage romance.”

Sansho the Bailiff

Kenji Mizoguchi

Austin Cote: “A dazzlingly monumental, empathetic expression of human resilience in the face of evil; one of the greatest of all films.”

Eating Raoul

Paul Bartel

Austin Cote: “A mix of hilarious, anything-goes slapstick and biting satire of self-indulgence, it marked the end of the sexual revolution.”

Pierre Etaix

Pierre Etaix

Austin Cote: “Bracing and witty, Pierre Etaix is an elegantly deadpan treasure the cinematic world has rediscovered and embraced with comedic relish.”

Repo Man

Alex Cox

Austin Cote: “Grungy and hilarious, this singular science-fiction and comedy odyssey is one of the quintessential cult films of the 1980s.”

Gate of Hell

Teinosuke Kinugasa

Austin Cote: “An unforgettable, tragic story of obsession and unrequited passion that is both visually sumptuous and psychologically penetrating.”

Ride with the Devil

Ang Lee

Austin Cote: “A rumination on identity and loyalty both political and personal, and a provocative challenge to preconceptions about America’s bloodiest conflict.”

The Qatsi Trilogy

Godfrey Reggio

Austin Cote: “A cascading, unforgettable journey from the ancient to the contemporary, from nature to industry, exploring life out of balance and in transformation.”

Purple Noon

René Clément

Austin Cote: “A colorful, thrilling saga of seduction, theft, and murder, featuring gorgeous location photography and brooding atmospheric suspense.”

Following

Christopher Nolan

Austin Cote: “A mind-bending psychological journey drenched with gritty aesthetics, fashioned with razor precision and icy cunning.”

Brazil

Terry Gilliam

Austin Cote: “A dazzling, nightmarish masterpiece, this supreme antitotalitarian tale stands among the greatest works of the dystopian genre.”

Heaven’s Gate

Michael Cimino

Austin Cote: “A savage, ravishing vision of western lore and a breathtaking depiction of the promise and perils of America’s ambitious and unorthodox expansion.”

Weekend

Jean-Luc Godard

Austin Cote: “A surreal, humorous and disturbing satire that is a scathing and anarchic depiction of society reverting to savagery.”

Insignificance

Nicolas Roeg

Austin Cote: “A compelling, intelligent drama featuring magnetic performances and visually inventive social commentary.”

America Lost and Found: The BBS Story

Austin Cote: “A countercultural collection of iconic and acclaimed works that resound with freedom and liberty, innovative and revolutionary in their time.”

Rashomon

Akira Kurosawa

Austin Cote: “A riveting psychological thriller that investigates the entwined natures of truth and justice, widely considered one of the greatest films ever made.”

The Forgiveness of Blood

Joshua Marston

Austin Cote: “A tense, perceptive depiction of a place where tradition and progress coexist uneasily, as well as a dynamic coming-of-age drama.”

Sunday Bloody Sunday

John Schlesinger

Austin Cote: “A deep, personal take on love and one of the most intelligent, multitextured films ever made about the complexities of romantic relationships.”

Rosemary’s Baby

Roman Polanski

Austin Cote: “A horrifying, darkly comic nightmare that has spawned decades of occult cinema but has never been outdone for pure psychological terror.”

In the Mood for Love

Wong Kar-wai

Austin Cote: “A masterful evocation of romantic longing and fleeting moments, delicately mannered and visually extravagant.”

The Game

David Fincher

Austin Cote: “A multilayered, noirish descent into one man’s personal hell and a surreal, metacinematic journey down a puzzling, terrifying rabbit hole.”

Children of Paradise

Marcel Carné

Austin Cote: “A lush, ethereal and eloquent drama, poetic realism reached sublime heights in this greatest of French films.”

Umberto D.

Vittorio De Sica

Austin Cote: “One of the most moving stories ever filmed and an essential classic of world cinema.”

Weekend

Andrew Haigh

Austin Cote: “A sensual, remarkably observed, beautifully acted wonder that is emotionally naked, complex and universally resonant.”

Quadrophenia

Franc Roddam

Austin Cote: “A quintessential chronicle of youthful rebellion and turmoil, rough-edged and completely invigorating.”

The Royal Tenenbaums

Wes Anderson

Austin Cote: “A hilarious, touching, and brilliantly stylized study of melancholy and redemption.”

Rosetta

Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne

Austin Cote: “A ferocious, intense drama that is by turns swift, simple, raw and revelatory.”

La promesse

Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne

Austin Cote: “A brilliantly economical and observant tour de force of a boy’s troubled moral awakening.”

Le Havre

Aki Kaurismäki

Austin Cote: “A political fairy tale of optimism and humanity that is both comically warmhearted and charmingly deadpan.”

The Last Days of Disco

Whit Stillman

Austin Cote: “A cleverly comedic and affectionate yet unsentimental reflection of the end of an era, brimming with dry humor.”

Metropolitan

Whit Stillman

Austin Cote: “A sparkling comedic chronicle of adolescence, characterized by deadpan wit and humorous sophistication.”

The Secret of the Grain

Abdellatif Kechiche

Austin Cote: “A stirringly suspenseful family drama that exudes sweat, sound and charm.”

Charade

Stanley Donen

Austin Cote: “A stellar romantic comedy caper, driven by the dashing Cary Grant and the gorgeous Audrey Hepburn.”

Design for Living

Ernst Lubitsch

Austin Cote: “A racy, cheekily debonair and sexy comedy, concerning two gentlemen contesting for the hand of the supremely gorgeous Miriam Hopkins.”

Summer Interlude

Ingmar Bergman

Austin Cote: “A gentle, drifting reverie flecked with hints of true mastery, touching on themes of isolation, performance, and the inescapability of the past.”

Yojimbo/Sanjuro Box Set

Akira Kurosawa

Austin Cote: “A humorous and thrilling adventure full of action and ethics, Kurosawa continuously succeeded at combining entertainment and education.”

Down by Law

Jim Jarmusch

Austin Cote: “A beloved, inspired portrait of loners and misfits across the American landscape, part fairy tale and part nightmare.”

The 39 Steps

Alfred Hitchcock

Austin Cote: “A heart-racing spy tale that remains among Hitchcock's most clever and suspenseful works.”

¡Alambrista!

Robert M. Young

Austin Cote: “An uncompromising, groundbreaking work of political realism and intimate character study.”

Certified Copy

Abbas Kiarostami

Austin Cote: “A cerebrally engaging reflection on relationships that is far more strange and tricky than it appears.”

The Complete Monterey Pop Festival

Austin Cote: “A boisterous, rousing concert documentary replete with blasting music and colorful personalities.”

A Hollis Frampton Odyssey

Hollis Frampton

Austin Cote: “A rigorous, audacious, brainy body of work that remains unparalleled, from an icon of the American avant-garde movement.”

The Magician

Ingmar Bergman

Austin Cote: “A gorgeous gothic drama on the nature of performers facing public perception and private upheaval that is both humorous and creepy.”

Stagecoach

John Ford

Austin Cote: “A landmark western which catapulted Johns Ford and Wayne, and the genre itself, into serious business and national acclaim.”

Smiles of a Summer Night

Ingmar Bergman

Austin Cote: “A timeless erotic comedy, chock-full of flirtatious propositions and sharp witticisms.”