Dear Criterion viewers,

Eclipse is almost here! Debuting in March, Eclipse presents important cinematic works that have been lost, forgotten, or overshadowed, in simple affordable editions. Each series is a brief retrospective for the adventurous home viewer, including a set of films, usually from three to five titles, focusing on a particular director or theme. 

Think of Eclipse as your own personal cinematheque: many of the films that will be made available have until now been nearly impossible to see outside of the theatrical revival-house circuit. Our first release is a perfect example: most of you know Ingmar Bergman’s masterpieces—films like Wild Strawberries, Cries and Whispers, The Seventh Seal, and Fanny and Alexander—but have you seen his early works, such as Port of Call, Thirst, or To Joy? In these we see the young Bergman coming into his own, developing the personal style and psychological complexity that he became known for.

And while the first few releases highlight some famous names—Louis Malle and Yasujiro Ozu follow Bergman’s lead—we will then bring you the less familiar, offering up three films by Raymond Bernard, an unknown master of 1930s French cinema, whose Les misérables is considered by many to be the finest screen adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel, and whose Wooden Crosses is one of cinema’s strongest antiwar films. Rest assured that in the coming months Eclipse will offer some of the most sought-after titles from the world’s greatest filmmakers, as well as eye-opening discoveries from around the world. 

Our staffers just got back from the Berlin Film Festival, where they were inundated with ideas for future Eclipse series, which we’re just starting to explore. We’d love to hear from you too. Write us at eclipse@criterion.com with your thoughts and suggestions.

Happy viewing!

The Criterion Collection