The Criterion Collection
Essays
Oct 12, 1987 — Akira Kurosawa’s thrilling Cinemascope epic is set squarely within the traditions of the Japanese film genre known as the “Chambara.”
The fashion designer shares his close personal connections to Withnail and I and My Beautiful Launderette, finds inspiration in Breathless, and praises Akira Kurosawa’s use of color in Kagemusha.
The writer and director selects a pair of feminist films by Dorothy Arzner, shares why Chantal Akerman and David Lynch are her filmmaking idols, and praises how Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales portray complex dynamics between women and men.
The actor shares her longtime love for the films of Akira Kurosawa, talks about seeing Children of Paradise at an art-house cinema in the 1940s, and fondly recalls riding a scooter with Richard Roundtree.
The writer, director, and actor reminisces about encountering The Before Trilogy for the first time, describes a technically innovative shot from Lone Star, and shares how the structure of Chantal Akerman’s early films inspired his own filmmaking.
The writer and director of Sinners talks about the impact of seeing Malcolm X in his youth, compares the work of Michael Mann and Christopher Nolan, and praises the rebellious spirit of Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu.
The actor talks about feeling immersed in The Tree of Wooden Clogs, praises Small Axe as an “extraordinary piece of work,” and suggests that all film lovers see every film by Akira Kurosawa.
The writer and director of His Three Daughters shares his deep love for Charles Laughton, talks about how Aki Kaurismäki blends fantasy and reality in La vie de bohème, and praises La Ciénaga and Girlfriends as cinematic miracles.
The legendary director joins the star of his new film Hard Truths in the Criterion Closet, where they share their love for Akira Kurosawa and Charles Burnett, reminisce about early moviegoing experiences, and select favorites for each other.
The writer and director of All We Imagine as Light shares why Sans Soleil and Arabian Nights are gifts that keep on giving, talks about Aki Kaurismäki’s “fun and audacious” Leningrad Cowboys films, and praises Louis Malle’s Phantom India as...