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May 21, 2012

Blogs / Talk About Arts / Annual 2010 / Criterion round-up: The magic and chaos of Bergman, Kubrick, and von Trier

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Criterion round-up: The magic and chaos of Bergman, Kubrick, and von Trier

As I put it in Spree’s Holiday Shopping Guide, “nothing warms the heart of a true lover of cinema more than the label reading ”Criterion Collection.” (Well put, me.) What has become especially exciting is awaiting each month’s announcement of what’s to come. Criterion has truly gone into overdrive lately, and isn’t slowing down.

 

In addition to The Thin Red Line, The Night of the Hunter, Modern Times, and the America: Lost and Found box set, which I covered in the HSG, new and upcoming released include Wes Anderson’s Darjeeling Limited, Stanley Donen’s Charade, and Cronenberg’s Videodrome (on Dec. 7). Here is the rundown on three more standouts:

 

The Magician — Admittedly, I was unfamiliar with this 1958 Ingmar Bergman film, but it could not sound more intriguing. Regular Bergman player Max Von Sydow stars as a nineteenth-century “travelling mesmerist” who faces off against a disbelieving royal advisor. It sounds like a somewhat lighter work from Bergman, and typically, a wildly ambitious one. Features include a visual essay by Bergman scholar Peter Cowie, a 1967 video interview with the director about the film, and, most thrillingly for cinema scholars, an English-language audio interview with Bergman conducted by filmmakers Olivier Assayas (Carlos) and Stig Björkman in 1990. The Bluray and DVD are both out now.

 

Paths of Glory — Stanley Kubrick is still probably my favorite filmmaker; no one has made films that cause me to think, worry, and wonder more. Paths of Glory is my pick for the finest bit of “early Stanley,” and its anti-war message is as strong now as it was in 1957. Kirk Douglas—in what is probably his finest performance—stars as a French colonel defending three of his men from charges of cowardice. The action sequences are expertly filmed, but it is the acting, and subtle direction, that stand out. Features include a new audio commentary from critic Gary Giddins, a 1966 audio interview with Kubrick, a 1979 TV interview from 1979 with Douglas, and new video interviews with, among others, Christiane Kubrick. The director’s widow played an important role here; her song at film’s end is profoundly moving. Paths is out now on Bluray and DVD.

 

Antichrist — Lars von Trier’s most recent film retains a strange hold over me. I still vividly recall seeing it for the first time at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival, and feeling the rush of a bold, difficult, horrific film. Does it live up to the hard-to-watch hype? I think so, but these details should not overshadow the film’s themes, and the gorgeous visuals. Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg play a couple grieving over the death of their young son … and I hesitate to say more than that. Be advised: this is not a film for all viewers. But those willing to take the trip are in for a true cinematic experience. Features include video interviews with von Trier, Dafoe, and Gainsbourg, video pieces delving into the production, and, most interestingly, Chaos Reigns at the Cannes Film Festival, a documentary on the film’s controversial world premiere. Antichrist is out now on Bluray and DVD.

 

For more on the Criterion Collection, including a rundown of current and upcoming releases, visit www.criterion.com.