The Criterion Collection in September

John Merrick: Not an animal

I'm watching "Life of Brian" again, maybe for the 10th time, and I start thinking about the duality between comfort and interest. I've watched each of the Monty Python films at least 10 times each (surprise!), yet there remains a long list of well-regarded movies I want to see, yet haven't. And it's not, like, "The Irishman" or "Parasite" or something that's released in the past 12 months that I might have limited access to. It's shit like "On the Waterfront", "Sunset Blvd.", "The Grapes of Wrath"...the films that AFI and Empire and BFI lists are made of. Or, for a more apt example, most of September's Criterion releases. At least I have an appropriate reason to make the time to see them now.

September 8

Let's start off with a pair of reissues for films that I'm already familiar with. I've owned previous Criterion releases of "Brute Force" and "The Naked City" for years now. They helped seal my fandom for the works of Jules Dassin. These, along with "Thieves' Highway" and "Night and the City", make up a quartet of the finest film noir ever released, as well as the last movies Dassin directed before being blacklisted in 1950. Both films rank amongst my top ten favorite crime movies, with the cinematography of William Daniels and Miklós Rózsa's scores being particularly standout. These are primo post-war, naturalist films that I can watch time and again.

But why the reissue? Well, both movies are now available on Blu-ray, with uncompressed soundtracks, 4K scans and restorations courtesy of the folks at Germany's TLEFilms FIlm Restoration & Preservation Services. This gives them the visual and audio edge over the previous Region B Arrow Academy releases. Even the DVDs get some sprucing up, with fresh high-definition transfers.

I would imagine, at the very least, that Criterion will also be providing "Thieves' Highway" with the same restoration treatment, hopefully next year. It would be an excellent capper on a restoration cycle of Dassin's film noirs that began in 2015 with the reissued "Night and the City".

September 15

I've started familiarizing myself with Claire Denis's work since getting blown away by "High Life" last year. I've been slowly watching her work, via everything from laserdiscs to streaming, and really digging what I've seen so far. What's really grabbed me about her body of work is that she focuses as much on the Mise-en-scène as she does the story and character. There's a great balance present that most directors are not able to find. She also works a lot with the theme of colonialism, something I find very interesting at present, due in part to the ongoing decay of the American Empire.

So 1999's "Beau travail" ("Good Work") is one of Denis's most acclaimed films, and one I haven't seen yet, so I guess it's good it's releasing the day after my birthday. A loose adaptation of Melville's Billy Budd, it transports the setting to modern-day Djibouti, and the characters from sailors to members of the French Foreign Legion. Denis's long-time collaborator, cinematographer Agnès Godard, oversaw the 4K scan and restoration for this release, which had previously only been available in North America via a 2002 DVD release from New Yorker Video. Also included are a conversation between Denis and director Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight") and the usual mix of interviews, trailers, and essays. I'm looking forward to finally seeing this.

September 22

I've never been exposed to the films of Francesco Rosi, the Italian director. But I've been digging into Italian film more during the pandemic, thanks in part to the occasional pickup from RaroVideo USA and having found a box of Mrs. Ape's foreign DVDs. I suppose I'm more open now than ever before to watching an almost four-hour film about rural Italy set in the years proceeding World War II.

"Christ Stopped at Eboli" ("Cristo si è fermato a Eboli") was originally made for and released on Italian state television in 1979. A northern anti-fascist artist is banished by Mussolini's government to one of the southern-most regions of Italy, Basilicata. Worlds collide as he encounters peasantry for the first time, leading him to embrace his medical education to aid his fellow villagers. "Christ Stopped at Eboli" makes its debut on Blu-ray with this Criterion release; it's also the first time it's been available as the uncut television version. There are some cool period extras featuring Rosi, who died in 2015, as well as a 2K scan and restoration and a fresh new English translation. This may not be something I immediately go out and buy, but I've now seen and read enough about it to be intrigued.

September 29

One of the best parts about these write ups each month is the ability to say, "I know NOTHING about this release, but it seems pretty cool." I know critics love to flex on their knowledge of everything and anything; I can dispense completely with that and just get into the joy of discovery. That's why I'm excited for the third volume of Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project. The previous volumes have opened me up to so many different eras of non-hegemonic filmmaking; I'd never have walked into a theatre to see one of these, but the double recommendation of Scorsese and Criterion is enough to pique my curiosity.

This release is a mix of fascinating Third World cinema, with releases from Cuba, Iran, Mexico, Mauritius, Brazil, and Indonesia. I'm particularly interested to check out "Lucía" (1968, Humberto Solás); its three storylines following women named Lucia through periods of Cuban upheaval sounds enthralling, and my limited exposure to post-revolution filmmaking in Cuba has always been enjoyable.

This set contains six DVDs and three Blu-rays, featuring 4K scans and restorations of each film. Scorsese introduces each film; these have always been really cool, providing insight as to why Marty reps each film and where they influenced him. Additionally, there's a documentary about "Lucía", featuring interviews with the director, his cast, and crew, as well as multiple interviews and essays.

Let's end September with a confession. I've never seen "The Elephant Man". I'll let that sink in.

I really don't even want to admit it. It's not like I don't like David Lynch. It's not like I'm not totally familiar with it. It's not like I haven't had 40 years to see it. But it's like I said at the beginning; there's opposition between comfort and interest. Yes, I totally could have seen "The Elephant Man" by now, but I probably just watched "Porky's" or "Dune" instead.

I suppose I'll rectify that omission now. Criterion's done a bang-up job with its Lynch issues over the past few years ("Blue Velvet" being a personal fav), so I expect this Lynch-approved 4K restoration will look amazing. Lynch and co-author Kristine McKenna also read from a portion of the 2018 memoir Room to Dream. There are a number of archival materials available, as well as trailers and radio spots for the initial release of the film. Finally, the addition of a 1886 letter to the editor of the London Times regarding John Merrick is the nice lil cherry on top.

"The Elephant Man" is my must have from September. The Dassin reissues can wait until a sale, or would make a most excellent gift. It's for the best that I can wait a bit on these, as the October lineup looks to be all must-haves. See us here in 30 for more Criterion.