Criterion Cast: The Eclipse Viewer

This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor conclude their two-part discussion of Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave.

About the films:

Of all the cinematic New Waves that broke over the world in the 1960s, the one in Czechoslovakia was among the most fruitful, fascinating, and radical. With a wicked sense of humor and a healthy streak of surrealism, a group of fearless directors—including eventual Oscar winners Miloš Forman and Ján Kadár—began to use film to speak out about the hypocrisy and absurdity of the Communist state. A defining work was the 1966 omnibus film Pearls of the Deep, which introduced five of the movement’s essential voices: Věra Chytilová, Jaromil Jireš, Jiří Menzel, Jan Němec, and Evald Schorm. This series presents that title, along with five other crucial works that followed close on its heels, one from each of those filmmakers—some dazzlingly experimental, some arrestingly realistic, all singular expressions from a remarkable time and place.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS or in iTunes.

Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction (00:00:01 – 00:08:05)

Return of the Prodigal Son (00:08:06 – 00:46:16)

Capricious Summer (00:46:17 – 01:05:55)

The Joke (01:05:56 – 01:24:08)

Conclusion (01:24:09 – 01:40:01)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 36: Three Wicked Melodramas from Gainsborough Pictures

This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor conclude their two-part discussion of Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave.

About the films:

Of all the cinematic New Waves that broke over the world in the 1960s, the one in Czechoslovakia was among the most fruitful, fascinating, and radical. With a wicked sense of humor and a healthy streak of surrealism, a group of fearless directors—including eventual Oscar winners Miloš Forman and Ján Kadár—began to use film to speak out about the hypocrisy and absurdity of the Communist state. A defining work was the 1966 omnibus film Pearls of the Deep, which introduced five of the movement’s essential voices: Věra Chytilová, Jaromil Jireš, Jiří Menzel, Jan Němec, and Evald Schorm. This series presents that title, along with five other crucial works that followed close on its heels, one from each of those filmmakers—some dazzlingly experimental, some arrestingly realistic, all singular expressions from a remarkable time and place.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS or in iTunes.

Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction (00:00:01 – 00:25:52)

Pearls of the Deep (00:25:53 – 01:05:46)

Daisies (01:05:47 – 01:33:00)

A Report on the Party and Guests (01:33:01 – 01:48:02)

Conclusion (01:48:03 – 01:50:22)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave, Part Two

This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor conclude their two-part discussion of Eclipse Series 39: Early Fassbinder.

About the films:

From the very beginning of his incandescent career, the New German Cinema enfant terrible Rainer Werner Fassbinder refused to play by the rules. His politically charged, experimental first films, made at an astonishingly rapid rate between 1969 and 1970, were influenced by the work of the Antiteater, an avant-garde stage troupe that he had helped found in Munich. Collected here are five of those fascinating and confrontational works. Whether a self- conscious meditation on American crime movies, a scathing indictment of xenophobia in contemporary Germany, or an off-the-wall look at the dysfunctional relationships on film sets, each is a startling glimpse into the mind of a twentysomething man who was to become one of cinema’s most madly prolific artists.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS or in iTunes.

Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/Background (00:00:01 – 00:15:07)

Gods of the Plague/The  American Soldier (00:15:08 – 01:04:05)

Beware of a Holy Whore (01:04:06 – 01:42:30)

Conclusion (01:42:31 – 01:49:11)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor discuss Eclipse Series 39: Early Fassbinder.

About the films:

From the very beginning of his incandescent career, the New German Cinema enfant terrible Rainer Werner Fassbinder refused to play by the rules. His politically charged, experimental first films, made at an astonishingly rapid rate between 1969 and 1970, were influenced by the work of the Antiteater, an avant-garde stage troupe that he had helped found in Munich. Collected here are five of those fascinating and confrontational works. Whether a self- conscious meditation on American crime movies, a scathing indictment of xenophobia in contemporary Germany, or an off-the-wall look at the dysfunctional relationships on film sets, each is a startling glimpse into the mind of a twentysomething man who was to become one of cinema’s most madly prolific artists.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS or in iTunes.

Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/Background (00:00:01 – 00:33:32)

Love is Colder than Death (00:33:33 – 01:02:34)

Katzelmacher (01:02:35 – 01:28:48)

Conclusion (01:28:49 – 01:30:45)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 39: Early Fassbinder [Part 2]

This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor discuss Eclipse Series 42: Silent Ozu – Three Crime Dramas

About the films:

The great Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu is best known for the stately, meditative domestic dramas he made after World War II. But during his first decade at Shochiku studios, where he dabbled in many genres, he put out a trio of precisely rendered, magnificently shot and edited silent crime films about the hopes, dreams, and loves of small-time crooks. Heavily influenced in narrative and visual style by the American films that Ozu adored, these movies are revelatory early examples of his cinematic genius, accompanied here by new piano scores by Neil Brand.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS or in iTunes.

Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/Background (00:00:01 – 00:22:10)

Walk Cheerfully (00:22:11 – 00:51:19)

That Night’s Wife (00:51:20 – 01:17:24)

Dragnet Girl (01:17:25 – 01:37:34)

Conclusion (01:37:35 – 01:50:23)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

Episode Links:

Director Overview:

Box Set Reviews:

Walk Cheerfully:

That Night’s Wife:

Dragnet Girl:

Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 39: Early Fassbinder

Contact us:

This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor discuss Eclipse Series 33: Up All Night with Robert Downey Sr.

About the films:

Rarely do landmark works of cinema seem so . . . wrong. Robert Downey Sr. emerged as one of the most irreverent filmmakers of the New York underground of the sixties, taking no prisoners in his rough-and-tumble treatises on politics, race, and consumer culture. In his midnight-movie mainstay Putney Swope, an advertising agency is turned on its head when a militant black man takes over. Like Swope, Downey held nothing sacred. Presented here are five of his most raucous and outlandish films, dating from 1964 to 1975, each a unique mix of the hilariously crude and the fiercely experimental.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS or in iTunes.

Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/Background (00:00:01 – 00:27:50)

Babo 73 (00:27:51 – 00:50:31)

Chafed Elbows (00:50:32 – 01:04:14)

No More Excuses (01:04:15 – 01:15:09)

Putney Swope (01:15:10 – 01:38:17)

Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight (01:38:18 – 01:47:22)

Conclusion (01:47:23 – 01:55:38)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

Episode Links:

Director Overview:

Late 2014 Media Blitz Sampler:

Box Set Reviews:

Babo 73:

Chafed Elbows:

No More Excuses:

Putney Swope: 

Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight:

Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 42: Silent Ozu – Three Crime Dramas

Contact us:

This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor discuss Eclipse Series 34: Jean Grémillon During the Occupation.

About the films:

Though little known outside of France, Jean Grémillon was a consummate filmmaker from his country’s golden age. A classical violinist who turned to directing, he went on to make almost fifty films—from documentaries to avant-garde works to melodramas with major stars—in a thirty-year career. Three of his richest came during a dire period in French history: Remorques, starring Jean Gabin, was begun in 1939 but finished and released after Germany invaded France, and Lumière d’été and Le ciel est à vous were produced during the occupation. These character-driven dramas, the first two cowritten by legendary screenwriter Jacques Prévert, are humane, entertaining, and technically brilliant, and prove Grémillon to be one of cinema’s true hidden masters.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS or in iTunes.

Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/Background (00:00:01 – 00:24:15)

Remorques (00:24:16 – 00:47:31)

Lumière d’été (00:47:32 – 01:18:00)

Le ciel est à vous (01:18:01 – 01:39:15)

Conclusion (01:39:16 – 01:45:00)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

EPISODE LINKS

Director Overview:

Box Set Reviews:

Remorques:

Lumière d’été:

Le ciel est à vous:

Contact us:

Next time on the podcast:

This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor discuss Eclipse Series 23: The First Films of Akira Kurosawa.

About the films:

Years before Akira Kurosawa changed the face of cinema with such iconic works as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, and Yojimbo, he made his start in the Japanese film industry with four popular and exceptional works, created as World War II raged. All gripping dramas, those rare first films—Sanshiro Sugata; The Most Beautiful; Sanshiro Sugata, Part Two; and The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail—are collected here and include a two-part martial arts saga, a portrait of female volunteers helping the war effort, and a kabuki-derived tale of deception. These captivating films are a glorious introduction to a peerless career.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS or in iTunes.

Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/News/Background (00:00:01 – 00:16:23)

Sanshiro Sugata (00:16:24 – 00:36:45)

Sanshiro Sugata, Part Two (00:36:46 – 00:55:00)

The Most Beautiful (00:55:01 – 01:15:39)

The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail (01:15:40 – 01:34:19)

Conclusion (01:34:20 – 01:39:08)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

EPISODE LINKS

Director Overview:

Box Set Reviews:

Sanshiro Sugata:

Sanshiro Sugata, Part Two: 

The Most Beautiful:

The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail

Contact us:

Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 34: Jean Grémillon During the Occupation

This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor discuss Eclipse Series 41: Kinoshita and World War II.

About the films:

Hugely popular in his home country of Japan, Keisuke Kinoshita worked tirelessly as a director for nearly half a century, making lyrical, sentimental films that often center on the inherent goodness of people, especially in times of distress. He began his directing career during a most challenging time for Japanese cinema: World War II, when the industry’s output was closely monitored by the state and often had to be purely propagandistic. This collection of Kinoshita’s first films—four made while the war was going on and one shortly after Japan’s surrender—demonstrates the way the filmmaker’s humanity and exquisite cinematic technique shone through even in the darkest of times.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS or in iTunes.

Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/News/Background (00:00:01 – 00:20:19)

Port of Flowers (00:20:20 – 00:34:01)

The Living Magoroku (00:34:02 – 00:44:29)

Jubilation Street (00:44:30 – 00:56:03)

Army (00:56:04 – 01:19:07)

Morning for the Osone Family (01:19:08 – 01:31:19)

Conclusion (01:31:20 – 01:47:57)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

EPISODE LINKS

Director Overview:

Box Set Reviews:

Contact us:

Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 23: The First Films of Akira Kurosawa

This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor discuss Eclipse Series 4: Raymond Bernard, a collection of films from the early 1930s by the French director, a pioneer of big budget historical epics in the silent and early sound eras.

About the films:

One of the greatest and least-known directors of all time, Raymond Bernard helped shape French cinema, at the dawn of the sound era, into a truly formidable industry. Typical of films from this period, Bernard’s dazzling dramas painted intimate melodrama on epic-scale canvases. These two masterpieces—the wrenching World War I tragedy Wooden Crosses and a mammoth, nearly five-hour Les misérables, widely considered the greatest film adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel—exemplify the formal and narrative brilliance of an unjustly overshadowed cinematic trailblazer.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS or in iTunes.

Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/Background (00:00:01 – 00:17:22)

Wooden Crosses (00:17:23 – 00:57:19)

Les misérables (00:57:20 – 02:02:46)

Conclusion (02:02:47 – 02:07:30)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

Episode Links:

Director Overview:

Box Set Reviews:

Wooden Crosses:

Les misérables:

Hugo was a playwright first and foremost and this influenced his novels where his characters and scenes are theatrical and dialogue-heavy.

Imagery and composition of the barricade scene singing of La Marseillese mirrors a famous piece of art by Delacroix.

Henry Krauss who plays Monseigneur Myriel played Jean Valjean in the 1912 silent version.

There is an excellent 1979 interview with Bernard :

What comes across was his passionate commitment to be faithful to the literary source. He says that the success and quality of the film was due to this passion and love they had for Hugo’s novel. His collaborator Andre Lang was a playwright and so added to the theatrical feel of the production.

Interestingly the 3 films were released together – contemporary audience had the option to watch all together on same day or separately.

Bernard placed special emphasis on the casting to match the physical description, manner and speech of the characters in the novel.

He relates story of auditioning about 200 boys for Gavroche – he needed a particular accent and slang. One day a caretaker from Saint Denis sent Bernard a message delivered by his son – Bernard knew immediately that this boy was Gavroche and cast him. The boy never acted again.

Bernard fought hard for this 5 hour version arguing that it could not be made in a shorter version.

Then there is an interesting supplement with Raymond Chirat that describes the extraordinary authenticity of the period detail in the film. Harry Baur was undoubtedly a favourite for the role not just because of his suitability but also his fame at the time. Baur had suffered typhoid leaving him with partial facial paralysis which is a feature of his facial expressions.

I was amazed at his physical strength – he carries Marius (I presume he weighed around 70 kilo) through the sewer with such ease. He was 53 at the time! When he descends the steps and stands up that is akin to squatting with a 70 kilo weight and he does it so effortlessly! Perfect as Jean Valjean!

Charles Vanel really impressed me as inspector Javert – also in the excellent Le Grand Jeu, Wages of Fear, Wooden Crosses, Les Diaboliques.

Cinematographer Jules Kruger (born in Strasbourg – part of Germany at the time) has an impressive filmography – Abel Gance’s Napoleon (noted as having some of the most innovative and brilliant camerawork ever), L’Argent by Marcel L’Herbier (brilliant silent film with photography that really impressed me), Wooden Crosses, Pepe le Moko, etc.

Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 41: Kinoshita and World War II

Contact us: