Rod
Agent
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2004
- Messages
- 31
Among the Sight & Sound critic's poll of the top 5 movies of all time - right next to Citizen Kane, Vertigo and The Godfather - are two films that most people have never heard of ... Rules of the Game and Tokyo Story. Thankfully both are now available on DVD from Criterion.
These are two masterpieces of the cinema and scarcely a word has been written about them since their release.
Rules of the Game by Jean Renoir is a witty farce about pre-WW II French aristocracy and the last vestiges of a social order whose time has passed. When it was released in 1939 it was greeted with outrage and scathing criticism from the French elite. It was immediately re-edited in order to restore the peace and it was not until two decades later that the film was reconstructed with Renoir's approval (but strangely without his participation). The DVD release last week offers the first chance for many film lovers to see this great work in more than 40 years. If you liked Gosford Park, you'll love this.
Tokyo Story by Ozu is about an elderly couple who realize that their grown children no longer have time for them. This is a brilliant film that stays with you long after you view it as a gentle reminder to not take too much for granted when it comes to your family. It may make you want to pick up the phone and call your mom and dad.
Criterion has given both films the deluxe treatment with an abundance of extra features including commentary, documentaries and scene analysis.
These are not just your run-of-the-mill foreign films. In the eyes of many critics, they are on the short list of the greatest films ever made. Don't miss the chance to experience them.
-Rod
These are two masterpieces of the cinema and scarcely a word has been written about them since their release.
Rules of the Game by Jean Renoir is a witty farce about pre-WW II French aristocracy and the last vestiges of a social order whose time has passed. When it was released in 1939 it was greeted with outrage and scathing criticism from the French elite. It was immediately re-edited in order to restore the peace and it was not until two decades later that the film was reconstructed with Renoir's approval (but strangely without his participation). The DVD release last week offers the first chance for many film lovers to see this great work in more than 40 years. If you liked Gosford Park, you'll love this.
Tokyo Story by Ozu is about an elderly couple who realize that their grown children no longer have time for them. This is a brilliant film that stays with you long after you view it as a gentle reminder to not take too much for granted when it comes to your family. It may make you want to pick up the phone and call your mom and dad.
Criterion has given both films the deluxe treatment with an abundance of extra features including commentary, documentaries and scene analysis.
These are not just your run-of-the-mill foreign films. In the eyes of many critics, they are on the short list of the greatest films ever made. Don't miss the chance to experience them.
-Rod
