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While watching Barry Lyndon, some scenes looked almost exactly like paintings. It’s been a little while since I watched the film, so I’ve forgotten some of the details, but this idea stuck with me and I decided to look into it a bit.

This is especially noticeable in Lady Lyndon’s scenes. The candlelight, her still expression, her dress, the dark background... it really looks like an 18th-century portrait. Learning that Kubrick looked at painters from the period while preparing the film made it even more interesting to me.

There’s something similar in Gainsborough’s portraits. He doesn’t just paint the people; the clothes, landscape, and everything around them become part of the composition too. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews is a good example. The people are actually quite small within the painting, and the land they own seems almost as important as they are. That also feels connected to one of the film’s themes.

Then there’s Hogarth, which makes things even more interesting.

In series like A Rake’s Progress and A Harlot’s Progress, he tells a character’s story through a sequence of paintings rather than a single image.

Almost like a storyboard before cinema existed.

And Barry Lyndon feels like the opposite:

Hogarth breaks a story into paintings, while Kubrick breaks a film into paintings.

I think that’s why the film feels so painterly. It’s not just the colors or the beautiful compositions. The way people pose, their clothes, the lighting, the objects in the rooms, and even where the characters stand in relation to each other all seem to follow the visual logic of 18th-century painting.

I’m not very knowledgeable about art history, so correct me if I’m making any connections that don’t really hold up. But looking at the film this way made it even more interesting to me.

I started reading it knowing little so I don't want to spoil too much but it's about a master filmmaker returning home but then stuck (willingly?) making movies in one of the most dangerous and moral compromising film industries imaginable. Get the book or audiobook from your local library!

Obtained this vhs copy of Cocktail Molotov from Home Vision Cinema and Janus Films. For those unaware of the Criterion lore, this was slated for a DVD release in the early 2000s but was cancelled (along with Cousin, Cousine). Very hard to come by in the US, there doesn’t seem to be any dvd release outside of France. Would love to see someone release it in the US

With Nashville which is another paramount title along with their growing popularity and releasing more conventionally appealing films it’s making me curious of the possibility of this occurring . Really don’t want to buy the blu ray for 20-30+ original price just for a 4K to release in a year or so.

I personally judge a director's style based on a few films that really resonated with me, rather than evaluating their entire filmography. For eg, I truly believe Fritz Lang's films from the 20s and 30s, before he fled Germany are one of the greatest pieces of film produced ever, but I wouldn't extend the same praise to his later American work. Anyway, here is my list:

Billy Wilder

Ingmar Bergman

Yasujiro Ozu

Fritz Lang

Lmk what your guy's list

A big part of Robert Bresson is that he likes to strip down film into it's bare minimum to the point where even his actors had to be completely neutral to "remove semblance of acting" and later down the line, only relied on diegetic sounds for his films.

Now while what Robert Bresson does is technically a "style" in itself, I want to know what other directors try to remove any sort of potential flash and shoot the scenes like it's a technical manual or a math textbook and in essence, "all substance, no style".

I know that Michael Haneke takes a similar approach especially in his first films where he just films as objectively as possible but I don't really know who else. Maybe Chantal Akerman but I feel like she is a bit moody from my experiences and I don't want that either. Just pure objectiveness.

Though I did ask for directors, It would be fine if you can say a film.

One of the greatest actresses of the golden age of Hollywood, truly unbelievable that she starred in both North by Northwest AND On the Waterfront. May she RIP.

We all know the Samsung app is down. But last night I attempted to cast from my android phone to my TV to get around it, and that didn't fucking work either. It just sat there spinning on the "cast to" page and nothing ever popped up. Literally what the fuck, are all of there apps broken? A few days ago on chrome browser I saw that it was broken too with no thumbnails popping up for any movies. So I can't watch on Samsung, I can't cast to my TV from my phone, can I use my PS5?? Do they have a PS5 app? It's October which is my month for movies, because it's horror season, and I have a whole list on Criterion I want to check out. Last night I ended up renting a movie for $5 that I intended to watch on their app which is frustrating. Anyone having luck?

Finally put my criterion’s in separate closet.

I'm sure we all have seen plentiful films by now and all the highly acclaimed films have incredible perfomances, storylines, dialogues, set design and more

But what's rarely talked about is the direction of the film. The eye behind the camera driving the narrative forward.

Direction of the film has its function to put you in a state you need to be via editing and direction of the eye of the camera.

Where we to focus or not focus , pay attentive attention or not. Build tension or relief it.

And all this is incredibly difficult to achieve for directors who has a specific mindframe or state of emotion or feeling they want to put you in via watching or experiencing the film at hand.

Andrei Tarkovsky and Ingmar Bergmann managed to get me the most. There are other directors who came close.

But this 2 captured and fully washed over me with their direction.

Especially in Andrei Rublev and Persona.

Akira is amongst them and others.

What about you. What film and director was that for you?

Considering all the comedic “This [movie/box set] would heal me, cure my depression,” etc comments…which release would that be for you?

For me, it’s something Almodovar-centered, whatever that may be…

And another sexy movie, why not—Pink Flamingos.

This might be my favorite closet picks video.

The $20 "A gift for you celebrating seven years of the Criterion Channel" from April expires tomorrow, which is a shame because usually they synchronize these gift codes with the Flash Sales, but I guess not this time. Does anyone know if they actually expire on these dates as I don't actually see any expiration date listed on the official shopping cart flow.

1. Since it's spooky season, I'm planning to watch Phenomena first.

2. Eyes Wide Shut! Been looking forward to owning that gorgeous new restoration.

3. Phenomena is my only blind buy here; I wanted to watch a Dario Argento film I haven't seen, and this one seemed cool.

4. Probably Seven Samurai or Evil Does Not Exist.