L'Atalante: the most beautiful movie ever made
Sight unseen.... the Blu-ray DVD has not yet been released. I have however seen all of these films, and own l'Atalante on DVD--which improved the quality of this very old movie. In Blu-ray it will probably be further improved, but I cannot speak to that.
For me there is no movie more romantic and heartfelt than L'Atalante. It's story is simple enough, a young couple is married in a small town and then begins married life on Seine River barge heading for Paris. The deck hand is Michel Simon, (Boudu Saved From Drowning -Jean Renoir) in another funny role. They arrive in Paris, complications ensue... L'Atalante inspired the French New Wave, especially Francois Truffaut, Claude Lelouch and Jacques Rivette. It's one of the great treasures.
Zero de Conduite - is about a rebellion in a boarding school and established that genre. Luis Bunuel's Los Olvidados and Truffaut's the 400 Blows, quote directly from it.
A Propos de Nice and Taris are a City Film and a study...
A perfect set
Jean Vigo is one of the best directors you might not have heard of until recently. This set completely does his work justice. I have the dvd version, and the transfers are absolutely gorgeous. There are informative commentaries, in depth episodes, an interview with Truffaut and Rohmer about the man and his work (and the short amount of time he had to do it), and a neat little tribute from the director Michael Gondry. This set is essential to any lover of cinema, and its storied beginnings. Get it.
What a treat!
The Criterion Collection is a beacon of light for film aficionados. For those of you who are not familiar with his work, I do not want to influence your experience. Have your own first impression. For anyone who has seen the work of Jean Vigo (preferable of film screened in a theater with an engaged audience), I do not need to tell you what a master and early innovator he was. He was a great story teller and his influence has been far reaching to every generation of great directors after him. Even those young directors who don't know his work were influenced by his followers.
Thank you Criterion, for continuing to broaden and show appreciation for the medium of film. This was a great inclusion to your canon.
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