We love Hollywood blockbusters as much as the next guy. Big explosions, epic story arcs, soft and sentimental piano music: at the end of a long week, we’re all for it. But great cinema isn’t about how big a movie’s budget is, or valued by the number of soft-core scenes within the first hour. It’s better to look for wonderful acting, tighter writing, breathtaking cinematography and a soundtrack to match. Maybe it really is the piano that gets you. You be the judge.
Cinema is subjective, and greatness hits us all in different ways. For many, however, these tastes, conscious or not, have been benchmarked by The Criterion Collection, a movie publisher dedicated since the mid ’80s to bringing audiences across the world, old and new, the best of the best in the wide world of film. Over 800 films belong to their vast, ranging catalogue, all released (often painstakingly) in optimum format; mainstream hits such as Michael Bay’s Armageddon find place next to arthouse experimentals named Koyaanisqatsi and the ever iconic L’aaventura.
Every month, The Criterion Collection asks a famous personality — perhaps an actor, filmmaker, critic, or Anthony Bourdain — to publish a top-10 list from their catalogue. The lists are unique lenses into both the tastes of those assembling them and the Collection itself. If you’re new to The Criterion Collection, let this be a brief, and by no means comprehensive, introduction. Like everyone else, we’re still exploring the wonderful world the collection offers.
Editor’s Note: This list is subject to change.
