Criterion Random Speculation Vol.4

[MuzikJunky]

If only Criterion would initiate a licensing deal with Eros International. Its DVDs are the worst! I saw a repackaged edition of Mani Ratnam’s masterpiece Dil Se, and after being compelled to buy it, it was the same muddy and cropped edition as before. The non-anamorphic CinemaScope Eros titles always start 2:35.1 and are blown up to 1.78:1 after the credits roll. You’re lucky if the older Eros titles even have time code, as this version did not! My older copy, strangely enough, does have time code. The classic Sholay suffers from this disease as well. Tamara (I think) said that there were some commercial Indian titles in the release pipeline, but she didn’t say which ones they were. Any thoughts? Peace.

[Person]

If only Criterion would initiate a licensing deal with Eros International.

Which country do they operate from?

[Awesome Welles]

Tamara (I think) said that there were some commercial Indian titles in the release pipeline, but she didn’t say which ones they were. Any thoughts? Peace.

Sholay and Naseeb would be great! Though their grungy presentation on their current Region 2 releases seem somewhat apt. I wish the songs were subtitled, though trying to get the Hindi in-jokes is supposedly impossible in translation. Of course there is always the Art House cinema from Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen and Satyajit Ray. But the commercial Indian cinema is largely overlooked by snobbish cineastes, who find it gaudy and tasteless. Which it isn't!

[Tommaso]

I'd love to see some of the 50s films by Raj Kapoor, especially the wonderful and socially conscious "Shree 420". Almost chaplinesque in places, and tunes that will stick in your brain for days if you heard them once. Same goes for the same director's "Awaara".

[MuzikJunky]

Eros International operates simultaneously in India, the UK, the USA, Fiji, and Australia. Raj Kapoor’s films are controlled by Yash Raj Films, and that company has them all on region-free NTSC DVDs, although don’t expect them to be cleaned up. They do this, they say, for so-called nostalgic appeal (read: we couldn’t be bothered to clean them up because we’re cheap like that), but at least they have proper time code.

Ratnam’s other two films in his Terror Trilogy, Bombay and Roja, really need quality releases as well. The three of them would make a boxed set (either Criterion or Eclipse) that I would get in a heartbeat, regardless of cost. What do you say? Peace.

[Morbii]

It seems unlikely that they would license to Criterion when they already distribute here unless they could somehow end up making more money from the deal. I suppose that's a possibility given Criterion's name, though.

[Cinephrenic]

Probably this:

Satyajit Ray - According to a friend (of a member), in correspondence with staff at UCSC, "Criterion has been negotiating with UCSC to acquire several Satyajit Ray films". Email to member says, "things are moving slowly," but some some more title-specific announcements may be forthcoming later on in 2007.

[HerrSchreck]

Has anyone here seen Ray's DEVI, THE GODDESS?

I walked by two huge boxes of vhs's set out for street rifling prior to trash pickup, and seemed to be the first to luck into it... grabbed a bunch of Hitchcocks, Woody, Funny Face, Runaway Train, a few others, plus this Ray which I haven't seen.

Anyone seen it? Thoughts?

[MuzikJunky]

It seems unlikely that they would license to Criterion when they already distribute here unless they could somehow end up making more money from the deal. I suppose that's a possibility given Criterion's name, though.

Eros doesn’t really operate here, even though it has offices. It does have discs manufactured here, but it also has ’em made in the UK and in India. Qualiton distributes very few of its releases at an exorbitant mark-up—but only at places like Amazon. Otherwise, they’re only at your local Indian-owned shop, which might have as many bootlegs as legitimate releases. Peace.

[domino harvey]

I wouldn't hold my breath for (relatively) obscure Indian films to be released on Criterion or Eclipse. Your best bet is hoping that someone else in R1 starts a label specifically for exporting these titles

[Adam]

Has anyone here seen Ray's DEVI, THE GODDESS?

I walked by two huge boxes of vhs's set out for street rifling prior to trash pickup, and seemed to be the first to luck into it... grabbed a bunch of Hitchcocks, Woody, Funny Face, Runaway Train, a few others, plus this Ray which I haven't seen.

Anyone seen it? Thoughts?

I remember Devi being great when I saw it, but that was, what a decade ago when the 9 Ray films were touring. I don't remember it so well now.

The real masterpiece for me, besides the Apu Trilogy, was "Charulata."
.
I really hope Criterion can pull some Ray films; I ask any time I write. Devi, Charulata, and The Music Room are all essential. What were the last 3 in that tour? Apul Trilogy, those 3, I think The Chess Players, and ??

[kekid]

Has anyone here seen Ray's DEVI, THE GODDESS?

I walked by two huge boxes of vhs's set out for street rifling prior to trash pickup, and seemed to be the first to luck into it... grabbed a bunch of Hitchcocks, Woody, Funny Face, Runaway Train, a few others, plus this Ray which I haven't seen.

Anyone seen it? Thoughts?

I have seen Devi, and consider it a masterpiece. Sharmila Tagore gives her greatest performance in this film. It is a disturbing film. A young woman is believed to be an incarnation of a Goddess by her father-in-law. Her husband is unable to protect her from his father's efforts to establish her as the Goddess. She is asked to perform miracles. Through unexplained reasons she succeeds in one. This creates doubt in her own mind if she is indeed a Goddess. In the final scene, she is asked to cure her very sick nephew, who is deprived of traditional medical treatment. The young boy dies, and the woman becomes insane. It is an unforgettable ending.

Ray experienced sever criticism from certain quarters for his outlook on faith. It is an intense film, and anyone interested in Ray's work should see it.

[Adam]

I have seen Devi, and consider it a masterpiece ...

You really shouldn't give away the ending of this one....

[Kinsayder]

I agree with kekid, Devi is a great film, and an important one in Ray's canon since it deals full on with a subject that is never far from the surface in his films: rationalism butting heads with tradition. In other respects, it's a unique film for Ray: the gloomy night-time cinematography, the slow movements of the actors, the big lingering closeups, the soundtrack layered with animal screeches, bells, clattering footsteps and eerie music (4 bars of Schubert's Unfinished on a loop at one point) all combine to create an intensely claustrophobic, doom-laden atmosphere that I don't associate with any of his other films.

Re the ending: the original intention was to show Daya drowning, to match the opening images of the goddess figure being submerged in water. The shot was spoilt, then reshot differently, then removed altogether by Ray, so now we just see Daya running off into the mist before the dissolve into the goddess face.

[videozor]

I'd love to see some of the 50s films by Raj Kapoor, especially the wonderful and socially conscious "Shree 420". Almost chaplinesque in places, and tunes that will stick in your brain for days if you heard them once. Same goes for the same director's "Awaara".

Totally agree

[mteller]

Devi is essential Ray, but the one I want most is Mahanagar. I think I could watch that movie once a week until I die.

Besides those two, Charulata, and the Apu trilogy, I'd really love to get the "Calcutta trilogy" (Pratidwandi, Seemabaddha, Jana Aranya). IMO, it's almost as good as (maybe even better than) the Apu trilogy.

[Adam]

Oh yeah, another one of teh 9 that toured was in modern Calcutta or Varnassi, and had a woman working in an office. Which one was that? That's all I remember, although it too was good.

[MuzikJunky]

I wouldn't hold my breath for (relatively) obscure Indian films to be released on Criterion or Eclipse. Your best bet is hoping that someone else in R1 starts a label specifically for exporting these titles.

But these films aren't obscure! Sholay had a 10-year theatrical run, and Mani Ratnam's films play in festivals worldwide! Peace.

[HerrSchreck]

the ending: the original intention was to show Daya drowning, to match the opening images of the goddess figure being submerged in water. The shot was spoilt, then reshot differently, then removed altogether by Ray, so now we just see Daya running off into the mist before the dissolve into the goddess face

In the final scene, she is asked to cure her very sick nephew, who is deprived of traditional medical treatment. The young boy dies, and the woman becomes insane. It is an unforgettable ending.

"I'm thinking of watching this film. Could someone please tell me whether or not this film is worth watching or not, and-- especially if it's a really really really great supersonic masterpiece for the ages-- go ahead and completely ruin the ending for me? That would be really great and I'd be big fat huge obliged."

Jeez man, whatever happened to Spoiler Alerts or the white font?

[domino harvey]

I wouldn't hold my breath for (relatively) obscure Indian films to be released on Criterion or Eclipse. Your best bet is hoping that someone else in R1 starts a label specifically for exporting these titles.

But these films aren't obscure! Sholay had a 10-year theatrical run, and Mani Ratnam's films play in festivals worldwide! Peace.

Note the word "relative"-- I don't doubt they're important films within their national cinemas, but if you think it's as high profile as any recent Criterion release, you're fooing yourself.

[Kinsayder]

Jeez man, whatever happened to Spoiler Alerts or the white font?

Sorry, Schreck. I hoped that "Re the ending" might be a sufficient spoiler warning. By the way, in Pather Panchali, it turns out to be the butler in the pantry with the carving knife.

[kekid]

the ending: the original intention was to show Daya drowning, to match the opening images of the goddess figure being submerged in water. The shot was spoilt, then reshot differently, then removed altogether by Ray, so now we just see Daya running off into the mist before the dissolve into the goddess face

In the final scene, she is asked to cure her very sick nephew, who is deprived of traditional medical treatment. The young boy dies, and the woman becomes insane. It is an unforgettable ending.

"I'm thinking of watching this film. Could someone please tell me whether or not this film is worth watching or not, and-- especially if it's a really really really great supersonic masterpiece for the ages-- go ahead and completely ruin the ending for me? That would be really great and I'd be big fat huge obliged."

Jeez man, whatever happened to Spoiler Alerts or the white font?

Ok, folks, point taken. Peace.

[fiddlesticks]

Jeez man, whatever happened to Spoiler Alerts or the white font?

Ok, folks, point taken. Peace.

FWIW, I often find that I enjoy films more if they've been "spoiled" for me, especially foreign language films. In such cases, I don't have to expend so much energy keeping track of who is who and who said what so that I don't get lost in the plot. If I have a reasonable idea going in about what will happen, I can relax and spend more time paying attention to the cinematography, the mise-en-scene, the shot selection, etc.; in other words, watching the whole film and not just the story. Of course, there are some films where the plot's the thing, and those might be "spoiled," but I kinda doubt that Ray's films would be in this category for me. Just my two cents.

[fdm]

I often find that I enjoy films more if they've been "spoiled" for me, especially foreign language films. In such cases, I don't have to expend so much energy keeping track of who is who and who said what so that I don't get lost in the plot. If I have a reasonable idea going in about what will happen, I can relax and spend more time paying attention to the cinematography, the mise-en-scene, the shot selection, etc.; in other words, watching the whole film and not just the story. Of course, there are some films where the plot's the thing, and those might be "spoiled," but I kinda doubt that Ray's films would be in this category for me.

Dunno, some fucker in a magazine (editorial on first page of first issue of some short-lived magazine had a spoiler in it) ruined Sixth Sense for me. Hate spoilers. Period. Rather watch the film twice if it's (a) good enough and (b) "difficult". Still pissed at the asshole many years since.

[Kinsayder]

Would anyone watch a M Night Shyamalan film more than once? Take away the twist ending and there's nothing left.