The Criterion Collection Articles

Deborah Kerr, pony, Michael Powell on the Black Narcissus set The Criterion Collection has posted a series of images providing a glimpse behind the scenes of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 1947 classic Black Narcissus. Set in the Himalayas, this adaptation of Rumer Godden's novel was filmed entirely in Britain, chiefly at Pinewood Studios. Make sure to check it out here. In the beautifully nuanced [...]

Ralph Richardson in Carol Reed's The Fallen Idol THE FALLEN IDOL Review: Part I Things are cleared up before the end, after a number of plot contrivances — not the least of which is the mediocre depiction of a police investigation. Compounding matters, The Fallen Idol offers subpar acting (Bobby Henrey and Michèle Morgan phone in their performances), stereotyped characters (e.g., the cops and a [...]

THE 400 BLOWS Review: Part I I should add that without Jean-Pierre Léaud The 400 Blows would not have been what it is. The young actor gives one of the four or five greatest child performances in film history. Given that François Truffaut reportedly allowed Léaud to improvise his answers in the psychologist scene, I believe the filmmaker was fully aware that his film's success [...]

STRAW DOGS Review: Part III In his defense, Clover is not the only critic who has butchered their interpretation of the film. The infamous Pauline Kael loved Straw Dogs, but mislabeled it "fascist," as if a band of local loonies are the equivalent of a nationwide junta, while many of her female acolytes condemned both the film and the director for "misogyny." Even the powerful [...]