Upcoming Criterion Collection films

Since 1984, the Criterion Collection has been releasing acclaimed films, often from foreign or independent directors, in beautiful gift sets. The company began publishing in the DVD format in 1998, although they also offer titles now in Blu-ray and video-on-demand. The company has a number of important films coming out in the next few months.The Red Shoes (1948) is being released on July 20^th. The film is directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Moira Shearer stars as a ballerina who becomes involved in a triangle between a composer and a ballet impresario. The Red Shoes is the central ballet which proves to be the young ballerina’s downfall. For those worried this is too sentimental, gritty director Martin Scorsese has called it one of his favorite films.Also on July 20^th is the release of Powell and Pressburger’s Black Narcissus (1947). Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron, and Flora Robson star as a group of nuns who meet a British agent in the Himalayas. The charismatic agent disrupts the harmony of the group and causes hidden tensions to come out. The film has been recognized for its use of visual metaphor and the erotic subtext of the film, with some comparing it to classic British novel Clarissa. Both works deal with the difficult quest for feminine virtue.Marcel Camus’s 1959 French film Black Orpheus comes out August 17. This reimagining of the classic myth of Orpheus translates the story to Rio de Janeiro, setting the story during the festive season of Carnival. Most notably, the film features a soundtrack by Antonio Carlos Jobim, a pioneer of the bossa nova musical style. The film also has a connection to President Barack Obama, who says it was his mother’s favorite film.