The Criterion Collection is a place where film connoisseurs can go to see which movies have been given the titles of “classic” and “contemporary.” If you look through their website, there is a sea of titles from around the world that have been released for the public to view and collect. The films have been released on their streaming service, DVD, and Blu-Ray.
Film fans look forward to seeing what new masterpieces will be added to the Collection every year and their most recent claims have been director Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and director Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story.
After hearing this announcement, it makes you wonder; how can two films that just came out on Netflix be considered classic and contemporary already?
Professor of History and Anthropology Thomas S. Pearson, Ph.D., mentioned, “I think the phrase classic is overused in speaking about contemporary films because it’s not always clear which ones will stand the test of time.” It can be such an easy word to throw around, but the film has to back it up.
So for the film community, is it too soon to be announcing The Irishman as a classic film? Pearson explained, “I feel The Irishman is very deserving of a Criterion release. It will make film collectors and archivists like me very happy and it is a fitting capstone to Martin Scorsese’s films about the workings of the mafia.”
Another reason why The Irishman could be labeled a classic today is because of the groundbreaking technology it used to make all its aging front men look younger. But while The Irishman could claim classic status for solely being one of Scorsese’s final mob epics, Marriage Story gave a real look into the crumbling of a relationship by throwing audiences in the middle of a divorce. It could be considered contemporary because of how relatable the film felt to many with its powerful acting and sincerely heart crushing script.
English Professor Sue Starke, Ph.D., thought it may be too soon for these films to have such high standings. She pointed out that, “The Irishman and Marriage Story are character studies where dialogue, not action and spectacle, matter a lot.”
Films don’t have to be thrilling in order to have a higher standing, but they should have some time to settle and stand the test of time and even audiences. Both films though have shown fresh perspectives on emotional situations such as a divorce or even family issues through the eyes of a Mafioso.
So yes, these films are well made and have shown new techniques and sides to these popular storylines, but why release them so soon?
The Criterion Collection features films from around the world that are for film buffs who enjoy collecting films and exciting new features that come with the re-release.
With the release of newer films to be forever apart of the Criterion Collection, they may also want to expand their audiences. The Criterion Collection doesn’t always have to be a big part of the life of a collector, but maybe it can branch out to audiences of all kinds. There comes an appreciation for film with the Criterion Collection, so maybe their new goal is to reel in audiences that are out of their cinephile scope.
Moreover, Criterion could be making a push to grab some Netflix audiences. Maybe by getting a couple of top Netflix titles, Criterion can expose Netflix users to their vast library. There could be users who are itching for more classic cinema and Criterion might be the answer they never thought of.
Regardless of Criterion’s thinking behind the move, it makes a statement toward where The Irishman and Marriage Story stand in cinema’s history. We will determine where The Irishman or Marriage Story stand by determining if anyone is still talking about the films years down the road. Starke pointed out, “It’s probably too soon to deem a 2019 film a “classic” because we can’t know what stands the test of time until, well, time has passed!”
Who knows? These might be “instant” classics or just another blip on the radar. Maybe one day you’ll be walking down the street and people will still be talking about how Adam Driver’s character forgot to lock the child seat in his rental car or how De Niro’s character looked so winded kicking a guy on the street at the age of “40.” No matter what happens, I’ll be adding Marriage Story to my shelf.
IMAGES TAKEN from Wikimedia Commons
