Product Details

• Actors: James Aubrey, Jean Gabin, Jean Marais, Toshiro Mifune, Leon Niemczyk
• Directors: Ingmar Bergman, Peter Brook, Jean Cocteau
• Format: Box set, Black & White, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: French, Japanese, Swedish, Polish, English
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Criterion Collection
• DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
• Run Time: 570 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001BEK8D8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,700 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

ESSENTIAL ART HOUSE:V1 - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Investment, January 24, 2010

By 

John C. Rosenberger - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Essential Art House, Volume I (Beauty and the Beast / Grand Illusion / Knife in the Water / Lord of the Flies / Rashomon / Wild Strawberries) (DVD)

I found this six-pack online here for only $50 (that's only $8.33 per movie!). These movies cost $20 individually, so buying them in bulk is practically stealing them. This volume in particular (there are four altogether) has a great range of films. A terrific addition to your dvd collection for sure.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Addition To Any Collection..., July 8, 2010

By 

4-Legged Defender "Anthony C. Rubbo" (ATL. GA.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Essential Art House, Volume I (Beauty and the Beast / Grand Illusion / Knife in the Water / Lord of the Flies / Rashomon / Wild Strawberries) (DVD)

And, if you're lucky to find them cheap like I and the reviewer before me did, you're treated to an inexpensive means to fill gaps in your collection of some of the greatest films of all time. And with directors like Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, Roman Polanski, Peter Brook, Jean Cocteau, and Jean Renoir helming the cinematic saints directorial chairs, it's time to kick back and be guaranteed hours of enchanting enjoyment. The only drawback is, unlike the full-blown Criterion releases, these come bare-bones - no supplements whatsoever, but this is inconsequential considering some of the minutia in the extras don't necessarily add much to your enjoyment of the treasures enclosed here. A great place to begin your exploration of older celluloid masterworks.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Art House Vol. 1 - Highly Recommended, December 19, 2011

By 

JMM (Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Essential Art House, Volume I (Beauty and the Beast / Grand Illusion / Knife in the Water / Lord of the Flies / Rashomon / Wild Strawberries) (DVD)

Length:: 0:44 Mins

If you enjoy classic cinema, then this set is for you. If you are not familiar with these films, I suggest you look them up individually and determine whether or not you might like them. Some are foreign films, and therefore not in the English language (they are subtitled). Many of the films were shot in Black & White, and are presented in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio (what is now called "Full Screen").

Like all Criterion releases, the video and audio quality is top-notch (for a DVD, anyway). The difference between these movies and most criterion collection titles is that these do not have bonus material - they are movie only releases.

The packaging is very nice. Each movie comes in it's own clear DVD case, with beautiful cover art. Each movie also comes with an insert that features a 2-page summary of the movie, cast and credits, and a list of the DVD chapters/scene selection. It all comes packaged inside a sturdy outer box.

I highly recommend these movies - they are presented in high quality video/audio and accurately represent the vision of the filmmakers.

I also purchased Volume 3 of this collection, and highly recommend it: Essential Art House, Vol. 3

NOTE: If you are not interested in the complete set but want one or two movies, these titles have also been released individually. Even if you want all six, in some cases it may be cheaper to buy them individually than as a set (Amazon's prices are always changing).