Criterion Crazy: April 2023 Releases
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
It’s that time of the month, folks! The Criterion Collection has announced their April 2023 releases, and this is going to sound strange: this is both a weak and a fantastic announcement this month. Allow me to explain. It’s weak because two of the films here are already mainstays in the collection and are getting 4K upgrades (which is still great news), the two newest additions to the collection are both very recent works (no older films being preserved or remastered), and there are only four announced releases this time around. Not to worry, because I highly recommend every single release here for different reasons. Let’s dive into the April 2023 Criterion Collection releases!
The Favourite: Small Axe
Steve McQueen’s sensational miniseries of films, Small Axe, is more than welcome to the collection. I’ve been dying for Criterion to release more television works, and all of the examples we’ve seen so far (Dekalog, Berlin Alexanderplatz, et cetera) are considerably film-based (outside of Fishing with John, or the Golden Age of Television release). Suffice to say, there isn’t enough. You can also call Small Axe more of a series of films than a miniseries, but, as it constitutes as both labels, I think this is at least a step in the right direction. Let’s break down what this release is. McQueen made five films for the BBC back in 2020, and all of the works deal with the political turmoils experienced by West Indian immigrants in London over the course of time. These are either based on historical events or are narratives surrounding reality.
Mangrove: The longest film of the five, Mangrove is typical McQueen material. It’s punishing, intense, and sharp. It is a great way to kick off this anthological miniseries. Detailing the harrowing trial of The Mangrove Nine (activists that rioted against the police targeting the Caribbean restaurant, The Mangrove), this first episode reads like a full-on McQueen feature film, and the bar gets set quite high with such a booming voice for justice.
Lovers Rock: One of the best things McQueen has ever made, perhaps especially because it is unlike what you would expect from the usually-miserable filmmaker. It reads like a Wong Kar-wai film (or even Barry Jenkins) and feels like an escape from the harshness of reality via music, love, and culture. A tapestry of small stories from all of the partiers at a get-together, Lovers Rock feels endless. You get a bit of a wakeup call of the tough goings on of those that are at the event, and what they are trying to forget about (at least until the sun rises). Otherwise, Lovers Rock is exquisite. There’s a reason why this film was singled out the most from the Small Axe anthology: it’s magnificently moving.
Red, White, and Blue: We get back to signature McQueen territory with the true story of officer Leroy Logan, who vows to become a member of the Metropolitan Police force to correct the system of the kind of brutality that has personally affected him. He faces racism, as well as scorn from other Black members of his community (for wanting to become a copper, when marginalized people are abused by the police time and time again). It’s the only McQueen work I can think of that is completely driven by one sole performance, as John Boyega is terrific as Logan. Not quite as large in scope as Mangrove, Red, White, and Blue is just as fierce but with a more focussed approach.
Alex Wheatle: Easily the weakest effort in McQueen’s filmography, Alex Wheatle is a little untethered. It is still a strong-enough effort to warrant a watch, but it will definitely stand out a little bit even amidst these four other films of Small Axe. Based on the writings of Alex Wheatle during his imprisonment, this film of the same name has great intentions when it tends to the soul searching of its central figure, who is grappling with his own identity. He grew up with a white care home and faced extreme isolation. He became political once moving to Brixton and taking part in the 1981 uprise. Alex Wheatle is an attempt to flip through all of these complexities; while it isn’t as thorough and honed-in as it should be, it is at least earnest.
Education: Finally, we have Education: a startling look at how Black students were forced into special classes at school with the intention to under-develop them and make them ill equipped for society. Young Kingsley is gifted and is continuously told he isn’t good enough (he’s even gaslit, forcing him to believe this is true). Education not only explores this academic fall-and-rise of a prodigy, its title reflects the shedding-of-light of such a real issue to the millions that likely never knew that this kind of stunting was going on. It’s another lighter effort by McQueen that — shockingly — is full of hope and promise, and it’s a full stop to conclude Small Axe: a reminder that we must be teaching the next generation properly (by not preventing the proper learning for entire communities, and by not hiding the truth from the masses).
Best Newer Release: Triangle of Sadness
Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winner, Triangle of Sadness, has certainly made quite a splash. It surprisingly got nominated for one of the top Golden Globe categories (Best Picture, Comedy or Musical), and now it’s getting the Criterion treatment pretty much as soon as it is ready to be made available for home release. While I feel like Östlund has stronger films (Force Majeure for sure, and The Square is also magnificently bonkers), Triangle of Sadness is still great and deserves the love it has been receiving. Besides, that cover art is incredible, and I can only imagine the inside of the packaging is just as well thought out. I feel like Criterion is toeing the line of releasing brand new films instantly, considering how many modern films have been inducted into the collection as swiftly as possible; don’t be surprised if what happened with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button years ago begins to happen in the near future. Additionally, it looks like that leak from Neon (concerning their ties with Criterion) was right after this release, so I assume we can expect All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Saint Omer, and other recent Neon titles in the near future.
It’s Time to Upgrade: The Seventh Seal
Ingmar Bergman is my favourite director of all time. Of course I’m not going to discourage you from picking up The Seventh Seal, especially not when it now has a 4K upgrade. Many Criterion aficionados will now likely own three copies of this classic (the original DVD/Blu-Ray release, the copy found within Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema, and now this upgrade), and I’m sure a trade-in option would be appealing to buyers. Moving on, The Seventh Seal is gorgeously shot (of course that’s the case when Gunnar Fischer is behind the camera), and it will look otherworldly in 4K.
Let’s Keep Upgrading: The Fisher King
The other 4K upgrade we’re going to get is Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King, which is garnering more and more love from cinephiles over time. While not quite as aesthetically sound as some of the other films that have received 4K upgrades from Criterion, this is still visually rich enough that such a release feels warranted. If you are a first time buyer that isn’t familiar with — let’s pretend — any of the 4K films available via Criterion, I’d recommend some of the other releases first in this format; to me, The Fisher King will work just as well on Blu-Ray or DVD. Having said that, those that love the film and want it in 4K will still be getting something great here (you really can’t go wrong with 4K), and any opportunity to bring the comedy-drama The Fisher King into the consciousness of society is a good one (it is one of Gilliam’s finer films, after all).
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.