Westport Public Library MOVIE & MUSIC Blog

"The Janus Films icon—the black and white image, the lettering, the two faces on the seemingly ancient coin—meant that you were going to see something special, something new, something completely different from anything you'd ever seen before." So declares Martin Scorsese in his tribute to the collector’s edition of 50 Years of Janus Films Art House Collection released this past winter. How amazing to realize that the library already had a very high percentage of these films on its shelves, and some quick ordering is beginning to fill in the gaps as films are released individually.

And what a collection it is! The earliest film featured in the impressive collection is W. Pabst’s Pandora Box, starring Louise Brooks as the showgirl in a downward spiral. Don’t forget to watch the interviews with Brooks which are featured as an extra on the DVD. The other choices reflect the international breadth and universal themes explored by the movies. Among the later films are two by Anthony Asquith’s The Importance of Being Ernest and Pygmalion. Other selections include films which pose strong moral dilemmas such as Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring and the British Film, Fallen Idol based on the Graham Greene short story. A wonderful choice for the grouping is the Spanish film Spirit of the Beehive directed by Victor Erice. Its set in the Castilian countryside shortly after Franco won the civil war. Made in 1973 it is an allegorical tale of an 8 year old girl, fascinated by her viewing of the classic Frankenstein movie and her relationship with a republican sympathizer she finds hiding in an outhouse.

Why not check out the classic collection of films available at the Westport Public Library?