Pearls of the Czech New Wave (Criterion, Eclipse Series 32) DVD

Films included:

PEARLS OF THE DEEP

Jiri Menzel, Vera Chytilova, Jaromil Jires 1966

A manifesto of sorts for the Czech New Wave, this five-part anthology shows off the breadth of expression and the versatility of the movement’s directors.

DAISIES

Vera Chytilova 1966

Daisies is an aesthetically and politically adventurous film that’s widely considered one of the great works of feminist cinema.

A REPORT ON THE PARTY AND GUESTS

Jan Nemec 1966

In Jan Nemec’s surreal fable, a picnic is rudely transformed into a lesson in political hierarchy when a handful of mysterious authority figures show up.

RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON

Evald Schorm 1967

This raw psychological drama about an engineer unable to adjust to the world around him following his suicide attempt is at heart a scathing portrait of social alienation and moral compromise.

CAPRICIOUS SUMMER