The Criterion Collection, whose mission is to publish “important classic and contemporary films from around the world in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements” has added Small Axe and Triangle of Sadness to its collection. The two new films are currently available for pre-order.
Triangle of Sadness, directed by Ruben Östlund, paints a picture of satire of our obsessions with wealth, beauty, privilege, and status culture. Harris Dickinson and Charlbi Dean play a model-influencer couple who are both invited to an all-expenses paid cruise among those of their “rich and famous” ilk, but something comes along to turn everyone’s world upside down. The film is named for the patch of skin between the eyebrows, which models use to express emotion — or use Botox to suppress emotions. Whether people choose to express or suppress emotion, no one can escape the eventualities of life. We’re all in the same boat.
Small Axe, directed by Sir Steve Rodney McQueen, is an anthology of five films: Mangrove; Lovers Rock; Red, White and Blue; Alex Wheatle; and Education that originally aired on BBC One in 2020. Each film offers a different tone and a close look into West Indian life in London from the 1960s to the 1980s, which was a time of terror, police violence, a finding of the political self, and the escape into the colorful and vibrant reggae scene. But why the name Small Axe? It relates to a Bob Marley song of the same name, which talks about a large tree that can be felled through the continued use of a small axe and how the smallest actions can, indeed, make a difference.
