Roger and James Deakins's Closet Picks 

I’ve never clicked faster

There is one shot in Prisoners (the 'race to the hospital' scene) where a car is careering through heavy traffic in heavy rain and I swear it's one of the most beautiful shots I've ever seen in a movie.

It's amazing how intelligent and important James is to the Deakins duo. Wish she got more credit for her amazing work.

One of my absolute favorite story tellers and all round amazing human beings. For those who don't know, he knew Conrad hall personally

“Come and See, one of our favourites..” hahaha

This put a smile on my face 😊👍🏽

I clicked so fast

CLOSET PICKS: Kameradschaft by G. W. Pabst - Come and see - Tokyo Olympiad - Fires on the Plain - The Burmese Harp - Sid and Nancy - Le Cercle Rouge (English: "The Red Circle") by Jean-Pierre Melville - Le Silence de la Mer (English: The Silence of the Sea) - The Seventh Seal - L'Avventura (English: "The Adventure") - Mirror - Solaris - In Cold Blood

Much respect to Roger and James Deakins, but... Dear Criterion, Stop censoring movies. Thanks.

Criterion have been on a role with these Closet Picks and at this point, it doesn't even surprise me anymore who comes along this journey. Keep it up because it makes us fans know what these wonderful people choose and love to watch!

I got to meet Roger and James in March for the opening of an exhibit of his still photography. They were both incredibly kind and humble, and I got to speak with Roger 1-on-1 for probably 5 minutes despite being in a crowd of people and then for a few more minutes in a group. If you have the opportunity to go out to one of his book signings I would highly recommend it, I will never forget getting to speak with this legend. He also told me to watch In Cold Blood, which I still need to do.

In Cold Blood is a film school unto itself. All facets of its creation are first rate. A masterwork!

"It's really interesting that Solaris was made just a little bit later than Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Tarkovsky said he could never do '2001' but he wanted to do a film with really something that was more emotionally engaged with you. He felt Kubrick's film was rather cold and a piece of wonderful technology but had little to engage you with emotionally. And personally I think he was absolutely right. I think Solaris is the best science fiction film probably ever made, and the most profound."

I know some would disagree but I think he's the greatest cinematographer that has ever lived and it's so wonderful that he's still with us. What a gift.

I grew up in the south before the internet took over. They ridiculed anything...anybody... different. Berating you constantly for your music, movies, books, clothes. I spent many a night staying up late watching TCM alone. I would go through the video store looking for any world cinema I could. I would spend hours at the library talking to the librarians about film. It is so validating 2 decades later to see so many of my favs Loving the same kind of movies I do. I had no idea back then. I was just a country boy staying up till 3 am watching Bergman and Tarkovsky, falling asleep in school the next day. Fargo is one of my all time favs.

Finding out Deakins is a Tarkovsky fan has made my day. And him picking out a Conrad Hall shot film makes complete sense since I consider them to be two of a kind DPs

Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift was an interesting selection.

Tarkovsky’s description of 2001 could literally describe any Christopher Nolan picture

Love these two! Their podcast is a gift.

Much love for Roger… great cinematographer

These videos would benefit from a CU cutaway of the DVD/Blu-ray covers - it’s not always clear which movie is being talked about.

FANTASTIC! Lovely to see a husband and wife in such harmony and equality of knowledge.

Perhaps the best cinematographer alive.

Excellent. However, I don't think that Tarkovsky calling 2001 "cold" is an insult, even if he meant it that way.

Sid and Nancy is excellent. I bought Walker today by Alex Cox.

"We have missed out the all time great film director... "Which is..." "Andrei Tarkovsky, what do you mean"... *laughs* I wanted to hug this man. Legend!👏

Deakin's peekin' at some movies

Roger Deakins has created some of the most beautiful imagery ever put on film .

Kameradschaft Come and See Tokyo Olympiad Fires on the Plain The Burmese Harp Sid and Nancy Le Cercle Rouge Le Silence de la mer The Seventh Seal L'Avventura Mirror Solaris In Cold Blood

When he gives his opinion on “L’avventura”, I feel him.

Roger and James Deakins love each other as they love cinema.

I wanted this to last forever, I could listen to the Deakins talk films for hours...

When I was little kid in USSR I have watched Come and See and I was shocked and could not see it for a very long time because I was so scared and did not get used to such movies watching classical Soviet heroic movies about WW2. Now I understand why Roger loves both Tarkovsky and Come and See there are a lot of common in these pieces of art.

The GOAT Deakins talking about the GOAT Tarkovsky. It make sense.

I could hear Roger talking about Tarkovsky all day.

Great picks! Sid and Nancy, The Seventh Seal, Come and See, Le Cercle Rouge, and Solaris are all great Criterion choices. Rouge is one of the best French films ever.

Sir Roger is amazing. He has so many great movies to his credit: The Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, A Beautiful Mind, Skyfall, Blade Runner 2049, and 1917

One of the most outstanding cinematographers!

Easily one of the best cinematographers out there. Thanks for all great movies mr Deakins.

Find someone that looks at you the James looks at Roger. 🎬

"Come and See" is one of the best babbysitting, or under 9 movies for All children.

Can't go wrong with Melville and Tarkovsky, two of the great masters.

“In cold blood in cold blood in cold blood and Tarkovsky” -Roger Deakins

Excellent Cinematographer. 2001 is better than Solaris though, precisely because of how disconnected from “feelings” it is.

I just screened Come and See. It struck me as sad that the Govt. of the country that it was filmed in, and about, would side with the aggressors against Ukraine.

Saw Roger Deakins was the person doing the picks and immediately clicked on the video.

SOLARIS Rules! It puts you in a Mood. A story of Love and longing for The Past vs. Present, wrapped-up in a Science Fiction/Philosophy Film. And I cry every time when Dr. Snaut has Kris Kelvin read the passage from Miguel Cervantes and Sancho Panza's take on sleep and to Dream and that its a great Equalizer but "resembles Death". PS: plus you get the score by Artemyev of SIBERIADE fame. Here is the Quotation that is read on Snaut's Birthday Gathering in the Cultural Library on Solaris: “All I know is that while I’m asleep, I’m never afraid, and I have no hopes, no struggles, no glories - and bless the man who invented sleep, a cloak over all human thought, food that drives away hunger, water that banishes thirst, fire that heats up cold, chill that moderates passion, and, finally, universal currency with which all things can be bought, weight and balance that brings the shepherd and the king, the fool and the wise, to the same level. There’s only one bad thing about sleep, as far as I’ve ever heard, and that is that it resembles death, since there’s very little difference between a sleeping man and a corpse.” ― Miguel de Cervantes

I’m sad James feels the need to apologize for her picks - she has excellent taste!!

Roger Deakins - the best thing to come out of Torquay - after Fawlty Towers!

CRITERION YOURE TOO GOOD TO US!!! WHAT A TREAT THIS IS!

YEEEESSSSS! It's such a joy to watch people who know what it's talking about, talking about what they love. Inspiring.

This is one of my favorite closet videos. He is so interesting. And she is very charming. He was very flattering of other cinematographers, I thought. Like Conrad Hall. Raved about him. I think that's a nice quality to have.

Ahh the Deakins. In love with film and in love with each other. ❤

Can anyone tell me if anyone in this series chose Brazil? Has a special place in my collection: 1st Crit title I ever bought and I’ve since gotten all the different editions of it.

They were obviously at the Criterion offices to do the grade for the upcoming Jesse James 4K... let the hype begin!

The fact that Roger Deakins is 74 and seems healthy at least for his age , hope he has a few more years left, He worked on some amazing films, will be sad to lose him :(

I'm gonna be famous enough one day to be asked to come to the closet

I swear as soon as I Saw Roger Deakins on here I knew he was gonna pick Come and See and then I saw the Thumbnail of him holding up the DVD and was immediately like yep, I fucking knew it

Lil Deaky ❤

The Seventh Seal…masterpiece

My favorite podcasters got invited to the closet.

Oh my god! It's Roger Deakins😤

Come And See. Greatest antiwar film ever made! Brilliant pick. And another phenomenal Criterion Blu Ray.

Fastest I've ever pressed 'Play' on a YT video

not many dares to watch those kon ichikawa films and you sir picked 2 of the hardest dramas japan has ever filmed.

Come and See: THE Date film

Please also Invite Denis Villeneuve.

TEAM DEAKINS! blessings!

I hope I find a life partner like they have found each other

"Andrei Tarkovsky... what do you mean!?"

I clicked so fast LOL What a nice surprise 💜💜

Thanks for listing the folks at the end.

I'm so pleased that Roger Deakins, a wonderful cinematographer, picked two of my all time favorite directors, Antonioni and Tarkovsky. Visually these two great artists are perhaps the very best in all of cinema. He's exactly right about the incredible L'avventura, an astounding visual experience.

Finally someone I know gets to pick their movies 😅

Never clicked faster!

May I say: the best black & white film I have seen in recent years is.... 1 9 8 4 lensed by... Roger Deakins! Wait a minute, it is in color, you might say now. Of course, but only until you dial the color saturation of your TV set to zero. I took the liberty to do it, because a) I read that director Michael Radford and his DP would have loved to film this dystopian world in B/W b) it absolutely fits the subject and atmosphere. c ) Scorsese once said in an interview, he was curious and had a B/W copy of NEW YORK, NEW YORK made and he liked it very much. (and gave me the idea :-). Closet picks in my DVD archive: My "Deakins section" counts 32 films by Roger now!

I remember getting SO happy when Roger deservedly won that Oscar for Blade Runner 2049. Has made so many films with the best cinematography out there.

Both so elegant; so intelligent...

Most badass thumbnail ever!

Roger Deakins is quite probably (fight me) the best living cinematographer and easily in my Top 3 of all time. Quite often, it seems to me, positions and roles like this have much to do with who you are working with (Thelma Schoonmaker, easily one of the best editors of all time, is an example, because she works with one of the very best, and you already know who that is). But Deakins kills it with movies outside of Coen Brother movies, such as Blade Runner 2049 and Skyfall, to name only a couple.

Does the Closet need a librarian? Because I will apply for that job.

Legendary cinematographer. If you are a fan of movies you are a fan of this guy.

If these had been two sound professionals discussing films, they probably wouldn't have rated Solaris so high. The movie is practically unwatchable due to its terrible, completely amateur sound recording and mixing. In visual terms, it's like watching a movie with red and green colour only - unbearable.

You know, I would’ve bet money that Roger was from the same neighborhood as Daniel day Lewis based on his dialect. But I was wrong.

now _these_ are "closet picks"

His overhead crane shot of the parking lot in Fargo still melts me... 🤟🎥🔥❤️🤟

love his work since Sicario

His little recoil at Sid & Nancy is so good

Everyone goes for Tarkovsky! I was sure Roger was going to pounce on Criterion’s The Rock. And Armageddon. 😼

What a great selection!! Come and See is...terrifying.

Man does anyone feel like Roger and James would just be really cool to hang out with and get a beer? 😂

So his wife's first name is... "James"? Alrighty.

i low key have a crush on roger deakins. he's like a member of pink floyd or something.

What strikes me with every closet video is how huge film erudites all of the guests are and what great taste they share.

I just watched L’avventura again last night. It's not a movie it is *cinema*

Cool couple. Didn't know about their podcast. Will give it a try.

Now this is a big episode!

A movie can do what no other medium can do. That's it in a nutshell.

I'm predicting an Ed Lachman shout out somewhere here

I am also a fan of their podcast. Fundamental if you love movies.