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Top 10 Best DVDs of 2003

By Society & Culture & Entertainment Last updated Thursday, June/20/2024

In a year were a lot of new films turned out to be disappointments, DVD remained a haven for the discerning film fan: our home library of towering classics grew by leaps and bounds in 2003, with weekly releases of terrific titles, often with restored image and sound and packed with valuable bonus features, essays, and in-depth commentary that do the movies justice. Here are the best new DVDs of the year.

1. The Adventures of Antoine Doinel

Antoine Doinel, Antoine Doinel, Antoine Doinel: there was no contest for the top DVD release this year. Criterion's lavish 5-disc set of Francois Truffaut's series of films, starting with "The 400 Blows", about his alter ego (played by Jean-Pierre Leaud) is a must-have for any fan of French film. Commentaries, interviews, and a book of essays make this a picture-book example of a perfect DVD set.More »

2. The Two Towers: Extended Edition

Like last year, New Line pulled a fast one on "The Lord of the Rings" fans by offering an inferior 2-disc set before releasing the 4-disc extended edition. The wait was worth it: the lovingly packaged set features the definitive version of the second installment of Peter Jackson's epic Tolkien-adaptation, a good 16 hours of commentary tracks, and several in-depth documentaries on the making of the film. Like "The Fellowship of the Ring" before it, this set is compulsively rewatchable.More »

3. Throne of Blood

Kurosawa meets Shakespeare in the Japanese master's adaptation of "Macbeth." The images are gloriously restored, the film's drama is blood-curdling, and the DVD comes with a scholarly commentary track, two subtitle translations, and an essay by Stephen Prince. If the walking, talking trees of "The Two Towers" don't appeal to you, you can watch Birnum Wood come to Dunsinane on the slopes of Mount Fuji.More »

4. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

A classic of a slightly different vintage finds its definitive home at the Criterion Collection: Terry Gilliam's visionary adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's classic American novel, starring Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro, is a movie that deserves to be rewatched again and again. The special features on the 2-disc set are as thorough as one could wish for: three commentary tracks, including one by Thompson, artwork by Steadman, a BBC documentary, and much, much more.More »

5. The Man Without A Past

This wry and optimistic story of a man who loses his memory when he gets mugged in a Helsinki park may well be Aki Kaurismäki's masterpiece, an understated yet hilarious vision of humanity and hope, nominated for the Foreign Language Oscar in 2002. It's too bad that the DVD doesn't boast any special features--but for anybody who missed the film during its brief stay in American theaters, it's at least an opportunity of seeing it at all. It's not a perfect DVD, but it's a perfect movie.More »

6. La Strada

Fellini's lovely and heartbreaking tale of Gelsomina, the half-wit who is taken on the road by circus strongman Zampano (Anthony Quinn) is one of the undisputed masterpieces of world cinema. Guilietta Masina enchants while the movie grows deeper with each repeat viewing. The Criterion set comes with restored image and sound, a video introduction by Marty Scorsese, and an audio commentary track by Fellini expert Peter Bondanella. See it once, and the Nino Rota title melody will haunt you forever.More »

7. The World of Apu

With "Pather Panchali," "Aparajito," and "World of Apu," we finally see the release of Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy on DVD, an emotionally wrenching experience which culminates in "The World of Apu," where our hero, now grown, struggles with poverty and love. Unfortunately, the quality of the DVDs is subpar--the films are not restored, full of speckles and pops, and there are no extra features. Nonetheless, the trilogy deserves to be seen, and we are glad to have the films available at all.More »

8. Bowling for Columbine

As one of the most involving and timely documentaries ever made, and well-appointed with special features, "Bowling for Columbine" deserves a mention in this list. Michael Moore's film, showered with awards and critical accolades, is certainly better at asking questions than answering them, but that is Moore's perogative as rabble-rousing filmmaker. Even those who find themselves predisposed to disagree with Moore's conclusions would do well to give his thought-provoking essay film a chance.More »

9. Spirited Away

My favorite film of 2002, Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" is a magic fable about growing up, told in breathtaking animation. It is a little unfortunate that Disney decided to package the film with a hard sell, but the featurettes on the second disc make up for the pushy, superfluous introduction by John Lasseter that plays ever time you watch the film. I play the DVD at least once a week as moving wallpaper, and the story is so rich it yields new meanings every time.More »

10. Band of Outsiders

Whenever the movies start to seem too predictable, I put on something by Godard. In "Band of Outsiders," the wonderful Anna Karina falls in with a duo of prankish crooks, and the three plan a heist. Stuffed to the gills with fresh ideas and quirky twists, "Band of Outsiders" is accessible and rewarding, funny and smart. The Criterion disc features a restored version of the film, interviews, and a booklet.More »