Despite having only directed thirteen features in a career that spanned nearly half a century, Robert Bresson is one of the most important and acclaimed filmmakers in cinema history. For example, consider that eight of his thirteen films are listed among the top 1,000 films of all time, as listed by the Web site They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They? Since Bresson’s death in 1999, various companies like The Criterion Collection have helped to make most of his work accessible on DVD. However, there are a number of films that are still unavailable in the U.S. Most notably, his 1971 film Four Nights of a Dreamer is tied up in rights issues and is officially unavailable in any format. 1962’s The Trial of Joan of Arc has shown a few times on cable, but it too isn’t available on Region 1 DVD.
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