The Cannes Film Festival is taking off today, May 12th. Well known as one of the most famous film festivals in the world, it’s also known as one of the most exclusive. Although tens of thousands of people come from all corners of the globe to attend the festival each year, with few exceptions Cannes screenings are strictly limited to industry and press professionals.
But do not despair, film lover. There is a way you can play along at home…sort of. While many of the films playing in Cannes will be world premieres, one section of the festival highlights older films getting a fresh re-release. Cannes Classics showcases legendary films from the past along with documentaries about filmmaking and filmmakers. So you can watch many of these films at home the same day those lucky ducks in the south of France do, and you’ll be less jet lagged too!
This year, the festival is kicking Cannes Classics up a notch with an expanded lineup and celebrity attendees. Quentin Tarantino will be a “guest of honor” for the Classics section this year and will present two Westerns directed by George Sherman.
But “pre-opening” the Cannes Classics section will be a new 4K restoration of Charlie Chaplin’s 1925 classic “The Gold Rush.” It will screen before anything else in the festival on May 13th, but you can watch the current version of the film on Amazon Prime or Max.
For 2025, Cannes Classics will be re-introducing a number of films for their 25th anniversary. Alejandro González Iñárritu will present a new 4K restoration of his debut feature, “Amores Perros.” In his 3 1/2-star review, Roger Ebert said, “It is the work of a born filmmaker, and you can sense González Iñárritu’s passion as he plunges into melodrama, coincidence, sensation and violence.” It’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
Another film celebrating its 25th Anniversary is Kevin Smith’s “Dogma.” A new 4K restoration is currently doing a road tour at AMC theaters across the U.S., but it will also make a stop in the south of France a quarter-century after it originally played Out of Competition in Cannes. In anticipation of that restored version opening in theaters nationwide on June 5th, the film has been pulled from any streaming sites, so you’ll need to get your hands on a physical DVD or Blu-Ray copy if you want to see it, and its all-star cast, before then.
Last, but certainly not least, among the 25th-anniversary pictures receiving a Cannes showcase is “YiYi”, the epic Taiwanese family drama from director Edward Yang. Yang won the Best Director prize in Cannes in 2020, and his masterpiece gets a fresh 4K restoration. YiYi is currently playing on the Criterion Channel.
John Woo’s Hong Kong action classic “Hard Boiled” gets a new, long-anticipated 4K release, re-mastered from the original camera negatives. It’s also been pulled from all streaming services in anticipation of the new Blu-Ray release next month. So this is another title where you’ll need a physical copy to view at home before then.
One more silver-screen silver anniversary is being celebrated with the screening of the holocaust drama “Sunshine” (1999), starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz and directed by István Szabó. Roger wrote, “…this is a movie of substance and thrilling historical sweep, and its three hours allow Szabo to show the family’s destiny forming and shifting under pressure. At every moment there is a choice between ethics and expediency; at no moment is the choice clear or easy.” You can watch the film at home through the public library streaming services Hoopla and Kanopy.
A 50th anniversary restored print of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” starring Jack Nicholson and directed by Miloš Forman, will be presented. The five-time Oscar winner, including Best Picture, can be streamed at home by renting it at a variety of online streamers.
And those Tarantino-hosted westerns? The first is “Red Canyon” (1949) starring Ann Blyth, Howard Duff and a youngish Lloyd Bridges. This early color Western is difficult to find, as it was never even released to DVD. But you can stream it for free on Roku’s “Classic Film Time” app.
The second George Sherman picture is a little easier to find. “Comanche Territory” starring Maureen O’Hara from 1950 is also in color, Technicolor in fact. And you can see it with a Starz subscription.
Closing out the Cannes Classics schedule is a 50th anniversary restoration of Stanley Kubrick’s historical epic “Barry Lyndon.” The new print was sourced from the original camera negatives and will be presented in Kubrick’s preferred aspect ratio for the film of 1.66:1. The restored version will be released to the public in December, but if you can’t wait that long, light a candle (the film was famous for being primarily lit by candles and sunlight) and rent it from your favorite digital movie service.
Along with those repertory titles, Cannes Classics will be premiering a number of movie-themed documentaries including titles about David Lynch, Simone Signoret and Yves Montand, Shia LaBeouf, Bo Widerberg, and Jayne Mansfield among others.
Unfortunately, you’ll need to wait until their official releases to see those films. But the other films we’ve highlighted should keep you plenty busy during Cannes’ two weeks in the midday sun, and you won’t need an IMDb listing or press pass to watch them. So open a nice Beaujolais, plate a bit of brie, and catch up on some classic films. But don’t forget to support these restorations and re-releases when they open to the public. It encourages studios to preserve and restore more classic cinema that desperately needs it.
And finally, be sure to follow along with RogerEbert.com‘s staff writings from the festival and Chaz Ebert’s regular video reports. Those by themselves will make you as knowledgeable as anyone walking around the croisette in Cannes.