Criterion Collection of Samurai films...

[Steve Hubbell]

Rebel Samurai: Sixties Swordplay Classics—Coming in October!
REBELLION! The political and cultural tumult of the early 1960s shook Japan as it did the rest of the world. Japanese filmmakers responded to the changing times by disguising themes of dissent in the traditional form of the swordplay film, or chanbara. Previously populated by heroic samurai, self-sacrificing ronin, and historical figures who exemplified noble Japanese virtues, the genre began embracing a new kind of hero, or antihero: the lone outcast, distrustful of authority but maintaining a personal code of honor. These four classic films, from four masters of Japanese cinema, turn a genre upside down, redefining for a modern generation the meaning of loyalty and honor, as embodied by the iconic figure of the samurai.

Samurai Rebellion (Masaki Kobayashi, 1967): Toshiro Mifune stars as Isaburo, an aging swordsman living a quiet life until his clan lord orders that his son marry the lord’s mistress, who has recently displeased the ruler. Reluctantly, father and son take in the woman, and, to the family’s surprise, the young couple fall in love. But the lord soon reverses his decision and demands the mistress’s return. Against all expectations, Isaburo and his son refuse, risking the destruction of their entire family. Director Masaki Kobayashi’s Samurai Rebellion is a gripping story of a peaceful man who finally decides to take a stand against injustice

Special features: New, restored high-definition digital transfer; Video introduction by director Masaki Kobayashi; Original theatrical trailer; New essay by Japanese-film historian Donald Richie; New and improved English subtitle translation

Sword of the Beast (Hideo Gosha, 1965): Legendary swordplay filmmaker Hideo Gosha’s Sword of the Beast chronicles the flight of retainer Gennosuke, who kills one of his clan’s ministers as part of a reform plot. He is pursued by his former comrades, and the betrayal so shakes his sense of honor that he decides to live in the wild, like an animal. There he encounters a motley group who are illegally mining the shogun’s gold and, with the aid of another master swordsman, gets a chance not just at survival but to recover his name and honor.

Special features: New, restored high-definition digital transfer; New essay by Japanese film and pop-culture authority Patrick Macias; New and improved English subtitle translation

Samurai Spy (Masahiro Shinoda, 1965): Years of warfare end in a Japan unified under the Tokugawa shogunate, and samurai spy Sasuke Sarutobi, tired of conflict, longs for peace. When a high-ranking spy named Koriyama defects from the shogun to a rival clan, however, the world of the swordsmen is thrown into turmoil. After he is unwittingly drawn into the conflict, Sarutobi tracks Koriyama, while a mysterious, white-hooded figure seems to hunt them both. By tale’s end, no one is who they seemed to be, and the truth is far more personal than anyone suspected. Director Masahiro Shinoda’s Samurai Spy,filled with clan intrigue, ninja spies, and multiple double crosses, marks a bold stylistic departure from swordplay film convention.

Special features: New, restored high-definition digital transfer; Exclusive new video interview with director Masahiro Shinoda; New essay by film scholar Alain Silver; New and improved English subtitle translation

Kill! (Kihachi Okamoto, 1968): In this pitch-black action comedy by Kihachi Okamoto, a pair of down-on-their-luck swordsmen arrive in a dusty, windblown town, where they become involved in a local clan dispute. One, previously a farmer, longs to become a noble samurai. The other, a former samurai haunted by his past, prefers living anonymously with gangsters. But when both men discover the wrongdoings of the nefarious clan leader, they side with a band of rebels who are under siege at a remote mountain cabin. Based on the same source novel as Akira Kurosawa’s Sanjuro, Kill! playfully tweaks samurai film convention, mixing in elements from Italian westerns and established chanbara classics alike.

Special features: New, restored high-definition digital transfer; Original theatrical trailer; New essay by film and culture critic Howard Hampton; New and improved English subtitle translation

Akira Kurosawa: Four Samurai Classics
With the production of Seven Samurai (1954), the most popular and important Japanese film of its time, Kurosawa began a long and fruitful obsession with medieval Japan. From The Hidden Fortress (1958), which pioneered widescreen cinematography in Japan, to the samurai-for-hire pair of Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962), which launched the “Spaghetti Western” genre in Italy, Kurosawa reinvigorated the samurai film genre and revitalized the American Western in the process. Kurosawa's greatest samurai films are presented here together for the first time.

Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, 1954): A desperate village hires seven samurai to protect it from marauders in this crown jewel of Japanese cinema. Remade as The Magnificent Seven and inspiring countless imitators, Akira Kurosawa's original is an inspired epic, a triumph of art, and an unforgettable three-hour journey.

Special features: Audio commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck

The Hidden Fortress (Akira Kurosawa, 1958): A general and a princess must dodge enemy clans while smuggling the royal treasure out of hostile territory with two bumbling, conniving peasants at their sides. Acknowledged as a primary influence on George Lucas' Star Wars, The Hidden Fortress delivers Kurosawa's inimitably deft blend of wry humor, breathtaking action, and humanist compassion on an epic scale.

Special features: Video interview with George Lucas about The Hidden Fortress.

Yojimbo (Akira Kurosawa, 1961): In order to rid a village of corruption, a masterless samurai turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantage. Remade most famously as A Fistful of Dollars, this exhilarating, darkly comic gangster-Western remains one of the most influential and entertaining genre-twisters ever produced.

Sanjuro (Akira Kurosawa, 1961): In this humorous companion piece to Yojimbo, jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan's evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a “proper” samurai on its ear.

The Samurai Trilogy
Based on the novel that has been called Japan’s Gone With the Wind, Hiroshi Inagaki’s acclaimed Samurai Trilogy is a sweeping saga of the legendary seventeenth-century samurai Musashi Miyamoto (powerfully portrayed by Toshiro Mifune) set against the turmoil of a devastating civil war, and follows Musashi’s odyssey from unruly youth to enlightened warrior. The Criterion Collection is proud to present The Samurai Trilogy, Hiroshi Inagaki’s epic tale of combat, valor, and self-discovery, now available for the first time in a specifically priced gift pack.

Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (Hiroshi Inagaki, 1954): The first installment of The Samurai trilogy—Musashi Miyamoto—finds the hero’s dreams of military glory ending in betrayal, but the fugitive swordsman finds salvation in the love of a woman and a cunning priest who guides him to the samurai path.

Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Island (Hiroshi Inagaki, 1955): In the second, Duel at Ichijoji Temple, the itinerant Musashi is set upon by eighty samurai disciples—orchestrated by the villainous Kojiro—while the women who love him watch helplessly.

Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (Hiroshi Inagaki, 1955): In the final chapter, Duel at Ganryu Island, Musashi must decide between two women as he prepares to battle for supremacy in a climactic confrontation with his lifelong nemesis.

Miscellaneous Films from Criterion
The jidai-geki, or period drama, is a Japanese film genre that has remained the country's most enduring and popular. The term refers to any Japanese film set before 1868, the first year of the Meiji Restoration, which initiated Japan's modern era. Often employed as a way of retelling traditional stories or recreating epic historical events, the jidai-geki has evolved over time to encompass a broad range of styles and perspectives—from bloody samurai swordplay adventures to searching social and political criticism. The following jidai-geki films are available from Criterion.

Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa, 1950) Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, Rashomon is perhaps the finest film ever to investigate the philosophy of justice. Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, Kurosawa reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the story of a man’s murder and the rape of his wife. Toshiro Mifune gives another commanding performance in the eloquent masterwork that revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema to the world.

Harakiri (Masaki Kobayashi, 1962) Following the collapse of his clan, unemployed samurai Hanshiro Tsugumo (Tatsuya Nakadai) arrives at the manor of Lord Iyi, begging to commit ritual suicide on his property. Iyi’s clansmen, believing the desperate ronin is merely angling for charity, try to force him to eviscerate himself—but they have underestimated his honor and his past. Winner of the 1963 Cannes Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize, Masaki Kobayashi’s Harakiri is a scathing denouncement of feudal authority and hypocrisy.

The Sword of Doom (Kihachi Okamoto, 1966) Tatsuya Nakadai and Toshiro Mifune star in the story of a wandering samurai who exists in a maelstrom of violence. A gifted swordsman—plying his trade during the turbulent final days of Shogunate rule—Ryunosuke (Nakadai) kills without remorse, without mercy. It is a way of life that ultimately leads to madness. The Criterion Collection is proud to present director Kihachi Okamoto’s swordplay classic The Sword of Doom, the thrilling tale of a man who chooses to devote his life to evil.

[estee]

Does anyone know if the "47 Ronin" is out on video. I know there were at least two versions, one that was made in Japan during the War.

[go]

Hello Readers,
What makes Criterion dvds cost more than most other dvds?
Is this related to the higher cost of dvds in Japan?
Thank you in advance for your insights.
Best wishes to all,
go

[Maka]

Hello Readers,
What makes Criterion dvds cost more than most other dvds?

go

I think they cost more because they are specialized market (read: not mainstream). When the big studios produce a DVD, they expect to sell the heck out each one. So they can produce more (and production cost go down as you produce in bulk). But the market for international films (at least in the USA) is much smaller. So for Criterion to be profitable, they have to charge more for each DVD they produce (because it cost them more to produce and they don't sell as many).

But Criterion also spend a lot of time getting the best picture possible and a lot of great extras. I just rented Rashomon from my local library. The "print" quality of film and sound was excellent. They included the two short stories on which Rashomon was based. Several commentaries and another documentary. So this ~90 minute movie ends up being enjoyed for almost 4 + hours before even re-watching any of it.

I plan to buy Harakiri because I trust Criteria version will be so much better than my old VHS version as far as quality and extras.

For fans, it's worth the extra cost. Or at least renting from the local library. Libraries are amazing resources.

Peace,

maka

[Steve Hubbell]

Does anyone know if the "47 Ronin" is out on video. I know there were at least two versions, one that was made in Japan during the War.

The two most popular versions are available and listed through Amazon...

Chushingura (Hiroshi Inagaki, 1963)
Chushingura means "loyalty," and that potent Japanese theme runs like hot blood throughout this stately samurai epic. It's often called the Gone with the Wind of Japanese cinema, and while that may be a fitting cultural parallel, it gives an inaccurate impression of the film, based on one of Japan's most enduring and oft-interpreted historical events. A simmering, deliberately paced drama set during the Tokugawa shogunate in 1701, it centers on 47 loyal samurai who seek vengeance against the arrogant elder statesman who caused their master's ritual suicide. The now masterless ronin let seasons pass (and the movie occasionally seems just as long) before executing a climactic raid that is both expertly fierce and lethally efficient. Featuring a who's-who of fine Japanese actors, including Kurosawa regulars Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura, Chushingura bears little resemblance to Kurosawa's action-packed samurai classics. This is a thematically dense, politically complex drama, presented here at its fullest length (207 minutes) and best appreciated after multiple viewings. Masterfully composed with painterly precision, Chushingura weaves its intricate tapestry from time-honored tenets of Japanese culture, offering a challenging but grandly rewarding experience.

The 47 Ronin: Parts 1 & 2 (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1941)
Don't expect the blood-and-thunder adventure of Akira Kurosawa's samurai tales in this take on the legendary 18th century story. Loyal samurai plot righteous revenge on the scheming official responsible for the dishonor and execution of their honorable samurai Lord, yet Kenji Mizoguchi's elegant epic is a film of confrontation through ceremony, plots concealed in veils of political feints, and vengeance patiently delayed until honor can be satisfied. Such introspective drama may frustrate viewers anticipating adrenaline-fueled combat--even the climactic battle is communicated entirely in the breathless reading of a gripping dispatch--and they might prefer Hiroshi Inagaki's more visceral 1962 Chushingura. The drama of Mizoguchi's film is in the restrained poise of warriors reigning in their instinct to attack, the arched eyebrows of cunning politicians playing games of brinkmanship over tea, and the flowing camerawork and measured pacing of Mizoguchi's handsome style.

A Matter of Valor (Tatsuo Osone, 1954) - One of several film adaptions of the famous story of the 47 Ronin. Also released as Chushingura. Ennosuke Ichikawa, Kokichi Takada, Hizuru Takachino.
This one might not be availble on DVD.

Chushingura 1/47 (Shunsaku Kawamo, 2001)
Starring:
Shinichi Tsutsumi
Eri Fukazu
Junichi Okada
The TV movie version of Chushingura, a popular japanese story of 47 samurai seeking revenger for thier betrayed master. This verision of Chushingura, often called one of the best, premiered in December, 2001 on Fuji Network. The movie centers on a particular ronin among the 47 named "Yasube Horibe." Available on ebay...

47 Blades of Vengeance (Kinji Fukasaku, 1978) aka The Fall of Ako Castle / Swords of Vengeance. Starring : Sonny Chiba, Yorozuya (Nakamura) Kinnosuke. The famous tale of the 47 Ronin is retold by director Kinji Fukasaku. Sonny Chiba is a former retainer of the Asano household and rejoins the Asanos to take revenge for their Lord's wicked treatment by Kira and the Shogunate that lead to the Lord's death. Chiba doesn't star in the film but his role brings very much to 'Ako'. The final battle in which the 47 ronin take revenge is absolutely breathtaking: Sonny Chiba engages in one of the best sword duels I have ever seen. The single best one on one duel between expert swordsman highlights what already is an excellent example of superior swordsmanship. Chiba and his opponent slash furiously until each is out of breath, the staggered combatants make the duel look very realistic. A brief appearance by Toshiro Mifune was a pleasant surprise as well. Available on ebay.

(all descriptions for these movies are taken from Amazon or Ebay)

[cosmicmuhammed]

Criterion is like the Rolls Royce of DVDs.

Criterion DVDs are aimed at hard core film fans. Most prints are digitally remastered or, at least, cleaned-up compared to standard DVD releases. They also tend to add a ton of extras, usually multiple commentary tracks and thick booklets. Naturally, they're produced in much smaller numbers than mass market releases. All that adds up to some pricey DVDs.

Where's Kurosawa's Throne of Blood? I believe it's been out of print for some time.

[ai no ahodori]

I'm rather happy at the moment as for my birthday I just got DVDs of 'Rashomon', 'Yojimbo' and 'Ran'.

[estee]

Thanks, Steve.

I got no money right now, so I'll just have to wait and put them on my Christmas list.