BFI: 32 Ozu Films

[Twentyfoureyes]

I just found this on Amazon.jp, the new 4k restoration of Early Summer!!! I've got new Shochiku blu ray of Tokyo Story and Late Spring already. So now I can complete Noriko trilogy, all in 4k restoration blu ray. This is a day one for me :)

[Jack Phillips]

I can't find any indication that there are Eng. subs. Anybody know?

[artfilmfan]

I can't find any indication that there are Eng. subs. Anybody know?

Both CDJapan and YesAsia now list this for pre-order and indicate that there will be English subtitles. No surprise here since all of the other Shochiku Blu-ray releases of the restored Ozu films have them.

[JacquesQ]

I just found this on Amazon.jp, the new 4k restoration of Early Summer!!! I've got new Shochiku blu ray of Tokyo Story and Late Spring already. So now I can complete Noriko trilogy, all in 4k restoration blu ray. This is a day one for me

Added both the new DVD and BR to my Ozu spreadsheet and uploaded it again in case anyone's interested (see some 20 posts above).

[AidanKing]

The Cornwall Film Festival presented I Was Born, But..., with Ed Hughes' score performed live by a local music ensemble, at the weekend, which was very enjoyable both in terms of the film and the music performance. Ed Hughes was present, which I think made the musicians more nervous about the quality of the performance than they might have been otherwise. Interestingly, Ed Hughes said that his inspiration for the shape of and repetitions in the score came from David Bordwell's analysis of the film in his book on Ozu.

Unfortunately, I suppose at this point it's unlikely that the BFI is going to release the remaining films.

[Michael Kerpan]

Unfortunately, I suppose at this point it's unlikely that the BFI is going to release the remaining films.

Because I wrote one of the essays for the now-long-ago latest BFI Ozu set, I feel vaguely responsible for (somehow) killing the series off.

[colinr0380]

I would disagree and suggest that BFI did not promote your essay enough to ensure the set's success! (I'm teasing both you and the BFI, but you have been a great introduction to Japanese filmmakers for me, and I'm sure many others!)

[artfilmfan]

Unfortunately, I suppose at this point it's unlikely that the BFI is going to release the remaining films.

Because I wrote one of the essays for the now-long-ago latest BFI Ozu set, I feel vaguely responsible for (somehow) killing the series off.

Perhaps you haven't replenished the sake offering at your home Ozu shrine lately? Please check to make sure of continued availability.

[MichaelB]

Unfortunately, I suppose at this point it's unlikely that the BFI is going to release the remaining films.

Because I wrote one of the essays for the now-long-ago latest BFI Ozu set, I feel vaguely responsible for (somehow) killing the series off.

I turned down the chance to write one of the essays, on the grounds of not being sufficiently well up on Ozu.

So it's probably my fault.

[Michael Kerpan]

[jegharfangetmigenmyg]

So here's the link :
http://www.filedropper.com/ozudvdbr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It will remain active for 30 days, and 30 more days every time someone downloads it. If this forum hardly sends anyone there and the link expires (not too unlikely since nobody seems to come here any more...), let me know by PM, I will renew it (and possibly update the file if necessary).

Can you please reupload this sheet?

It is probably stated somewhere, so excuse me for asking, but I'm a bit confused about the Shochiku remasters. As far as I can see they are:

1949: Late Spring
1951: Early Summer
1953: Tokyo Story

Colour:
1958: Equinox Flower
1959: Good Morning
1960: Late Autumn
1962: An Autumn Afternoon

I can understand that there is some weird tinting on the release of Tokyo Story, which Criterion then corrected for their release (which I've bought), but other than that, then these should be definitive releases? But then there are some sound issues with Late Spring and Early Summer.

Another question: Are the colour releases the same as the BFI's or are they newer? Is the master of An Autumn Afternoon similar to the one Criterion released (which looks a but off, colour-wise)?

The BFI colour releases look pretty strong, so if the Shochiku releases are remasters where the colouring have been messed up, then I guess I should just hold on to the BFI's?

[AidanKing]

Because I wrote one of the essays for the now-long-ago latest BFI Ozu set, I feel vaguely responsible for (somehow) killing the series off.

I found all the essays in the Ozu collection booklets to be really enjoyable and illuminating, even if I didn't completely agree with all the views expressed. For example, I thought Tony Rayns underplayed the quality of the films in the melodramas collection, particularly Tokyo Twilight.

I hope that there is still a possibility of the remaining films being released by the BFI.

[artfilmfan]

That may depend on which Michael is really at fault (and hence will pick up the expense on the sake).

[Michael Kerpan]

I have a feeling that no one (on either side of the Atlantic) plans to release English-subtitled versions of the last orphaned Ozu films.

[artfilmfan]

Need quick resolution on which Michael, on which side of the Atlantic, is really at fault so that those films will get a chance of being released with good subs.

[Michael Kerpan]

The producer who was shepherding the Ozu series through BFI left -- I'm not aware of whether she went off to a better job or whether something else happened (and, even if I did know, I probably couldn't say). In any event, it appears that there was no one else there who picked up the task of seeing the series through to its end (or maybe some higher level person said "enough is enough").

[rapta]

Last time I asked the BFI, they said no further plans for Ozu titles, or Japanese cinema in general (save for one specific filmmaker they're flirting with).

At this point, I'm hoping Criterion or Arrow will have a stab at them. For example, an Arrow Academy box set would be appropriate, but I suspect only if there were some of his more notorious films up for grabs too, and those will either still be with BFI or in Criterion UK's line of sight.

[artfilmfan]

The producer who was shepherding the Ozu series through BFI left -- I'm not aware of whether she went off to a better job or whether something else happened (and, even if I did know, I probably couldn't say). In any event, it appears that there was no one else there who picked up the task of seeing the series through to its end (or maybe some higher level person said "enough is enough").

Some of the remaining films (Record of a Tenement Gentleman, Flavor of Green Tea over Rice, Tokyo Inn) are very fine films. It's sad if they become orphans.

“Enough Is Enough”!
That might be the last piece of the puzzle that we need to understand the reason that the series got terminated.
Based on postings in this thread, here’s what might have happened:

- Key players: “higher level person” (the boss), the series producer, and two Michaels.
- Supporting cast: one essay assignment and one very big pond named Atlantic.
- Other known fact(s): the first print of the blu-ray disc of An Autumn Afternoon erroneously used a small-size video file that led to the image not having much improvement over the DVD.

We can guess that the boss was probably very upset already after the problem with the first print of An Autumn Afternoon blu-ray disc.
So, what if the boss had suggested to the series producer to get an essay contribution from MichaelB who punted the assignment, which might have bounced off the office door of the boss and landed back on the desk of the series producer who, having been made aware of the existence of another Michael who is very knowledgeable with all Ozu matters, zipped the assignment across the pond and it landed on MichaelK’s desk who then worked on it feverishly and upon completion of it, zipped it back across the pond to the series producer who then happily and gratefully took it to the booklet producing department. The DVD set was released on time and everyone was happy… until the boss took a copy of the booklet home, read the essay and enjoyed it tremendously and then noticed that the essay was credited to MichaelK and not MichaelB, and upon thinking that an error was made … again … and then declared “Enough is Enough”!!! So ended the series.

[Michael Kerpan]

The UK Michael was not the person who was too busy to take on the project (and who kindly suggested me as an alternative - for good or for ill).

[MichaelB]

The UK Michael was not the person who was too busy to take on the project (and who kindly suggested me as an alternative - for good or for ill).

I honestly can't remember which title I was offered, and it may have been a generic "would you like to write something for this series?" But I do recall that it wasn't so much a case of me being busy (I very very rarely turn work down) as the fact that I genuinely didn't think I'd be able to produce something up to the same standard as existing essays, written by bona fide Ozu experts (which I'm not).

[Michael Kerpan]

Maybe I was the third choice.

I still like my essay, even if it did kill off the series (which I doubt -- I suspect there just weren't enough buyers for these "obscure" Ozu titles).

[artfilmfan]

Or the accidental choice? I think your essay is universally liked. It's just that ... hint, hint ... "Enough Is Enough!"

[hearthesilence]

I've been going back and forth between the BD's for An Autumn Afternoon and honestly, I think I prefer the BFI disc. The Criterion should have been a clear winner - a new 2k restoration done off a 4k scan, plus a higher bitrate in the encode - but there's something about the way the black levels and detail are rendered that's not quite right. (To be fair, I don't think this is their doing, it looks like they used the same exact master on Shochiku's Japanese Blu-Ray.)

The blacks often look like they've been crushed ever so slightly - BFI never does. Fine details like the netting in the golf scene don't look great (especially where the netting isn't so thick), but they look better on the BFI disc.

The color will remain controversial, but the tone aside, I prefer the saturation levels on the BFI disc - Shochiku seems to prefer robust color presentations, but it almost looks too garish to me.

I think we're going to see a similar difference in Good Morning once Criterion's edition comes out.

[tenia]

Can't really say I agree here. I've seen the BFI BD at home but the new new restoration in theaters. The BFI BD looks dated as hell, notably very sharpened, while the new restoration looked marvelous in theaters.

[hearthesilence]

I'm sure it does, but I never saw the restoration in the theaters, I only have what they encoded on a BD to go by. The grain texture is an improvement - always is when you're working off a 4k scan vs. an HD one - but that's not everything. The black levels really bother me more and more - there's no way they're supposed to be crushed like that.