Mikio Naruse Collection
Moderator: MichaelB
- Michael Kerpan
- Spelling Bee Champeen
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- whaleallright
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 12:56 am
Eisenschitz is one of the best film historians out there. He's the editor of the lovely French review simply called CINÉMA, which has published a number of interesting pieces on Naruse over the past few years.video and written essays by Barnard Eisenschitz
His video-essays (notably the one on the French DVD of MOONFLEET) often make extraordinary use of archival materials. This is a great addition to the set.
- Saarijas
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- MichaelB
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I've been asked to post corrected specs for the Naruse box - in fact, this is the draft text for the back of the box:
There's no extra info to what I've already supplied, but a much bigger copy of the Naruse cover artwork can be seen at DVD Times.
That's literally all I know - I haven't seen the discs myself.BFI DVD presents three of Mikio Naruse's finest films, now regarded as among world cinema's greatest achievements.
'Naruse's films celebrate, without extravagance, the lives of ordinary people struggling for something better than the hand fate has dealt them. Performed with quiet certainty by superb actors, shot and edited with a sure and relentless hand, they raise the ordinary and even the sordid to a quality near sublime.' Audie Bock, Artforum
'[Naruse's] importance is without doubt the equal of Ozu's and Mizoguchi's.' Cahiers du cinéma
'[In the films of Naruse] a flow of shots that looks calm and ordinary at first glance reveals itself to be like a deep river with a quiet surface disguising a fast-raging current.' Akira Kurosawa
Disc 1: When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
(Onna ga kaidan wo agaru toki)
Japan | 1960 | 106 minutes | black and white | Japanese language, optional English subtitles | Ratio 2.35:1 (16x9) anamorphic
'[Naruse's] magnificent 1960 melodrama. An elegant essay in black and white CinemaScope and tinkling cocktail jazz, this tale of a bar hostess' attempt to escape her lot could give heartbreak lessons to Fassbinder and Sirk.' – J. Hoberman, The Village Voice
Disc 2: Floating Clouds
(Ukigumo)
Japan |1955 | 118 minutes | black and white | Japanese language, optional English subtitles | Ratio 1.33:1
'The elegance and indisputable hard punch of Naruse's storytelling become immediately clear the moment the lovers kiss and the director cuts, mid-clinch, to an almost identical shot of them kissing in the past, an edit that suggests this is a passion that transcends even time and space.' Manohla Dargis, New York Times
Disc 3: Late Chrysanthemums
(Bangiku)
Japan |1954 | 97 minutes | black and white | Japanese language, optional English subtitles | Ratio 1.33:1
'It is something to see Sugimura counting money, and sticking a wad efficiently into her kimono top. When her heart has been broken one last time by an old lover asking for money, she burns his photograph in a scene of chilling finality.' Phillip Lopate, A Taste of Naruse
DVD extras
• Freda Freiberg , Japanese cinema expert: audio commentaries; video interview with Adrian Martin; essay.
• Paul Willemen: video and written essays
• Bernard Eisenschitz: video interview with director Teruo Ishii, Naruse's assistant
• Adrian Martin: new essay
• Theatrical trailer for When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
• Fully illustrated booklet with essays
There's no extra info to what I've already supplied, but a much bigger copy of the Naruse cover artwork can be seen at DVD Times.
- ellipsis7
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 1:56 pm
- Location: Dublin
Those film specific 'audio commentaries' by Freiberg look disappointingly insubstantial - DVD Times gives them as just 15, 10 & 15 mins each (plus i/v's on each film with her for 7, 10 & 10mins each) for STAIRS/CLOUDS/CHRYSANTHEMUMS, and also a stand alone general i/v by Adrian Martin of Freiberg lasting 16 mins....
Well they certainly are selective scene commentaries, just being able to see Late Chrysanthemums after all I've read about it here is good enough for me.ellipsis7 wrote:Those film specific 'audio commentaries' by Freiberg look disappointingly insubstantial - DVD Times gives them as just 15, 10 & 15 mins each (plus i/v's on each film with her for 7, 10 & 10mins each) for STAIRS/CLOUDS/CHRYSANTHEMUMS, and also a stand alone general i/v by Adrian Martin of Freiberg lasting 16 mins....
Ideally what I'd really like to see is the Publishing wing of BFI comission a book length critical study of the life (insofar as it informs his work) and films of Mikio Naruse, written by someone who is keen to overturn conventional wisdom on the subject at hand...why Michael Kerpan of course!
- Michael Kerpan
- Spelling Bee Champeen
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I'm flattered by your confidence -- but I'm afraid I am credential-less.akaten wrote:Ideally what I'd really like to see is the Publishing wing of BFI comission a book length critical study of the life (insofar as it informs his work) and films of Mikio Naruse, written by someone who is keen to overturn conventional wisdom on the subject at hand...why Michael Kerpan of course!
If I could really truly read Japanese (as opposed to deciphering a few words and phrases), I'd be tempted, One really needs, however, to find someone capable of harvesting what has been written about him in Japanese.
Also -- BFI or MOC or Criterion (or all jointly) need to fund translation of key parts of Narboni's excellent French book.
- foggy eyes
- Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:58 am
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I'd been wondering about the Naruse Box Set too.
And there don't seem to be any reviews yet.
While we are waiting to find out, could you tell us how much it was in Fopp and which of the reopened branches you picked it up from? Oh, and your initial impressions of the box would obviously be welcomed too.
And there don't seem to be any reviews yet.
While we are waiting to find out, could you tell us how much it was in Fopp and which of the reopened branches you picked it up from? Oh, and your initial impressions of the box would obviously be welcomed too.
- reaky
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:53 am
- Location: Cambridge, England
Got mine from Moviemail yesterday (actually, Amazon UK seem to have gone to hell recently: you don't want to know about my three thwarted attempts to buy the Douglas Sirk box...).
I haven't had time to watch the films yet, but first impressions are that the box has been very well done. The box itself is nice and sturdy, the menus departing from the usual BFI style by using original poster art and being colour-coded across the discs. Extras seem fine - lots of Prof. Freda Freiberg on each disc (interviewed by Adrian Martin; giving an introduction to the films; and the so-called "commentaries" are actually close analyses of selected scenes - a format I rather like). There are also contributions from Paul Willemen. The booklet, while not a tome of MoC proportions, is a substantial 30 pages of pieces by all of the above critics, nicely designed and illustrated.
What I'd like to see now is a DVDBeaver comparison of the WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS with the Criterion - just going by the Beaver's captures of the Criterion, this looks sharper. FLOATING CLOUDS also looks lovely, LATE CHRYSANTHYMUMS less so, though still perfectly watchable. I can't wait to get stuck into this lovely set (my second Naruse Christmas box after last year's MoC).
I haven't had time to watch the films yet, but first impressions are that the box has been very well done. The box itself is nice and sturdy, the menus departing from the usual BFI style by using original poster art and being colour-coded across the discs. Extras seem fine - lots of Prof. Freda Freiberg on each disc (interviewed by Adrian Martin; giving an introduction to the films; and the so-called "commentaries" are actually close analyses of selected scenes - a format I rather like). There are also contributions from Paul Willemen. The booklet, while not a tome of MoC proportions, is a substantial 30 pages of pieces by all of the above critics, nicely designed and illustrated.
What I'd like to see now is a DVDBeaver comparison of the WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS with the Criterion - just going by the Beaver's captures of the Criterion, this looks sharper. FLOATING CLOUDS also looks lovely, LATE CHRYSANTHYMUMS less so, though still perfectly watchable. I can't wait to get stuck into this lovely set (my second Naruse Christmas box after last year's MoC).
- MichaelB
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DVD Beaver on the Naruse box.
- Michael Kerpan
- Spelling Bee Champeen
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- Michael Kerpan
- Spelling Bee Champeen
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Just wanted to say that I watched Late Chrysanthemums from the Naruse box last night and was completely blown away by it.
What a film! And one that nobody would probably get away with making these days. After all, who wants to know about a trio of forlorn, post-menopausal ex-Geisha and their bickering?
Loved the humour too, especially the 'Monroe wiggle'.
The part of me that can't resist rank ordering Japanese movie directors now has Naruse at no. 1 (slightly ahead of Yamanaka).
Incidentally, if you're in the UK, Moviemail are selling this box set at a very reasonable price and got it to me within 24 hours.
What a film! And one that nobody would probably get away with making these days. After all, who wants to know about a trio of forlorn, post-menopausal ex-Geisha and their bickering?
Loved the humour too, especially the 'Monroe wiggle'.
The part of me that can't resist rank ordering Japanese movie directors now has Naruse at no. 1 (slightly ahead of Yamanaka).
Incidentally, if you're in the UK, Moviemail are selling this box set at a very reasonable price and got it to me within 24 hours.
- Steven H
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:30 pm
- Location: NC
Hmm. The Friedberg stuff on the Naruse box is, um, unenlightening. She seems like a very nice person and all, but I don't see why the BFI put her all over this thing. Did anyone gain any insight from what she had to say? I *loved* the Ishii interview, and the booklet was a good read though. Overall in the extras department, not anything remotely as good as the MoC book or the Richie commentary and Nakadai interview on the Criterion When A Woman.
Great films of course, and I'm still in love with this release. I guess I'm just nitpicking the details.
Great films of course, and I'm still in love with this release. I guess I'm just nitpicking the details.
- lazier than a toad
- Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 1:30 pm
In the defence of the BFI on Freidberg it is nice that all English friendly Naruse releases so far have used different scholars. Although I must admit that I have only watched her bit on Floating Clouds, the release I found most dissapointing, and which I wanted some insights on before watching again. And did I get any insights... not any that stuck in my mind. Nonetheless, still like the idea of the variety.Steven H wrote:Hmm. The Friedberg stuff on the Naruse box is, um, unenlightening. She seems like a very nice person and all, but I don't see why the BFI put her all over this thing.
- Michael Kerpan
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- Steven H
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:30 pm
- Location: NC
Yes, and I deliberately tried not to come on too strong with my disapproval. Variety is a good thing, but the ball was definitely dropped. Besidesl, even if the Ishii interview and booklet were the only extras, I'd be more than happy.lazier than a toad wrote:Nonetheless, still like the idea of the variety.
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Since I already have 2 out of the 3 films in the Naruse BFI set, I keep checking to see if there's any Criterion/Eclipse news before I decide to buy it.Hmm. The Friedberg stuff on the Naruse box is, um, unenlightening. She seems like a very nice person and all, but I don't see why the BFI put her all over this thing. Did anyone gain any insight from what she had to say?
Just watched "Repast" again last night from the MOC set. Stunning... And I gotta say the commentary supplements on the MOC Naruse set are some of the most insightful I've ever encountered on a DVD.
Does anyone know where to find a complete Setsuko Hara filmography?
And in addition a comprehensive Hara filmography with English subs (puny though it may be)
Hopefully there's at least one movie out there VHS or DVD besides what MOC, Criterion, and Eclipse have to offer...
Hopefully this isn't foolish optimism!
- Michael Kerpan
- Spelling Bee Champeen
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JMDB lists 111 roles for Hara. IMDB only 69. I suspect the chance of seeing any of the films listed by JMDB but not IMDB is approximately zero (probably zero even in Japan).BB wrote:Does anyone know where to find a complete Setsuko Hara filmography?
And in addition a comprehensive Hara filmography with English subs (puny though it may be)
Hopefully there's at least one movie out there VHS or DVD besides what MOC, Criterion, and Eclipse have to offer...
Hopefully this isn't foolish optimism!
IMDB is misleading, it lists two films after her last film "Chushingura" -- and I don't think either of these are even listed at JMDB (not under the dates listed).
Inagaki's Chushingura has been available on subbed DVD -- but I have yet to see this.
I'm not aware of any other subbed DVDs of her films, beyond those of Ozu, Kurosawa and Naruse -- which I assume you know about already.
Films not out on subbed DVD (or at all) to hope for --
Two more Naruse films -- Daughter, Wife, Mother (she is very sweet in this somewhat diffuse, but decent film) and Sudden Rain (edgier than in her other Naruse roles -- she and Shuji Sano have a somewhat tense marital relationship -- episodic structure, but very interesting).
Imai's "Blue Mountains" -- a very interesting and historically important film. I saw this before I became an Imai fanatic, so I need to revisit it.
Kinoshita's "Here's to the Girls" -- Kinoshita gets only a fairly generic performance from Hara -- yet more proof that he was not an especially good director overall. Still, I'd buy a subbed release...
Oba's "Typhoon Woman" -- Hara channeling Rita Hayworth (seemingly) as a smuggler's moll. A very fine good "bad girl" -- in probably her sexiset role ever. I rather like this very noirish film.
Yoshimura's Giwaku (Temptation) and Ball at Anjo House -- both are a bit stagey in terms of style -- but Hara is quite good in these.
Fanck's and Itami's "New Earth / Samurai's Daughter" -- two versions apparently exist, Fanck's cut and Itami's -- apparently quite different (these co-directors did not get along well). I think I've seen Fanck's version -- which is basically dramatically idiotic. Still, one gets to see lots of a very shy Setsuko (and hear her whisper in German).
Yamanaka's "Kochiyama Soshun" -- Kochiyama is an urban Robin Hood in 18th C. Tokyo-- and Hara is an innocent food vendor who is endangered due to her gangster wanna-be brother. Kochiyama rescues her (causing his girl friend to become jealous) . Another Yamanaka masterpiece.