131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

Discuss releases by Eureka and Masters of Cinema and the films on them.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#1 Post by swo17 » Tue Dec 11, 2012 10:30 am

Bakumatsu taiyō-den

Image Image

Voted one of the top five Japanese films ever made in a critic's poll by Japan's leading cinema publication Kinema Junpô, yet barely known in the West, Yūzō Kawashima's richly funny multi-levelled portrait of Japanese society Bakumatsu taiyō-den [A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era] is a glorious rediscovery.

When man-about-town Saheiji (the beloved comedian Frankie Sakai) finds himself unable to pay for a bill at a brothel, he is forced to remain there to work off his debt. However he finds his wit and resourcefulness enable him to turn this situation to his advantage, as he interacts with a whole range of characters, from rivalling courtesans to political activists.

Co-scripted by Shōhei Imamura (Vengeance Is Mine), it sharply and comically demonstrates the constants of human nature just as it delineates the tumultuous political times (the 1860s, leading up to the Meiji Restoration) in which they lived. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this classic in a new high-definition restoration.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Gorgeous new Nikkatsu restoration of the film in its original aspect ratio, presented in 1080p HD on the Blu-ray
• New and improved English subtitles
• 36-PAGE BOOKLET including a new and exclusive essay by critic/scholar Frederick Veith; Shôhei Imamura's tribute to Yûzô Kawashima; and rare and archival imagery.

User avatar
Michael Kerpan
Spelling Bee Champeen
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:20 pm
Location: New England
Contact:

Re: BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#2 Post by Michael Kerpan » Tue Dec 11, 2012 12:19 pm

Great news!

User avatar
triodelover
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2007 2:11 pm
Location: The hills of East Tennessee

Re: BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#3 Post by triodelover » Tue Dec 11, 2012 12:32 pm


User avatar
zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#4 Post by zedz » Tue Dec 11, 2012 2:38 pm

A very exciting announcement!

When MoC (or, naturally, Criterion) announce a film I don't already own in some form, it's good news; when they announce a film I've never seen, it's great news; but when they announce a film I've never even heard of, that's the best news of all.

User avatar
Michael Kerpan
Spelling Bee Champeen
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:20 pm
Location: New England
Contact:

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#5 Post by Michael Kerpan » Tue Dec 11, 2012 4:10 pm

You may be familiar with Frankie Sakai as the persistent reporter (accompanied by ace news photographer Kyoko Kagawa) in Mothra.

Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist and Random Speculation

#6 Post by Calvin » Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:21 pm

Saturnome wrote:Any place I can see the list where Bakumatsu taiyo-den made 5th place? I'm curious for this film I've never heard of before!
Bakamatu taiyo-den made 5th place in the 1999 Kinema Junpo poll before moving up to 4th in 2009

User avatar
Saturnome
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 5:22 pm

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#7 Post by Saturnome » Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:37 pm

Thanks!

User avatar
manicsounds
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#8 Post by manicsounds » Tue Dec 11, 2012 7:41 pm

Port over the Japanese extras as well, please.

User avatar
mostly asia
Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 5:54 pm

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#9 Post by mostly asia » Wed Dec 12, 2012 8:22 am

and we need a video introduction by Tony Rayns!!! :D
i miss him in the last time

User avatar
zeroism
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:54 am
Location: Absolute Elsewhere

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#10 Post by zeroism » Wed Dec 12, 2012 11:48 am

If anyone not familiar with Kawashima is interested in a primer in anticipation of this release, I'd recommend checking out Susaki Paradise: Red Light District, for which English fansubs are available in the usual places. It's a fantastic film, and, if memory serves, it tends to rank high in the Kinema Junpo polls as well. Having been thoroughly familiar with Imamura's body of work before knowing much about Kawashima or seeing any of his films, this one was quite a surprise for me. Imamura's preoccupations didn't exactly spring up out of nowhere!

User avatar
Steven H
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:30 pm
Location: NC

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#11 Post by Steven H » Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:06 pm

zeroism wrote:If anyone not familiar with Kawashima is interested in a primer in anticipation of this release, I'd recommend checking out Susaki Paradise: Red Light District...
I couldn't agree more about this film. It's a simple story but rich in character and detail, similar to Naruse (his Late Chrysanthemums came immediately to mind for comparison). Both Naruse and Kawashima are interested in the lives of women and those struggling to get by however, where Naruse would put a snide comment and a forlorn gaze, Kawashima gives you a raised eyebrow, dirty joke, and a shrug of the shoulders. Kawashima was a gifted storyteller and I can only assume Bakumatsu taiyo-den will be a home run as well.

acf171072
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2012 2:05 pm

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#12 Post by acf171072 » Wed Dec 12, 2012 4:26 pm

Steven H wrote:
zeroism wrote:If anyone not familiar with Kawashima is interested in a primer in anticipation of this release, I'd recommend checking out Susaki Paradise: Red Light District...
I couldn't agree more about this film. It's a simple story but rich in character and detail, similar to Naruse (his Late Chrysanthemums came immediately to mind for comparison). Both Naruse and Kawashima are interested in the lives of women and those struggling to get by however, where Naruse would put a snide comment and a forlorn gaze, Kawashima gives you a raised eyebrow, dirty joke, and a shrug of the shoulders. Kawashima was a gifted storyteller and I can only assume Bakumatsu taiyo-den will be a home run as well.
Absolutely. Susaki is an extraordinary film, so many shots of the bridge at the heart of the action shot in the magic hour but in black and white. Lovely. And Yukiko Todoroki is especially wonderful as Osami.

User avatar
zeroism
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:54 am
Location: Absolute Elsewhere

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#13 Post by zeroism » Thu Dec 13, 2012 7:07 pm

Steven H wrote:I couldn't agree more about this film. It's a simple story but rich in character and detail, similar to Naruse (his Late Chrysanthemums came immediately to mind for comparison).
Definitely agree with the Naruse/Late Chrysanthemums comparison. If anyone ever wondered if there might be anything like a missing link between Naruse and Imamura, Kawashima, if Susaki Paradise is representative of his usual style, is probably your man.

In any case, Kawashima is doubtless one of the major missing pieces in the Western survey of Japanese cinema. Hopefully this release will open the doors for more.

Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#14 Post by Calvin » Wed Jan 16, 2013 3:25 pm

manicsounds wrote:Port over the Japanese extras as well, please.
What are they? Google Translate isn't helping.

User avatar
manicsounds
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#15 Post by manicsounds » Fri Jan 18, 2013 7:29 pm

On the Japanese disc:

-The original rakugo story compared with the feature
-Rakugo master Bao Reireisha explains rakugo humor and the humor featured in the movie in depth, and about rakugo in the Edo period
-Restoration demo with audio commentary
-Yasukiyo Umeno interview ("Tokusaburo" from the film)
-Trailers
-32 page booklet

AK
Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2006 7:06 am

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#16 Post by AK » Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:57 am

Available for pre-order from Eureka. Can't wait for this!

Any news as to what the final extras will be?

User avatar
manicsounds
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#17 Post by manicsounds » Wed Apr 10, 2013 9:44 am

Although I'm hoping for the announcement of "more extras", dvdcompare says the DVD has no additional extras...

User avatar
sidehacker
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:49 am
Location: Bowling Green, Ohio
Contact:

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#18 Post by sidehacker » Wed Apr 10, 2013 11:14 am

DVDBeaver review, which says the only extra is the booklet. This is fine by me.

AK
Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2006 7:06 am

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#19 Post by AK » Wed Apr 10, 2013 12:43 pm

Man, I've never been this excited for a blind-buy, and this looks to be an utterly superb transfer, as well. All I can do now is wait and hope Eureka ship the pre-ordered disks as soon as possible...

User avatar
manicsounds
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#20 Post by manicsounds » Sun Apr 21, 2013 10:12 am


User avatar
Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Edinburgh, UK

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#21 Post by Finch » Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:22 am


User avatar
Tommaso
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 10:09 am

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#22 Post by Tommaso » Fri Apr 26, 2013 6:16 pm

Well, this caught me unawares, and it took me some time to adapt to it. I had seen a few Japanese comedies before, but certainly none that was so dizzyingly fast-paced - and fast-cut - and screwbally while at the same time certainly containing a darker or more reflective undertone. Behind all the bustle there's a fine portrait of the world of the (lower-level?) geishas here, and the characters are drawn rather convincingly even though the comedy can be pretty broad at times. Somehow in the middle of the film I got the strange notion that the main character's slyness - but also good-heartedness - and the fast talking reminded me in a strange way of a Japanese version of the great Austrian comedian Hans Moser, and then it all clicked for me. But that's probably a rather idiosyncratic approach....

In any case, great transfer on the SD, even though I'm sad that MoC apparently don't follow the route of the Dual-Format-editions anymore. I really liked having the blu in addition, slowly building a blu library already for some future time in which I'll have an HD-compatible TV. If Eureka now thinks I'll later double-dip for an upgrade on this or other films: no chance; this looks far too good on standard dvd already :-)
Last edited by Tommaso on Fri Apr 26, 2013 6:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#23 Post by knives » Fri Apr 26, 2013 6:21 pm

I'm 90% sure that the Blu is dual format.

User avatar
Tommaso
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 10:09 am

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#24 Post by Tommaso » Fri Apr 26, 2013 6:25 pm

According to their online shop (where I got it from), the blu and the dvd only come separately, unless they made a mistake in the presentation.
Last edited by Tommaso on Fri Apr 26, 2013 6:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 131 / BD 60 Bakumatsu taiyō-den

#25 Post by knives » Fri Apr 26, 2013 6:27 pm

They just label it as Blu, but it is indeed dual. You can tell by the gray top. For the none duals they have a blue top.

Post Reply