How is the quality of the Criterion DVD? (nm) - Bakushû (1972) Discussion

[–] dyew2 19 years ago

I'm generally not someone who obsesses over transfer quality, but I did notice this dvd had some problems, namely about 3 or 4 times when the frame flutters pretty noticeably, and one point when a few frames are missing, resulting in a black "blip" that passes across an image. It's the first time I've ever seen this film, so I'm not sure if it was the best they could do with existing elements or if you might find better dvd's of the film elsewhere. I can say that the film is fantastic (no surprise there - though interesting that this film doesn't generally receive recognition as one of Ozu's masterpieces, at least compared to Tokyo Story or some of his color films). Donald Ritchie's commentary is excellent, the other extra of Ozu's producer and two members of his crew talking about working with Ozu is pretty subdued but informative.

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[–] TheWanderingFish 18 years ago

While I'm sure the audio and video quality has degraded a bit during the fifty intervening years since its release, DVDBeaver, a highly respected website that specializes in reviewing and comparing various releases of classic films, says that the Criterion release of "Early Summer" is the best release of the film in any region. So I would say it's a safe buy.

Note: The above comments are exclusively my opinion.

---Respect---

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[–] mac_alain 17 years ago

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview3/earlysummer.htm
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare5/earlysummer.htm
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare7/earlysummer.htm

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[–] kerpan 17 years ago

...and there is not likely to be a better one any time soon.

This is the best Criterion transfer of an Ozu film so far. It is quite close to the benchmark Shochiku release (which is subtitled only in Japanese) -- unlike Criterion's "Tokyo Story" and "Late Spring", both of which have excessive contrast boosting and sharpness enhancement, compared to the Shochiku versons.

MEK

Every dream is a prophecy: every jest is an earnest in the womb of Time.

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[–] Doctor_Strangelove 17 years ago

The contrast boosting and edge enhacement are barely noticable in Criterions dvds, this is a great transfer. One must remember that Japenese studios are notorious for treating thier prints of their films quite poorly. This transfer is the best you will ever see this film outside of a festival showing.

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[–] kerpan 17 years ago

If you compare Criterion's Tokyo Story and Late Spring side-by-side with the Shochiku DVDs, the contrast and sharpness manipulations utilized by Criterion are painfully obvious. Happily, someone with a less heavy digital hand headed the Early Summer project.

One has to cut Shochiku some slack on Tokyo Story -- a studio fire destroyed all first generation materials shortly after the film was released. So a negative had to be reconstructed from an already somewhat worse for the wear theatrical print.

MEK

Every dream is a prophecy: every jest is an earnest in the womb of Time.

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[–] AhaVanuR_24 16 years ago

I really couldn't find much wrong with Late Spring's treatment either. It seemed fine to me. Tokyo Story on the other hand is fairly horrible.

Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head."

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[–] kerpan 16 years ago

If your television allows you to adjust contrast, reduce your contrast setting to about half of it's normal one. With this correction, your Criterion DVD will _almost_ look like the Shochiku one (but with subtitles).

MEK

Every dream is a prophecy: every jest is an earnest in the womb of Time.

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[–] AhaVanuR_24 16 years ago

Maybe watching a (more) decent version of Tokyo Story will change my views on it (8/10 on the first viewing, I haven't been able to break the first hour on two subsequent watches).

Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head."

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[–] kerpan 16 years ago

...as a comedy that (almost imperceptibly) gets darker and darker?

Approaching it as something "transcendental" (as American conventional wisdom insisted was the case) woyuld never have worked for me.

MEK

Every dream is a prophecy: every jest is an earnest in the womb of Time.

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[–] AhaVanuR_24 16 years ago

And the whole film is cheery at first, notably the whole "broken chair" story, but around the first scene at Noriko's house I begin to lose interest in the characters. THe first time I saw I was no doubt expecting some mindblowing revelatory treasure, which I did not much get (and I doubt it was ever meant to be) but I've made it a little farther in each of my subsequent viewings, and yes, it does have a slight comedic tone. Someday I'll finish it, though I wasn't really too thrilled with the ending the first time around either.

Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head."

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[–] kerpan 16 years ago

I saw this with a mostly Japanese audience -- and they found much of the film very funny (including the secion at the spa in Atami, the scene at the bar with Chishu Ryu and his old cronies, the drunken return to Haruko Sugimura's house, etc.). Even in the darker, later parts of the film, there continue to be flashes of humor. I've probably seen this at least 10 times, and every time I watch it I am more impressed. The same is true witn Late Spring and Early Summer. ;~}

MEK

Every dream is a prophecy: every jest is an earnest in the womb of Time.

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[–] AhaVanuR_24 16 years ago

and it looks a little better, but I'm not sure how much of an improvement it is anyway, since it's been a while and the quality of the transfer gets better as the film progresses anyway.

What was that funny about the Atami scene? Those men sitting around talking lewdly? Maybe it's a cultural thing, but in that case it's like being left out of an inside joke.

Anyway, I rewatched Ear;y Summer, my own pick for the best Ozu film I've yet seen, and I did laugh at the whole dialogue about the roll and the clam. WHo knew Ozu was capable of such low comedy.

Tokyo Story on the other hand...I tested the scene where the mother spends the night with Noriko and once again didn't have my opinion particularly improved on. Oh well, maybe a properly set up viewing will yield something I missed. I imagine it would be better with a Japanese audience (in a Japanese theater, my I ask?).

Oh, and this must be the most active the Early Summer board has ever been.

That's a shame.

Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head."

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[–] kerpan 16 years ago

The Shochiku DVD is far less harsh looking -- so anything one does to cut the contrast on the Criterion DVD helps.

Lots of mildly funny little things in the Atami scene. As it turns out, the children might not have been as culpable as one thinks. Apparently spas like this were very empty for a long time -- but suddenly got very popular as Japan recovered from the war. So, the children might have had a good reason for thinking Atami would be a nice quiet place that the parents could enjoy.

The scene with Noriko and the mother isn't funny at all. People in the West seem to miss the fact that this is the point when the mother realizes just how poorly she has treated Noriko, by traditional standards. She should have helped her daughter-in-law adjust to loss of her husband -- and even helped try to find her a new husband. Instead, the mother selfishly tried to pretend the problem away.

Many parts of Early Summer are hilarious. My feeling is that if someone dislikes this film, they won't like any Ozu film.

I usually don't visit the boards for specific films -- but do check out Ozu boards every now and then. Mainly I visit the general Asian Films and Classic Films boards.

MEK

Every dream is a prophecy: every jest is an earnest in the womb of Time.

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[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Xcalat3 11 years ago

its not that great actually.

but the movie itself is amazing.

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

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