54-55 / BD 37 Sanshō dayū & Gion bayashi

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kinjitsu
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54-55 / BD 37 Sanshō dayū & Gion bayashi

#1 Post by kinjitsu » Thu Aug 23, 2007 2:58 pm

Image Image

Sanshō dayū

Based on an ancient legend, as recounted by celebrated author Mori Ōgai (in his short story of the same name, written in 1915), and adapted by Mizoguchi, Sanshō dayū [Sanshō the Steward, aka Sanshō the Bailiff] is both distinctively Japanese and as deeply affecting as a Greek tragedy. Described in its opening title as “one of the oldest and most tragic in Japan’s history”, Mizoguchi depicts an unforgettably sad story of social injustice, family love, and personal sacrifice – all conveyed with exquisite tone and purity of emotion.

Set in Heian era (11th century) Japan, it follows an aristocratic woman, Tamaki (played by Tanaka Kinuyo, who also stars in Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu monogatari), and her two children, Zushiō (Hanayagi Yoshiaki) and Anju (Kagawa Kyōko), who are separated by feudal tyranny from Tamaki’s husband. When the children are kidnapped and sold into slavery to the eponymous “Sanshō” (Shindō Eitarō), the lives of each of the family members follow very different paths – each course uniquely, and insufferably, tragic.

Famed for its period reconstructions and powerful imagery, often through the director’s trademark long takes, Sanshō dayū is one of the most critically revered of all of Japanese cinema – a Venice Film Festival Silver Lion winner that often appears in lists of the greatest films ever made. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Mizoguchi’s classic alongside the lesser known Gion Bayashi [Gion Festival Music, aka A Geisha] with both films in 1080p in a special Dual Format edition, on Blu-ray for the first time anywhere in the world.

Gion bayashi

Gion bayashi is a drama set in the world of the geisha, contrasting two different types of geisha – Eiko (Wakao Ayako), a sixteen-year old orphan who wishes to be taken in and trained, and Miyoharu (Kogure Michiyo), an older, more experienced geisha, who agrees to mentor the younger woman – living under the same roof in difficult personal circumstances. A fascinating insight into the lives of geisha in 1950s Japan.

The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Mizoguchi’s films for the first time on home video in the UK.

Special Features

• Newly restored high-definition transfer of Sanshō dayū in 1080p on the Blu-ray
• Mizoguchi’s Gion bayashi (also in 1080p on the Blu-ray)
• Optional English subtitles on both features
• Tony Rayns video discussion of Sanshō dayū [29:00] and Gion bayashi [11:00]
• Original Japanese theatrical trailer for Sanshō dayū and original Japanese theatrical teaser for Gion bayashi
• Before-and-after Sanshō dayū restoration demonstration
• Illustrated booklet featuring rare archival imagery and a full reprint of the 1915 Mori Ōgai story adapted in Sanshô dayû
Last edited by kinjitsu on Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:58 pm, edited 13 times in total.

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Awesome Welles
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#2 Post by Awesome Welles » Fri Sep 07, 2007 7:31 am

Has it been confirmed that there will only be a booklet for these releases? I'm not complaining but a video essay or two would be fantastic.

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#3 Post by Apu » Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:40 pm

This is what peerpee confirmed in the general Mizoguchi thread:
peerpee wrote:Featuring a 96-page book (more details soon, at the website); Tony Rayns video interviews on both (40 minutes in total); and original Japanese trailers.
It's great to see how the booklets became books.

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#4 Post by peerpee » Wed Oct 17, 2007 10:48 pm


che-etienne
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#5 Post by che-etienne » Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:49 am

The trailer alone...

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#6 Post by hamsterburger » Mon Oct 29, 2007 12:36 pm

Mostly positive review at AVforums.

Now if someone would only tell us if the films are packaged in two regular amarays or one double...

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cgray
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#7 Post by cgray » Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:17 pm

and why it says "Two films by Mizoguchi"

could they not spell his first name? i've never liked that.

kev
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#8 Post by kev » Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:24 am

cgray is this really a big issue? :)

Is it not just like Yasujiro Ozu, who is more frequently named as simply "Ozu"

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#9 Post by peerpee » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:31 am

The release version says "Two films by Kenji MIZOGUCHI"

The box is a wide-spined Scanavo, to contain the thicker book, and two discs. Like NOSFERATU.

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The Digital McGuffin
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#10 Post by The Digital McGuffin » Thu Nov 01, 2007 3:53 am

Review from DVD Times

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Tommaso
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#11 Post by Tommaso » Thu Nov 01, 2007 7:33 am

Ah,good review. I'm happy to see that "Sansho" seems to be as good imagewise as the CC. Looking very, very much forward to this release.

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#12 Post by peerpee » Thu Nov 01, 2007 8:59 am

I entirely disagree with the reviewer that GION BAYASHI is "Mizoguchi paying the bills". That's a dismal comment.

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Michael Kerpan
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#13 Post by Michael Kerpan » Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:07 am

peerpee wrote:I entirely disagree with the reviewer that GION BAYASHI is "Mizoguchi paying the bills". That's a dismal comment.
As far as I'm concerned "Gion bayashi" is one of Mizoguchi's very best films. I won't say it IS better than "Sansho" (who can know), but I can (and do) say that I love it more.

And it is hardly a star vehicle for Ayako Wakao (who was still a film neophyte), rather it is largely a duet between the wonderful Michiyo Kogure (in one of her finest performances) and Wakao (whose star quality was probably first truly demonstrated in this film).

OT, biographical note -- Wakao's husband (for 47 years), architect, Kisho Kurokawa, just died earlier this month.

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#14 Post by MichaelB » Thu Nov 01, 2007 10:53 am

Michael Kerpan wrote:As far as I'm concerned "Gion bayashi" is one of Mizoguchi's very best films. I won't say it IS better than "Sansho" (who can know), but I can (and do) say that I love it more.
I saw it this morning, and completely agree: I'm far less up on Mizoguchi than you are, but I thought it was enthralling from beginning to end.

No complaints about the transfer, either - the source print has the odd blemish, but that's to be expected, and there's certainly nothing distracting.

UPDATE: I've now watched both discs in full, including the superb illustrated Tony Rayns pieces (just under 40 mins total), and you can all buy with complete confidence. The book is also up to MoC's usual sky-high standards. Can't comment on the packaging as I've only got check discs and PDFs, but I'm sure it will be ravishing.

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Morandi
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#15 Post by Morandi » Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:41 am

first! :wink:
got it ten minutes ago.
only some lines ...
the booklet is fantastic (good balance of text (its a lot to read) and photos, interesting photos, not only stills), and i like the packaging.
cant say too much about the image-quality (havent seen sansho of CC), but it looks good, i would say gion looks extraordinary good (the teaser convinced me to skip work in the afternoon).
count me in for the other three sets. for the preorder price its more than a bargain.

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Morandi
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#16 Post by Morandi » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:07 pm

after watching gion bayashi ...
the image is good and the movie is extraordinary.

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Nuno
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#17 Post by Nuno » Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:17 pm

Thanks for the picture of the package... Well... I would definitely prefer individual dvds with the original cover in front. :(

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#18 Post by sidehacker » Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:44 pm

DVDBeaver review is up.

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Tommaso
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#19 Post by Tommaso » Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:34 am

Started with this set, "Gion" first in order to keep the supposedly better "Sansho" for later. But "Gion" is a very wonderful, small-scale film in its own right. It's not spectacular, but very well acted and immediately endearing.

The transfer looked excellent to me, the incriminated damage marks mostly appear during fades and dissolves, which makes me believe that they might have been produced already when the film was first assembled and are thus inevitable, even if a different print had been used. Otherwise a very nicely cleaned up image. A notch above the Naruse set, I'd say.

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Michael Kerpan
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#20 Post by Michael Kerpan » Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:02 am

Tommaso wrote:Started with this set, "Gion" first in order to keep the supposedly better "Sansho" for later.
There are_some_ who much prefer "Gion bayashi" to "Sansho".

;~}

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#21 Post by bluesea » Sat Nov 24, 2007 11:41 am

Tommaso wrote: But "Gion" is a very wonderful, small-scale film in its own right. It's not spectacular, but very well acted and immediately endearing.
That description fits in well with mine. There is not the breathtaking cinematography of Ugetsu, and in its stead, the scenes are appropiately more intimate, and the spaces closer. I feel much more drawn to the main characters in Gion, which I think was Mizoguchi's intent.

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#22 Post by Tommaso » Sun Nov 25, 2007 7:33 am

Having seen "Sansho" now, I can't help but rating it higher than "Gion", but the viewing experience is a totally different one. "Sansho" is completely awe-inspiring in its bleakness and the perfect composition of its shots, but "Gion" is much easier to connect to emotionally.

What I found interesting in the Rayns interview is how he pointed out Mizoguchi's envy of the international success of that young 'upstart' Kurosawa. I keep wondering (not having seen a lot of Mizoguchi, only these two films plus "47 Ronin" and "Ugetsu", the latter very long ago) whether "Sansho" might be an unusual film in Mizoguchis canon, i.e. a more or less conscious attempt at getting the same international acclaim. Some of the visuals indeed reminded me of some Kurosawa in places, the hell of the slave farm especially made me think obliquely of "The lower depths" (although that film was made later, of course), and the whole look of the characters a little of "Seven Samurai" (probably I get the historic period wrong here completely, though). In any case, what I quite liked about Mizoguchi's handling of the theme was that he never lapses into the kind of over-didacticism you find everywhere in Kurosawa, but that he nevertheless manages to bring across the humanistic message. However, "Sansho" creates a very great distance in the viewer (literally of course due to the famed long shots), whereas "Gion" creates immediate empathy.

Magnificent films both, then, and presented in a great edition. I read the original story in the booklet first before watching the film, and was amazed how Mizoguchi transformed it and made the result, for me, far more convincing (the story somehow doesn't really bring across the horrors of the slave farm and solves problems far too easily). But I really missed an audio commentary, good as all the other texts and the Rayns intro are. I would have wanted especially some background info on the Heian period and the extent and social significance of slavery there, and also something about the actors and the camerawork. So I guess hardcore fans of "Sansho" will want to have the CC as well only for that. Otherwise, of course, I'm totally happy with the MoC and its expectedly flawless transfer.

bluesea
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#23 Post by bluesea » Sun Nov 25, 2007 10:53 am

I like that with the MoC release of Sansho, they use the term steward instead of bailff in their subtitle translations. Not that the use of bailiff is wrong, but in the historical books that I have read covering the Heian and Kamakura peroids and Japanese history in general, the term steward seems to be fairly universal.

The same with subtitled translations of Kobayashi's Seppuku. Its proper title is Seppuku, but it is called Hara Kiri. Everytime seppuku is spoken in a scene, hara kiri comes up in the subs. I was extremely peeved when Criterion did not, or perhaps chose not to correct this.

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TheGodfather
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#24 Post by TheGodfather » Mon Nov 26, 2007 3:22 pm

Nuno wrote:Thanks for the picture of the package... Well... I would definitely prefer individual dvds with the original cover in front. :(
My thoughts exactly. It`s a pity, I liked it the way it was done in the Naruse set.
Ah well...

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Sanjuro
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#25 Post by Sanjuro » Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:57 pm

A question for anyone who knows...

I finally got a bit of spare time to relax, settle down and watch Sansho Dayu. But straight after the end credits there are some rocks and the subtitles give an introduction. Except, what are they subtitling?? Is there a missing voice over? Titles? Hidden message in the rocks? Or is it something added for the international audience?

Now I'm all stressed again. :(

Gonna have to go find my Japanese disc later to see how that opens.

edit to add: Did manage to relax and enjoy the film finally. Was slightly annoyed by a second apparently arbitrary subtitled narration which informs us that the kids are now grown up: Just in case it wasn't completely obvious by the perfectly shot next scene...

Wonderful DVD package by the way. Really excellent work from MOC.

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