35-37 Naruse: Volume One

[cgray]

I just received the set in the mail today. Very excited about this, and _woman ascending_ coming out in feb.

What a great looking set. Can't wait to camp out in front of the tube for a bit. The book is beautiful as well, though I can't help but remarking: what's up with the 20 pt font?

Thanks, MOC!

[denti alligator]

I watched the first of these, Repast, tonight and loved the film, but had a question about the transfer. It seemed to me to have too much noticeable pixellation. Why is this the case? It's especially noticeable in interior scenes where shadows against white walls don't transition smoothly from black through shades of grey to white, but appear in pixellated rings. This can be seen even in the second of Gary's caps at the Beaver.

Otherwise I thought the transfer looked great. Not too soft, as some have complained. The 15-minute mini-commentary is, I think, a really good format. However, I personally would prefer more actual analysis of the film, which I felt was lacking on this one, although there were some interesting insights into character relations.

[Matango]

Is anyone else less than impressed with the commentaries? I've had two stabs at the Sound of the Mountain track and am only 45 minutes through it. Jones and Lopate sound like nice people, but their discussion is way too subjective for my liking, with each agreeing with the other's comments to the extent that it almost sounds like a mutual verbal massage in places.
I think someone else noted that their commentary on Toni was a bit film-fannish, and that's really the case here. What I've learned about Naruse and the cast so far, Tony Rayns could/would have said before the opening credits were finished.

[Michael Kerpan]

The Toho DVD of Repast looked a bit softer than the other Naruse films that were included in their Naruse box sets.

Some Toho screenshots -- if anyone wants to compare:


Repast 2
Repast 3
Repast 4
Repast 5
Repast 6
Repast 7
Repast 8

[tavernier]

I've never had any use for Kent Jones--his commentary on L'Argent is unlistenable--so I was disappointed when I saw his name alongside Lopate's. Lopate is good and knowledgeable, but as Matango says, together they are clearly a Mutual Admiration Society. (It's hilarious that they are described as "friends" on the MOC discs....well, duh.) If Lopate were alone, it might have made for a decent commentary track. Oh well.

[tryavna]

I think someone else noted that their commentary on Toni was a bit film-fannish, and that's really the case here.

That was probably me. I was deeply disappointed with the commentary track for Toni (considering what I've come to expect from MoC), and it sounds like this one isn't any better. What a pity.

[GringoTex]

This set was my intro to Naruse, and I'm floored. His rendering of the domestic subsurface is every bit as powerful as Ozu's, and I can't believe there's dozens more films of his to discover. Does anybody know if David Bordwell on written on Naruse? And which Donald Ritchie book has the best stuff on Naruse?

[Matango]

Richie's book A Hundred Years of Japanese Film has a fair amount on Naruse. Amazon provides a 'Search Inside' facility for it, so you can actually read all the Naruse stuff for free with a little digging. But if you like Japanese cinema anyway, you should get a copy, and help pay the old guy's rent over there in Ueno

[Michael Kerpan]

Almost nothing in English on Naruse -- yet. The most extensive information (prior to MOC's booklet) is still Audie Bock's chapter on Naruse in her (out of print) book on Japanese directors. There is also a nice (old) Philip Lopate article in Film quarterly (vol. 39, no. 4).

So far as I know, Richie has not written anything terribly substantial about Naruse -- what he has written so far (in 100 Years and elsewhere) tends to pigeonhole Naruse -- gloomy and pessimistic, not having a distinctive style etc.

The only book (in a Western language) is Jean Narboni's recent Cahiers du cinema volume on Naruse. Catherine Russell's book on Naruse is supposed to be released towards the end of 2007. When it comes out, we will finally have a book in english on Naruse.

Naruse has 69 (or so) films extant. (A couple of wartime ones have not been shown since the end of WW2 -- and Toho did not allow these to be included in the TV film series that showed all his other films). Of these I've seen 53 so far. I would say at least thee dozen of the films would be of interest to people other than "specialists" -- and many of these are masterpieces. (Only one of the films I've seen was uninteresting).

[Matango]

Hey Michael, did your box show up yet? I'd have thought you'd get a free one from MoC since you get an acknowledgement in the back of the book.

[Michael Kerpan]

Hey Michael, did your box show up yet? I'd have thought you'd get a free one from MoC since you get an acknowledgement in the back of the book.

Amazon has supposedly shipped me a new copy -- but it has yet to arrive. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I'd rather pay to get the MOC set than get a free one -- as it ups the odds for a Volume 2. And we need at least 11 more volumes.

People like Lopate and Bock really pushed their hardest to make Naruse "mainstream" in the mid-80s -- and despite some good reviews -- Naruse largely vanished from sight (in the US) for another 20 years. Maybe with the coming of the DVD era, Naruse will finally be recognized as one of the world's cinematic greats. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Matango]

I was surprised that on recent canvassing, my several friends in Japan, none of whom are film fans but are of all ages up to about 45, have never even heard of Naruse, although they do know Ozu, and Setsuko Hara.

[Steven H]

I ran into a few Japanese business guys at a bar about a year ago and struck up a conversation about film. They were all in their late thirties, and two of them started arguing about what the best Naruse film was. I wasn't really expecting that. According to them, Floating Clouds is the best. I don't see that many people from Japan in the south, but they generally think it's really funny to bring up Cutie Honey, so I do. Always gets a laugh (this post seems vaguely racist).

[Michael Kerpan]

Your Japanese friends must not get the right satellite channels. ;~}

Naruse's (almost complete) films were shown on at least two different satellite channels during 2005-2006. In addition, the Japanese Film center in Tokyo screened almost everything -- and there were also smalkler retrospectives elsewhere.

2007 will be the year of Naruse in Europe -- an extensive array (30+) of films will be traveling to major cities across Europe over the course of this year (of course not every venue will get the full series).

I ran into a few Japanese business guys at a bar about a year ago and struck up a conversation about film. They were all in their late thirties, and two of them started arguing about what the best Naruse film was. I wasn't really expecting that. According to them, Floating Clouds is the best.

Floating Clouds has long been the Japanese consensus favorite. Of course, this might just be Naruse's least _typical_ film (as well as one of his most visually beautiful).

[Matango]

Your Japanese friends must not get the right satellite channels.

Yes, probably too busy watching drunken salarymen getting ejector-seated out of exploding toilets, and other such classic Japanese TV fare.

At the risk of entering the realms of smalltalk, how have you been able to see 53 Naruse films? I'm sure most viewers of this thread would be interested to know that. I thought I was doing quite well having seen 25 Ozu films (plus a visit to Kamakura).

[Steven H]

I would think Hit and Run or Stranger Within A Woman to be least typical. Floating Clouds has almost everything you'd want in a Naruse, though it's a bit chaotic, I think it works well for the film. The higher stakes of turbulent postwar Japan seem to be exposed very well in this, and Mori's dour expression takes any negative comment about the far too bright memories of living in China/Manchuria moot. I can think of few greater pairings than Takamine and Mori in Floating Clouds. Everyone should be inspired by their nearly as great moments in When A Woman next month to look forward to what Floating Clouds has in store.

[Matango]

The higher stakes of turbulent postwar Japan seem to be exposed very well in this, and Mori's dour expression takes any negative comment about the far too bright memories of living in China/Manchuria moot.

In Floating Clouds? I haven't seen it, but I just finished a book called Manchurian Legacy, written in 1999 by Kazuko Kuramoto, a now-elderly lady who was born and grew up in Manchuria in the 1930s and '40s, and suffered the long postwar wait to get home to Japan. As I was reading it, it quite struck me as being an Ozu/Naruse film in book form. Bags of domestic Japanese angst and drama. I highly recommend it.

[Michael Kerpan]

At the risk of entering the realms of smalltalk, how have you been able to see 53 Naruse films? I'm sure most viewers of this thread would be interested to know that.

Originally I watched all the extant subbed videos (including the French ones) -- and copies of subbed TV broadcasts (mostly from Australia, as I recall)

I bought all the Japanese DVDs as they came out. I went to as many of the films as I could when the retrospective came to Boston. And I knew people who know people who taped some unsubbed Japanese broadcasts. I expect to eventually see 3 or 4 more -- but then will run into a brick wall of unavailability.

In Floating Clouds? I haven't seen it, but I just finished a book called Manchurian Legacy, written in 1999 by Kazuko Kuramoto, a now-elderly lady who was born and grew up in Manchuria in the 1930s and '40s, and suffered the long postwar wait to get home to Japan. As I was reading it, it quite struck me as being an Ozu/Naruse film in book form. Bags of domestic Japanese angst and drama. I highly recommend it.[/quote]

Actually, the foreign part of Floating Clouds takes place in (north central) Viet Nam.

Fumiko Hayashi's book is now (finally) available in translation -- and it is just as wonderful and indispensable as Naruse's film.

[Steven H]

Actually, the foreign part of Floating Clouds takes place in (north central) Viet Nam.

Fumiko Hayashi's book is now (finally) available in translation -- and it is just as wonderful and indispensable as Naruse's film.

Ah, thanks for the correction. I keep meaning to pick up the Hayashi novel. I'm still trying to get past my "fiction block" in reading.

[Matango]

At the risk of entering the realms of smalltalk, how have you been able to see 53 Naruse films? I'm sure most viewers of this thread would be interested to know that.

Originally I watched all the extant subbed videos (including the French ones) -- and copies of subbed TV broadcasts (mostly from Australia, as I recall)

I bought all the Japanese DVDs as they came out. I went to as many of the films as I could when the retrospective came to Boston. And I knew people who know people who taped some unsubbed Japanese broadcasts. I expect to eventually see 3 or 4 more -- but then will run into a brick wall of unavailability. ;~{

Two obvious questions, then I'll call it a day. Do you speak Japanese, and have you seen all three films in the MoC Box already?

[Michael Kerpan]

I would think Hit and Run or Stranger Within A Woman to be least typical. Floating Clouds has almost everything you'd want in a Naruse, though it's a bit chaotic, I think it works well for the film. The higher stakes of turbulent postwar Japan seem to be exposed very well in this, and Mori's dour expression takes any negative comment about the far too bright memories of living in China/Manchuria moot. I can think of few greater pairings than Takamine and Mori in Floating Clouds. Everyone should be inspired by their nearly as great moments in When A Woman next month to look forward to what Floating Clouds has in store.

Maybe I should have said that Floating Clouds was Naruse's "least typical" 50s film. ;~}

Yes -- Naruse's antepenultimate and penultimate films are definitely unusual. Despite some imperfections, though, they are quite fascinating. Each creates its own sui generis visual world.

The acting overall in Floating clouds is just stupendous -- not just Takanine and Mori, but also Daisuke Kato, Mariko Okada, Chieko Nakakita et al.

Woman Ascending the Stairs is a wonderful film -- but (as fine as it is), it pales next to Floating Clouds.

I keep meaning to pick up the Hayashi novel. I'm still trying to get past my "fiction block" in reading.

Few directors have done as consistently well as Naruse in adapting great literature. One appreciates Naruse's (and his writers and cinematographers and performers, etc). accomplishments all the more when one reads the source novels of Floating Clouds, Sound of the Mountain, etc.

[iangj]

Actually, the foreign part of Floating Clouds takes place in (north central) Viet Nam.

In Viet Nam yes, but in Dalat in the Central Highlands, which is pretty far to the south. Not so far from Nha Trang, and about 300km away from Ho Chi Minh City.

[Michael Kerpan]

Two obvious questions, then I'll call it a day. Do you speak Japanese, and have you seen all three films in the MoC Box already?

I first encountered Repast and Sound of the Mountain (and Floating Clouds) in 2003. I was blown away by SotM -- but felt FC was a bit too melodramatic. I liked Repast on first viewing -- but because it was subbed in French, it took a second viewing (with my wife providing more translating aid) to completely devastate me. I first saw Flowing when the unsubbed Japanese DVD arrived -- and a few days later saw it subbed at the retrospective.

I wouldn't say I can _speak_ Japanese. But I now know enough to be able to generally figure out what is going on in movies. (Real life conversations are MUCH harder -- as Japanese people tend to speak faster in real life than they do in classic cinema).

In Viet Nam yes, but in Dalat in the Central Highlands, which is pretty far to the south. Not so far from Nha Trang, and about 300km away from Ho Chi Minh City.

Oops, I thought the "Central Highlands" were farther north. (The translated novel doesn't have any sort of helpful map). ;~}

Thanks for the correction.

[manicsounds]

I was surprised that on recent canvassing, my several friends in Japan, none of whom are film fans but are of all ages up to about 45, have never even heard of Naruse, although they do know Ozu, and Setsuko Hara.

This is the year of Naruse. None of my Japanese friends or coworkers know of him either. The older generation does, but I'm not talking about parents, more like grandparents.

With more recognition coming from the West this year, Naruse will get his due in Japan this year too. Sad way of promoting, isn't it?

[Michael Kerpan]

Perhaps if Naruse makes a big enough splash in the West, Shochiku will consider releasing some of his silent films on DVD -- and Toho will move beyond the 12 DVDs it has already issued.