Mizoguchi Kenji on DVD

[John Edmond]

Australian site ezydvd have Mizoguchi's 47 Ronin for sale: http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/806999" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - a 2 disk set unlike Inagaki's. I'm sure I'll buy this within a week - so if you don't hear anything from more reputable sources I'll let you know how it went quality wise.

[John Edmond]

Just ordered from Chaos - I'm not crazy. Looking to see if Ezydvd had it in stock was just habit from when they were half decent. When it comes to actually spending money my habits have far less sway.

[Davidspector]

David H and John -

Thanks - if a Carlotta port, that sounds promising. John, don't want to put you in a position of being the canary in the mineshaft, so I'll probably order from Chaos on a blind buy (transfer-wise at any rate). Won't be the first time.

[John Edmond]

Oh just wait, my order has already been placed. They've already sent me an email saying they've dispatched - so hopefully I'll receive it tomorrow and I'll post a lazy VLC image capture then. Even if the visuals are crap I've wanted to see this film for so long.

Sadly however, your message has reminded me of my biggest fear for this DVD, that Madman will once again make the subtitles a bright canary yellow.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Madman stuff never seems to be in the stores on the release date - in my experience it's often the following week. 47 was only due to be released yesterday (21/4) after many delays. Definitely not in either of the JB Sydney city stores today. However I've ordered it from JB online - cheaper than Chaos even, despite JB's excessive postage charges. AFAIK MichaelDVD has not received a review copy yet.

[tenia]

Rufe do you have the Carlotta disc to compare it with? Impressions/capos would be very welcome. I am certain I put up a few Carlotta caps way back when on the caps thread.

47 Ronins is not Carlotta, but MK2. Which can be not that good. They have their lot of bad releases (like Derzou Ouzala, for exemple).

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Rufe do you have the Carlotta disc to compare it with?

No. And the Madman is on back-order, so I won't see it for a week or two I guess.

[John Edmond]

Mine's arrived, and after a quick peak I have no regrets. Happily, Madman didn't do anything egregiously stupid: it's split over 2 DVD9s, and the subtitles aren't a hideous canary yellow. The image is sometimes a bit soft, but surprisingly little print damage - closer in quality to MOC's Humanity and Paper Balloons than their Mizoguchi releases.

[John Edmond]

Of course, I just grabbed some then. However, I have no idea how upload pictures to this board for posting. Ahhh screw it that's what horrible free sites are for.

[perkizitore]

Is it a definite improvement over the old Image DVD? Also, who owns the UK rights?

[HerrSchreck]

Is it a definite improvement over the old Image DVD? Also, who owns the UK rights?

Well that's an easy yes. Here's a comp w the first cap:




I'd imagine that Image put out the first eng-subbed edition way back when. But it's clearly outdated nowadays.

[Sloper]

Didnt even know there was a prior Image...

Neither did I! I've been subsisting on that awful Korean edition with the Vogon subtitles. I paid £30 for it (four years ago).

Arse.

[Tommaso]

That Image disc isn't so bad given that it's almost ten years old now. The main problem there was indeed the print quality, but that goes for practically all Japanese films from the 40s. But of course there is no doubt that the new edition here is superior in general image quality; I'm just not fully sure that it is improved so much that I should double-dip.

Here's the Beaver comparison for the Image and the Korean disc.

[HerrSchreck]

Yeah I'm surprised you guys didn't know about that Image disc-- an english subbed edition of 47 Ro's was quite an important thing back in the early days of DVD... this prior to Mizo's real bigtime "rediscovery" in the younger cinephile community (as opposed to critics in the know who've been hip to works like Sansho and Ugetsu Monogatari for decades), especially as CC started bringing the best known titles out in premium editions.

It's faults-- especially versus the fully restored editions of today from best possible archive elements-- beyond five years ago didn't come anywhere near overwhelming its pluses.

As for the differences, despite the soupy look of the MK2, you can see them clearly in the clothing and face details, especially of the ronin's master who is being restrained after his attack.

[Sloper]

Ah... Looking at the Beaver comparison reminded me why I didn't get the Image disc a few years ago. It was selling for about £100 or more. I was confused earlier because both that and the Korean version are now available quite cheaply. Anyway, I'm so glad this is coming out in a respectable edition - probably my favourite Mizoguchi - and hope US/UK editions will follow soon.

[HerrSchreck]

It was selling for about £100 or more. I was confused earlier because both that and the Korean version are now available quite cheaply.

It was so high because it was 1) out of print, and 2) at the time the only english-friendly edition available of this important film by this then-completely underrepresented-in-the-west legendary director. Same thing that happened with things like BRUTE FORCE... the old Image disc went oop and was fetching huge prices on eBay... then the CC came out and put those ripoffs to sleep.

That Image disc isn't so bad given that it's almost ten years old now.

It came out in 1999, so its eleven years old now. Back when it came out, is was a dream come true.

I'd say the situation for a premium R1 release is very encouraging, since the print used for the old IMage 47 Ro came from the Janus library. So a nice CC editions shouldn't be considered a stretch of the imagination by any means.

[Michael Kerpan]

Actually there was a Korean clone of the (out of print) Image release that was quite cheap.

[perkizitore]

Does MK2 own the UK rights?

[myrnaloyisdope]

Actually there was a Korean clone of the (out of print) Image release that was quite cheap.

Yes I have it, it's perfectly watchable, the print looks rough, but I didn't notice any real problems with the transfer.

[Ashirg]

I noticed that Utamaro and His Five Women has been released in Brazil, region 0 with English subtitles by Lume Filmes. Does anyone know about the quality of this release?

[manicsounds]

Loyal 47 Ronin Australian review. Commentary on top of it too.

[Murasaki53]

Just watched the Madman version on DVD and can also confirm that the picture quality is a significant improvement on the Image disc. Additionally, the Madman edition has more extensive subtitling that seems to me to be quite lyrical in places - whoever did it deserves a lot of credit. I have only listened to snatches of the commentary thus far but what I heard was captivating. All in all, this release is, in my view, up there with the best offerings from Criterion and Masters of Cinema and I'm therefore a bit surprised that they never got around to issuing it themselves.

I'm not sure how others feel about this but I love the fact that this film is - to put it bluntly - all talk and no action. I can well imagine why some people find it dull but its sombre nature and preoccupation with the nuances of samurai protocol mesmerise me every time I watch it.

[Michael Kerpan]

Mizoguchi's film is based on a highly philosophical series of kabuki plays, which replaced action by discussion (and reflection) as to events that typically are not shown onstage. Even in its previous state, I found this film fascinating (and sometimes very moving) but also very disconcerting.

[John Edmond]

Mizoguchi.....blu-ray

[Michael Kerpan]

Mizoguchi.....blu-ray

More than twice as expensive as the upcoming DVD set -- I wonder whether this can possibly be worth the extra cost, given the state of the film elements.