BD 21 Pigs & Battleships / Stolen Desire

[swo17]

Pigs & Battleships / Stolen Desire



With this, his fifth film, Shôhei Imamura finally answered his true calling as Japanese cinema’s most dedicated and brilliant chronicler of society’s underbelly with the astonishing Pigs and Battleships [Buta to gunkan]. A riotous portrait of sub-Yakuza gangsters battling for control of the local pork business in a U.S. Navy-occupied coastal town (Yokosuka), Imamura conjures a chaotic world of petty thugs, young love, tough-headed women, and underworld hypochondria, with one of the most unforgettable climaxes ever to grace the screen.

Featuring dynamic black-and-white ‘Scope cinematography, the director’s typically sly sense of social commentary, and a host of outstanding performances (including Jitsuko Yoshimura from Onibaba), Pigs and Battleships immediately became a cornerstone of the Japanese New Wave and remains perhaps Imamura’s most sheerly entertaining work. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the film in a Dual Format edition, alongside Imamura’s 1958 rarely-seen debut feature, Stolen Desire [Nusumareta yokujô].

DUAL FORMAT RELEASE INCLUDING BLU-RAY AND DVD VERSIONS OF BOTH FILMS

• Exclusively restored high-definition master of Pigs and Battleships from the original camera negative (1080p on Blu-ray)
• Stolen Desire [Nusumareta yokujô] (1958), Imamura’s debut feature for Nikkatsu in a new progressive transfer [93 minutes]
• Newly translated English subtitles for both films
• 36-page booklet featuring essays on both films by Tony Rayns and rare stills

[matrixschmatrix]

From the details on the pre-order page, the features:
Both Blu-ray and DVD version of the film.

Exclusively restored high-definition master from the original camera negative (1080p on Blu-ray)

Stolen Desire [Nusumareta yokujô] (1958), Imamura's debut feature for Nikkatsu in a new high-definition transfer [93 minutes] (1080p on Blu-ray)

Newly translated English subtitles for both films

A booklet featuring essays on both films by Tony Rayns and rare stills

[PillowRock]

So, for people who already have the Criterion box, is Stolen Desire good enough to warrant buying this release?

[Finch]

The BD looks very nice indeed!

[daniel p]

What's the likelihood of MoC releasing Insect Woman and Intentions of Murder on blu-ray?

I never bought the Criterion DVD box, would buy it if upgraded though - but this MoC release of Pigs & Battleships is very tempting!

[peerpee]

We should be doing THE INSECT WOMAN, but doesn't look like we'll be doing INTENTIONS OF MURDER because of materials issues.

[What A Disgrace]

I hope Black Rain is in the works, too.

[Zot!]

I hope Black Rain is in the works, too.

+1 My personal favorite.

[antnield]

The Digital Fix.

[monk0nuggets]

DVD Beaver's Review

[FerdinandGriffon]

I was very happily entertained by Stolen Desire, which, though it may be closer to a generic Nikkatsu romp than most Imamura flicks, is a very genial, warm-blooded depiction of the tangled network of sexual relationships holding together an itinerant theater troupe. Underlying and bolstering the A romance plots, which are decent melodrama and not much more, are myriad B and C plots that weave together in surprising and complex ways to show not only the ties that bind the troupe, but also the troupe and theater in general's function in the larger network of post-war Japanese society, both urban and rural. The cast is charming, especially the numerous "ham actors" who populate the stage within the film. Imamura's direction and mise-en-scene are more straightforward than usual, but he's still remarkably accomplished for a first-timer, stuffing every frame with bizarre details in decoration and performance.

[domino harvey]

I enjoyed Stolen Desire too, though more for giving a far less grim outlook on the career path of traveling actors than the copious Mizoguchi and Bergman examples! Ultimately this does mean the film is more of a slice of life than anything else, and there’s not that much of note here to hang memories upon… so this feels like the perfect “bonus” film-- something I’m happy to see once but probably won’t ever think about again