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=D> That is one of, if not, the best cover art I've ever seen.

It's beautiful.

Stunning! cover of the year. Well done MOC.

just...wow...

That's a wonderful cover indeed (even though if I had been in MoC's Cover Decision Committee I might well have voted for Lino's suggestion).

Me too.

That art is truly perfect.

bit ho hum.

It looks great, but wouldn't it be better to give the director's full name? KENJI Mizoguchi. Or the other way round, of course.

One picture for 2 movies, I'm not really satisfied either. No picture for Gion Bayashi for the cover?

manicsounds wrote:One picture for 2 movies, I'm not really satisfied either. No picture for Gion Bayashi for the cover?

I think one can safely assume that there will be a nice picture from Gion bayashi on the BACK cover.

If they had created a composite front cover (showing both films on the front), people would have complained about that too.

I would like to have seen a general Mizoguchi cover, nothing elaborate, something like the Naruse box perhaps, then inside maybe two slim cases with individual cover art. But to be honest it's such a pleasure to be getting Mizoguchi's films that I really don't care.

that cover's more like Mizzzzzzoguchi, amirite

Getting sucked into a covers debate (nooo!) but I'd simply have it say Kenji Mizoguchi at the bottom of the cover, no need for the whole 2 films by lark. People know...right?

Also a suggestion to MOC, would be to have the last two films in this series of Mizoguchi films come with a box to put them all in. I don't know what images are available, perhaps a photo showing him directing a film contained in the set, or maybe him acting like the ass everyone makes him out to be but the picture of Kenji Mizoguchi in the 2006 catalogue might work. It might also encourage/shame people into buying all the releases, to fill the box up...

Thoughts anyone?

FSimeoni wrote:I would like to have seen a general Mizoguchi cover, nothing elaborate, something like the Naruse box perhaps, then inside maybe two slim cases with individual cover art.

My thoughts exactly. Although I liked the picture that`s used, I would`ve like to see it being used for the Sansho case only. A pic of Mizoguchi might have been "better".

One would assume that this is for the box cover and that the individual discs will have their own cover art, however, having been through this before, it might not be Nick's final choice.

It's just not a captivating enough cover image, save it for the bookletts.

Jem wrote:It's just not a captivating enough cover image, save it for the bookletts.

Hmmm.... I really like that deep sense of space and the way the characters are placed. No complaints by me about this one. But indeed an optional box would be a good idea.

Jem wrote:It's just not a captivating enough cover image, save it for the bookletts.

Sometimes I simply don't even begin to comprehend some of the comments made in this thread (and others like it).

My sentiments exactly. And what is so wrong with having three separate volumes?

After seeing the sublime covers for the 3 Murnau releases that's a bit disappointing, comparing it to the Criterion version of Sansho it's shameful...

I suppose these films will be a 2-disc set in one amaray case and not a box containing the 2 films as individual releases?

Michael Kerpan wrote:

Jem wrote:It's just not a captivating enough cover image, save it for the bookletts.

Sometimes I simply don't even begin to comprehend some of the comments made in this thread (and others like it).

Just because it is a still from a great film, doesn't instantly make it a great cover image.

I think the characters are too small within the frame, they seem lost. Compare the cover to the Naruse 'Repast' and 'Flowing' cover images, in my opinion they are far more successful.

I have not seen this film and kindly ask if anyone could explain how the cover connects to the film and if it tries to express something? It's the first cover in a long time that did not instantly conquer my soul and I was hoping it would grow on me with a little information - thanks!

125100 wrote:I suppose these films will be a 2-disc set in one amaray case and not a box containing the 2 films as individual releases?

There's no way that two discs and a 90+ page book are going to fit in one amaray case.

I am would imagine something like two slim cases in a hardcover box with the book on it's own like the Naruse release. Although I can imagine that MoC will want to avoid slim cases but I'm out of ideas for how else this release will be packaged. I suppose they could be packaged in two regular amaray cases, it'll certainly beef the set up on retailer shelves and warrant it's £22.99 list price.

With regards to the cover art, I don't dislike it, I think it's a beautiful image I just expected more, but I am very confident that more is to come.

Jem wrote:I think the characters are too small within the frame, they seem lost. Compare the cover to the Naruse 'Repast' and 'Flowing' cover images, in my opinion they are far more successful.

If that's the way the movie was shot then that's what you have to work with, there's no way anyone in their right mind would manipulate the image. Of the (very few) Mizoguchi films that I have seen I feel that Mizoguchi's most breathtaking shots were of empty spaces, no one is going to want to put that on a cover.

As Hammock has just asked (which I can't answer) the still is representative of the character's emotional state (I would guess), so while they may not be as great to look at on a cover of a DVD, I am sure they will be breathtaking in the context of the film (the Mizoguchi films I have already seen make me confident in this assumption). The real problem with this cover is that one still image is doing the work for two hotly anticipated releases. As someone previously said, even two images wouldn't have sufficed, they would have been minimized and demeaning to each film to only have half the cover. I guess there are a lot of demanding MoC fanboys here (myself included) and we should all just appreciate what we get.