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Kagemusha

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In his late, color masterpiece Kagemusha, Akira Kurosawa returned to the samurai film and to a primary theme of his career—the play between illusion and reality. Sumptuously reconstructing the splendor of feudal Japan and the pageantry of war, Kurosawa creates a historical epic that is also a meditation on the nature of power. The Criterion Collection is proud to present Kagemusha for the first time in its full-length version in the United States.

AVAILABLE IN DOUBLE-DVD AND BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITIONS:

- New, restored high-definition digital transfer enhanced for widescreen televisions (DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on Blu-ray edition)
- Audio commentary by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince (The Warrior’s Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa)
- Lucas, Coppola, and Kurosawa (19 minutes, 2005), directors George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola discuss Kurosawa and their roles as executive producers of Kagemusha
- A 41-minute documentary on the making of Kagemusha, part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
- Image: Kurosawa’s Continuity, a new video piece that reconstructs Kagemusha through Kurosawa’s paintings and sketches
- A series of Suntory Whiskey commercials made on the set of Kagemusha
- A gallery of storyboards painted by Kurosawa and images of their realization on-screen
- Theatrical trailers and teasers
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- PLUS: A 48-page booklet featuring a new essay by scholar Peter Grilli, a reprinted 1981 interview with Kurosawa by renowned critic Tony Rayns, and biographical sketches by Japanese film historian Donald Richie

DVD:
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Image: Kurosawa's Continuity, a new video piece that reconstructs Kagemusha through Kurosawa's paintings and sketches

I'm very excited about this "piece" (how often does Criterion use this term?). Along with the Prince commentary, and I'm there... though usually later Kurosawa's don't interest me too much.

Hopefully this will be uncut no more International version please. Show us the Uesugi part that was cut.

kortik wrote:Hopefully this will be uncut no more International version please.

It is: "The Criterion Collection is proud to present Kagemusha for the first time in its full-length version." "180 minutes"

I don't remember a time where Criterion has purposely not released a title uncut. That is part of their reputation.

cinephrenic wrote:I don't remember a time where Criterion has purposely not released a title uncut. That is part of their reputation.

On purpose, certainly, but there could have been unresolved rights to that version -- like if they ever do Lola Montes again I think the Ophuls estate is sitting on the 140 minute version of that film, so nobody can see it, and of course, Playtime was issued in a shorter cut.[/b]

Hey Kaidan (Kwaidan) is cut. compare to R2JP DVD and you'll see. So Criterion does cut some films even crop them sometimes.

...did not first appear on home video anywhere until well after Criterion's DVD release (making its debut in Spain, I believe). It may not have even appeared in theaters until afterwards.

When will the cover go up? The last time I recall a delay in the cover image (Slacker), it related to a delay in the actual DVD. What are the odds that Kagemusha will slip to February?

Just slipped to March as per CC website.

Kagemusha is now a March release? Have they ever pushed back a release by two months before? I've seen one month push backs, but never two.

I'm going to be homeless in March. I will be forced to carry a sign that says "Please help, i need a Criterion".

SON OF A WHORE!!!!!

This movie was actually a Christmas present to me from my parents-in-law. They pre-ordered it for me and I was really REALLY pumped when I got a card proclaiming I was getting it. What a piss-off!

That pod race scene had better be cool!

29th March. Same day as JULES AND JIM... (Source - Homevision site)

On the bright side, the delay could be to make the "More!" something very special. They might have unearthed something at the eleventh hour that would make a mighty supplement.

I can only hope this delay is to give space to a nationwide theatrical tour of the restored print early this spring (PLEEEEASE???)

anyone check CC's homepage lately,?

looks like its been pushed back till March.....sigh......they better be putting even more extras on it....grrrrr...

TheKurosawaKid wrote:anyone check CC's homepage lately,?

looks like its been pushed back till March.....sigh......they better be putting even more extras on it....grrrrr...

Thanks for the info, but read the thread, please. The delay is the reason for so many posts here lately.

oh man March cannot wait that long but I geuss I'll just have both films this and The Sword of Doom.

So they probably moved it to March so they can release the Uncut version of the film which was never rleased outside of Japan. I hope they will release it uncut. The original film has a Uesugi Kenshin involvement etc.. dont remmember exactly but I am sure that it was cut in the International version.

They've said since day one that they're releasing the uncut version.

The CC.com description wrote:The Criterion Collection is proud to present Kagemusha for the first time in its full-length version.

The Fanciful Norwegian wrote:They've said since day one that they're releasing the uncut version.

The CC.com description wrote:The Criterion Collection is proud to present Kagemusha for the first time in its full-length version.

Exellent then Thats what I'd like to hear

I'm starting to think the very reason it was pushed back was because of the sword of doom. After all, they are both samurai films with the same leading man. I know I'm going to buy them both at the same time, and since I have Fighting Elegy and Youth of the Beast to hold me over, I'm not too upset about the delay.

Any updates on this? Maybe someone got this film already?

Suntory ads!! Awesome!!