High and Low – The Criterion Collection #24 (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Addictive, riveting and a fantastic film that will captivate you from beginning to end!  An Akira Kurosawa classic receives its Blu-ray release in America and if you owned the previous DVD releases from the Criterion Collection, this latest release is highly recommended!

Image courtesy of ©1963 Toho Co., Ltd 2008 Toho Co., Ltd. © 2011 The Criterion Collection. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: High and Low – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #24 (Tengoku to Jigoku)

YEAR OF FILM: 1963

DURATION: 143 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: Black and White/Color, 4.0 Surround in Japanese with English Subtitles, 2:35:1 Aspect Ratio

COMPANY: Janus Films/THE CRITERION COLLECTION

RELEASE DATE: July 26, 2011

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Based on the novel by Kingu no Minoshirokin (King’s Ransom) by Ed McBain

Screenplay by Hideo Oguni, Ryuzo Kikushima, Eijiro Hisaita, Akira Kurosawa

Produced by Ryuzo Kikushima, Tomoyuki Tanaka

Associate Producer: Akira Kurosawa

Music by Masaru Sato

Cinematography by Asakazu Nakai, Tako Saito

Production Design by Asakazu Nakai, Takao Saito

Production Design by Miyuki Suzuki

Starring:

Toshiro Mifune as Kingo Gondo

Tatsuya Nakadai as Chief Detective Tokura

Kyoko Kagawa as Reiko Gondo

Tatsuya Mihashi as Kawanishi – Gondo’s Secretary

Isao Kimura as Detective Arai

Kenjiro Ishiyama as Chief Detective “Bos’n’ Taguchi

Takeshi Kato as Detective Nakao

Takashi Shimura as Chief of Investigation Section

Jun Tazaki as Kamiya, National Shoes Publicity Director

Nobuo Nakamura as Ishimaru, National Shoes Design Department

Yunosuke Ito as Baba – National Shoes Executive

Tsutomu Yamazaki as Ginjiro Takeuchi, Medical Intern

Toshiro Mifune is unforgettable as Kingo Gondo, a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a cold-blooded kidnapper in High and Low (Tengoku to jigoku), the highly influential domestic drama and police procedural from director Akira Kurosawa. Adapting Ed McBain’s detective novel King’s Ransom, Kurosawa moves effortlessly from compelling race-against-time thriller to exacting social commentary, creating a diabolical treatise on contemporary Japanese society.

Another fantastic film from legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and a wonderful performance by Toshiro Mifune!  A film that will truly have you at the edge of your seat!

“Tengoku to Jigoku” (which translates to “Heaven and Hell” but is known internationally as “High and Low”) is a 1963 film that features another collaboration with actor Toshiro Mifune and is a film adaptation of Ed McBain’s novel “Kings Ransom” that would focus on how one can become blackmailed despite not having direct involvement with a kidnapping.

The film also is a statement from Kurosawa as children in Japan during the early ’60s were being kidnapped and murdered and showing his distaste towards the Japanese law in which criminals would only get a few years of incarceration.

With the film having been released in the late ’90s on DVD by the Criterion Collection, the film was re-released with more special features and a better transfer in 2008.  So, here we are in 2011 and “High and Low” receives its Blu-ray release courtesy of the Criterion Collection, the first HD release of the title in America.

“High and Low” begins with an executive named Kingo Gondo (played by Toshiro Mifune).   He is visited by the head executives of National Shoes, the company he works for and oversees quality control.

But the executives are concerned about their profits and want Gondo to release cheap, low-quality shoes in order to have more women buy more shoes.  Meanwhile, the president and owner of the company wants to focus on quality but continue to release shoes that no longer fashionable.

So, the executives come up with a plan to use their clout and join forces because the own shares of the company and oust the president of National Shoes.

But Gondo believes that in order for National Shoes to survive, quality control must be kept but also to incorporate modern fashion sense.  But the executives disagree.  They try to entice him with being second-in-command of National Shoes if he joins them and oust the President but for Gondo, he is unwilling to let the company release low-quality shoes.  He has pride in the company and its shoes and only wants what is best for the consumer, something that his fellow executives don’t believe in.

After an angry exchange, Gondo’s wife Reiko (played by Kyoko Kagawa) wants to know why he was arguing with his co-workers.  But Gondo smirks and tells her and his secretary Kawanishi (played by Tatsuya Mihashi) that he has a plan just in case the executives try to oust him.

But while he tries to explain, his son Jun (dressed like a cowboy) and his friend Shinichi (who happens to be Gondo’s chauffer’s son) begin playing with each other and are told to play outside.  Before Jun and Shinichi go out, June lets Shinichi wear his cowboy outfit.

As Gondo explains to his wife and Kawanishi, he tells them that the reason why he is confident that he would win against the executives is because he has been buying shares of the company for the last three years.  And he has literally took out a significant loan to purchase shares from others and using his home as collateral in order to become the largest shareholder of the company.

All that needs to be done is for Kawanishi to go and deposit the check for 500 million yen and National Shoes will be his company.

But before Gondo can celebrate, he receives a phone call from a kidnapper who tells him that he has his son and if he wants his son to be alive, he would have to pay 30 million yen.  Worried that his son is kidnapped, Gondo knows the money is important for him to get control of National Shoes or else, he will be the executive ousted.  The kidnapper gives him time to think about the arrangement which must be done quite soon.

As both Gondo and his wife worry about Jun, Jun shows up in the house.  So, Gondo wonders if the call he received was a prank call.  Meanwhile, Shinichi’s father has come to pick him up but to find out that he is gone.

Both Gondo and his wife realize that Jun and Shinichi have switched outfits and that the kidnapper actually took his chauffeur’s son.

Gondo calls the police and because the police expect that the kidnapper may be monitoring them, they pretend to be working for a delivery company.

What the police needs is to tape the kidnapper talking but for Gondo to talk to the kidnapper long enough in order to trace the call.  But when the kidnapper calls, the kidnapper realizes that he took the wrong child but still, the kidnapper has leverage over him and he needs to know if Gondo will be bringing the 30 million yen and if Gondo refuses, the kidnapper warns him that if he doesn’t comply, the child is dead.

And this leads to a struggle for Gondo as he had worked hard all these years at National Shoes but now he is within moments of buying and taking control of the company thus ensuring their livelihood.

But Gondo’s wife can’t bare the guilt if Shinichi dies,  because she feels that the only reason Shinichi was kidnapped was because they were going after their son Jun.  So, she wants him to save Shinichi because a human life is more important than money and prestige.

Even Shinichi’s father begs Gondo to please save his child.  But Gondo is torn because he sacrificed a lot and is taking a risky chance of losing everything.

Everyone knows that Gondo is in a difficult predicament and no one is sure what he will do.  As for the police, they learn quickly that the kidnapper is not only bright but he must live nearby because knows something is going on inside the house.

The lead investigator understand Gondo’s predicament but probably the best way to capture this kidnapper is for Gondo to pay the ransom and just buy them time by telling the kidnapper that he will pay.

Put in a tight position, what will Gondo do?  Will he stick with his original plan of using his money to buy the shares of National Shoes and takeover the company and have a child die or will he help the child buy paying the ransom money and losing everything?

The phone rings and the kidnapper wants to know his answer.  What will Gondo do next?

The second half of the film features the police going after the kidnapper.  Determined to catch the criminal, we watch as the police force in action, from collecting evidence and doing all they can to make sure that he is caught.  Meanwhile, the kidnapper has now ventured into homicide and because he is quite bright, the investigator’s know they must be careful in catching this criminal.  Especially due to Japan’s law towards kidnappers (kidnappers only serve five years in prison), the police will do whatever it takes to make sure he serves the time for the crimes he committed.

VIDEO:

“High and Low” is presented  in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1 aspect ratio).  As one would expect from a Blu-ray compared to a DVD version, you get more detail, better clarity and solid contrast.

But for those who upgraded or purchased the 2008 re-release, the 2008 DVD was a pretty big difference as the Criterion Collection had improved their digital remastering and also with newer technology, were able to do a much better job in cleaning the video and audio.  For the 2011 Blu-ray release, you literally see details much clearly.

Yes, the black levels continue to be nice and inky black, the grays and the white contrast levels look impeccable and also less blur and more detail in the faces of the characters.  We know that the characters are feeling hot and sweaty during the humid weather but we now see it clearly with the bead of sweat on the faces of the detectives.   The textures of the clothing or even the fabric on Gondo’s walls, you can sense it.  You can see sheen off of Gondo’s hair, you can see the detail of the wood on his bathroom door.

And the picture quality, it looked much cleaner and yes, while it uses the same 2008 source, the fact that its HD makes a big difference in the film’s overall PQ.

For those wondering why the film shows B&W and color, it’s because the primary film is black and white but there is one scene where color is utilized.

According to the Criterion Collection, this high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit 4K Datacine from a 35 mm fine-grain master positive and for the color sequence, a 35 mm interpositive.  Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter and flicker were manually removed using MTI’s DRS system and Pixel Farm’s PFClean system, while Digital Vision’s DVNR system was used for small dirt, grain and noise reduction.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“High and Low” is presented with a lossless LPCM 4.0 surround soundtrack.  The dialogue is incredibly clear and it’s great to have a DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 soundtrack which gives us a solid balance of crystal clear dialogue, clear music and more clearer ambiance than the previous DVD release.

According to the Criterion Collection, “High and Low” was remastered at 24-bit from the original 4-track stems.  Clicks, thumps, hiss and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD.  Crackle was attenuated using AudioCube’s integrated workstation.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“High and Low – The Criterion Collection #24″ on Blu-ray comes with the following special features:

• Audio commentary – Featuring an audio commentary by Akira Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince.
• Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create – (37:02) A thirty-seven minute documentary on the making of “High and Low”, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series “Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create”.
• Toshiro Mifune – (30:31) A rare video interview with actor Toshiro Mifune from 1981′s TV Asahi show “Tetsuko no Heya” (Tetsuko’s Room) as he is interviewed by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi about his international roles that were coming a the time, how the military photographer became an actor and more.
• Tsutomu Yamazaki – (19:03) A Criterion Collection exclusive video interview with actor Tsutomu Yamazaki (who plays the kidnapper) about how he got cast, working with Kurosawa and his role in the film.
• Trailers – Japanese Trailer – (3:38), Japanese teaser (1:54) and US Trailer (1:43)

EXTRAS:

“High and Low – The Criterion Collection #24″ comes with a 38-page booklet which includes the following essays “Between Heaven and Hell” by Geoffrey O’Brien and “On the Set of High and Low” by Donald Richie.

“High and Low” is an addictive, riveting and a fantastic film that will captivate you from beginning to end!

For those who are only familiar with Kurosawa samurai films, I have no doubt in my mind that they will enjoy “High and Low” and be captivated by the the cinematography (Kurosawa utilizes the spacing in the film wonderfully) and also performances by Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai and Kyoko Nakagawa.

The film’s original title is “Tengoku to Jigoku” which literally means “Heaven and Hell”.  The storyline of “High and Low” is presented in two connected storylines as “Tengoku” (Heaven/High) is depicted on the Gondo’s home on top of the hill.  Right outside of the home, lurking below is where the poor live and characterized by others as “Jigoku” (hell/low).

The first part of the film takes place in what the poor may think is “Jigoku”, being rich and in heaven.  While the first half of the storyline focuses primarily inside the house of Gondo, everything is shot in the house, from Gondo’s meeting with the executives, where the police are camping out in hopes to trace the call from the kidnapper and where discussion and arguments of what Gondo should do take place in the living room of the home.

The second half of the film focuses on the detectives doing all they can to capture the kidnapper and we are given a glimpse of the world of the kidnapper.

But the prevailing theme is very Kurosawa.  There is always a sense of a character who is admirable and determined and undeterred.  Gondo is an everyman who works for the people, he may be an executive but he prides himself on the quality of his shoes and will not let any other executive exploit the company for their own selfish reasons.  Throughout the first half of the film, we witness his struggle because he literally sacrificed everything, including his home in order to take control of the company, which he is doing it not just for his family but to ensure that the company makes quality shoes for the women who wear them.  But he knows the risks that sacrificing a child to move up in the corporate ladder can also mean his doom.

But we know that losing all the money to pay off the ransom will not only save the child but it will definitely lead the family and Gondo to financial ruin and because the amount is so high, it would lead his family to eternal debt.

And that is the intriguing factor that Kurosawa felt about Ed McBain’s novel “King’s Ransom”.  The fact that the protagonist is being blackmailed by a kidnapper who kidnap a child that is not even his but yet affects his life greatly, rendering this powerful man to now becoming powerless.  Whichever decision he makes, it appears to be a double-edge sword.

But by the second half of the film, we see the hard work that goes into helping Gondo by finding the kidnapper.  The kidnapper vs. the police storyline becomes the main focus of the second half.

And for those not familiar with Japanese pop culture and entertainment, the images of a large police force working together for the same cause continues in television and film today as seen in the popular drama and film series”Odoru Daisousassen” (Tokyo Bay Shakedown).  Whereas in a western film, we can see two or a handful of officers wanting to help the victim, in Japanese cinema, its the camaraderie of all officers (including from different precincts) willing to work together.

The other topic which Kurosawa was also trying to drive home was his feelings of Japan’s leniency in their laws for kidnappers.  In the ’60s, children in Japan were kidnapped and murdered.  Today, many still have issues with Japanese law towards kidnapping, stalking and people not paying the price for the severity of the crime.

This is emphasized in how the police will catch the kidnapper in “High and Low” and it is really clever writing and expose it to a mass audience in hopes to have changes in Japanese law.  Today, Japan is a believer in “rehabilitation” and in some cases, keeping these criminals incarcerated for a short time rather than keeping one behind-bars and serving a long sentence.

In “High and Low”, we get to see police and press work together in capturing the criminal.  But times have changed in Japan to the point that times have changed in Japan as seen in the Japanese 2000 TV Asahi drama series “Tsugumi e” in which a kidnapper kills the child of a couple and the family is literally victimized by the police and press.

But there is no denying the efficacy of Kurosawa’s “High and Low”, especially with its powerful final scene which I rather not spoil for everyone.   Ever since I watched this film many years ago, the confrontation between Gondo and the kidnapper was brilliant and despite Kurosawa shooting various endings for the film, his decision to stay with both men, one-on-one was correct.

So, now we come down to the question for those who purchase the 2008 DVD re-releae of “High and Low” and whether or not its worth it to upgrade to Blu-ray.

For some people, there must be something additional added to a release in order for one to upgrade and for “High and Low”, in terms of special features, there is nothing new that has been added.  But it comes down to one’s appreciation of watching a wonderful film from a legendary filmmaker in HD.  Do you want the definitive version of “High and Low”?  Then you definitely want to upgrade to Blu-ray because it looks spectacular on Blu-ray and the audio quality is crystal clear.

Overall, It’s great to have more Akira Kurosawa on Blu-ray courtesy of the Criterion Collection and for those who were only exposed to Kurosawa’s samurai films will no doubt find a reason to be curious about “High and Low” as the first Criterion Collection Kurosawa release that is not a samurai film.

But if you are a cineaste who enjoys great cinema, especially a film that grabs your attention from beginning to end, then this Blu-ray is simply a no-brainer and is a definite must-buy.

“High and Low – The Criterion Collection #24″ on Blu-ray is highly recommended!

Seven Samurai (Shichinin no Samurai) – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #2 (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“Seven Samurai” is Akira Kurosawa’s ultimate masterpiece that has been one of the highlights of the Criterion Collection for more than a decade.  This Blu-ray release of “Seven Samurai” looks fantastic and is the definitive version to watch and to own.  Overall, with the film, commentary and lengthy special features, “Seven Samurai” on Blu-ray is a 5-star release!  Highly recommended!

Image courtesy of © 1954. 2006 Toho Co. Ltd./2010 The Criterion Collection. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Seven Samurai (Shichinin no Samurai)

YEAR OF FILM: 1954

DURATION: 207 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:33:1 Aspect Ratio), Black and White, Monaural Japanese with English Subtitles

COMPANY: Janus Films/Toho/THE CRITERION COLLECTION

RELEASE DATE: October 19, 2010

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni

Produced by Sojiro Motoki

Music by Fumio Hayasaka

Cinematography by Asakazu Nakai

Edited by Akira Kurosawa

Production Design by Takashi Matsuyama

Costume Design by Kohei Ezaki, Mieko Yamaguchi

Starring:

Toshiro Mifune as Kikuchiyo

Takashi Shimura as Kanbe Shimada

Keiko Tsushima as Shino

Yukiko Shimazaki as Rikichi’s Wife

Kamatari Fujiwara as Manzo – Father of Shino

Daisuke Kato as Shichiroji

Isao Kimura as Katsushiro Okamoto

Minoru Chiaki as Heihachi Hayashida

Seiji Miyaguchi as Kyuzo

Yoshio Kosugi as Mosuke

Bokuzen Hidari as Yohei

Yoshio Inaba as Gorobe Katayama

Yoshio Tsuchiya as Rikichi

Kokuten Kodo as Gisaku, the Old Man

One of the most thrilling movie epics of all time, Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour ride from Akira Kurosawa—featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura—seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action, into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope.

If there is one title in which many fans of the Criterion Collection have always considered as must-have, must-own, it would be Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 film “Seven Samurai”.

The second film of The Criterion Collection, originally released back in 1999 and then re-released in 2006, the third time is indeed a charm as Kurosawa’s masterpiece will now be released on Blu-ray.  And the “Seven Samurai” is a wonderful highlight in the oeuvre of Kurosawa, as it was a film in which the filmmaker wanted to make a real jidai-geki (period film).

Having success with his last film “Ikiru” and previous films such as “Rashomon”, “Stray Dog”, “Drunken Angel” to name a few, “Seven Samurai”stands out amongst his films because not only is it a samurai film, but it’s a film which captures the period of ronin who have no master and are trying to survive, some who have become bandits and pray on the weak villages and for all its 207-minutes of thrilling and compelling cinema, this is a film in which Kurosawa is deeply focused and a film in which he expected nothing less from his crew and his talent, this film demanded pure dedication, talent and staff working in frigid, cold conditions and wanting to make viewers feel that it was just a rainy day and it’s as simple as that.

But this film was anything but simple.  This is a film that demanded one’s respect, one’s dedication in watching this film in its entirety and just be in awe of how thorough, how multi-layered and most of all, how awesome this film would be no matter which generation you came from.  This film is truly a masterpiece.

“Seven Samurai” takes place after the civil wars, a time when samurai who have lost their master are now roaming from village to village just to find a job or ways to survive, meanwhile bandits (former samurai) have went from village to village to kill, cheat and steal young women from the village as their sexual objects.

For one farming village, one of the villagers who is hiding and listening to the bandits hear that they were going to return to the village that they just pillaged, after their crops have grown and are to be harvested.  The village farmers and their families survive off their rice crops and it’s so bad that they hardly have anything left as it is.

The villagers know they are at a breaking point and things are getting worse.  Some want to fight back, but others feel they don’t have what it takes to fight back.  They are scared, they are weak and they don’t know what else they can do.  That is until the village elder recommends them to find and hire samurai’s who would fight for them.  Something the elder has seen once before a long time ago.  Samurai who will come because they are hungry and at the village, they can definitely provide the rice that is needed.

So, the first story arc features the farmers going to a larger village in search of samurai but the problem is, not one of them is interested until they meet Kanbei (played by Takashi Shimura), a strong and respectable samurai who is willing to help.  Alongside with him is a young ronin named Katsushiro (played by Ko Kimura) who wants to learn from Kanbei.  And from there, Kanbei is joined by an old friend, Shichiroji (played by Daisuke Kato) who finds another samurai named Gorobei (played by Yoshio Inaba) and Gorobei ends up finding Heihachi (played by Minoru Chiaki).

With five samurai, we then see Kanbei trying to recruit a master swordsman named Kyuzo (played by Seiji Miyaguchi) and all they need is one and that one is the unusual, wannabe samurai which the group has named Kikuchiyo (played by Toshio Mifune).

The second arc deals with Kanbei and fellow samurai  as they plan out their strategy of defense against the bandits and also training the farmers on how to protect their land and the final third arc which deals with the bandits who now have arrived near the farming village to make their attack and pillage and the samurai and farmers ready to defend their home.

VIDEO:

“Seven Samurai” is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1:331.  According to the Criterion Collection”, the original negative of the film is no longer available, so a duplicate negative was created from the original fine-grain master positive using wetgate processing.  This high-definition digital transfer was then created in 2K resolution on a Spirit Datacine from the dupe negative.  For the extensive restoration of “Seven Samurai”, several different digital hardware and software solutions were utilized to address flicker, instability, dirty, scratches and grain management.  Including da Vinci’s Revival, Discreet’s Fire, Digital vision’s ASCII Advanced Scratch and Dirty Concealer, MTI’s DRS and Pixel Farm’s PFClean.

I’ve done quite a bit of comparing between this blu-ray version and the previous two Criterion Collection DVD releases and all I can say is that the “Seven Samurai” on Blu-ray is simply fantastic.  This is a remarkable restoration of the original film.  I was noticing detail, for example, the flag that Kikuchiyo hung up on top of the house, you can see the threading quite clearly.  You can see detail and patterns on the clothing much more clearly as well as detail of the surrounding area (the farming village) from the buildings to the fields as well as the closeups of the character’s faces.  You can actually see the strands of hair instead of just one big black and gray mesh, you can see strands of hair which was not as visible on the DVD version.

Blacks are nice and deep, whites and gray contrasts are just right.  I didn’t see any artifacting, massive flickering or even edge enhancement.  You do spot some scratches but nothing major.  There is also a good amount of grain present in the picture. This is clearly the best looking version of “Seven Samurai” right now and fans of the film will be in awe of how beautiful this film looks!  Fantastic!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

According to the Criterion Collection, the surround mix was created from original optical track recordings, original stereo music masters, and original production sound effects masters.  The original monaural soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from an optical soundtrack print.  Clicks, thumps, hiss and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD.  Crackle was attenuated using AudioCube’s integrated audio workstation.

Audio is presented in Japanese LPCM 1.0 (mono) and Japanese LPCM 2.0.  The package does mention a Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio track but this was mistake on the packaging.  But for the most part, audio is quite clear and if there is one thing that fans will notice is the clarity of Fumio Hayasaka’s score.

Donald Richie, author of “The Films of Akira Kurosawa” wrote in his book about the differentiation of the music which I noticed much more in this soundtrack.  Drums are associated with the bandits, folk-music, flute and percussion with the farmers and a male chorus (low humming) with the samurai.  Audio was excellent and I detected no audio problems, hissing or dropouts whatsoever.

Optional English subtitles are included.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Seven Samurai – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #2″ on Blu-ray comes with the following special features presented in HD (1080i):

Disc 1:

• Roundtable Audio Commentary - The following audio commentary is by  film scholars David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Prince, Tony Rayns and Donald Richie.  Originally included on the “Seven Samurai” 2006 DVD re-release, the audio commentary features a different scholar taking on about a half hour or more segment of the film and giving their commentary for the film.
  
• Audio Commentary – Featuring the original audio commentary from the 1999 Criterion Collection DVD release by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck.

DISC 2:

• Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create - (49:10) The making of “Seven Samurai” as part of the Toho Masterworks series “Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create” featuring interviews with Kurosawa’s key collaborators, writer Shinobu Hashimoto, set decorator Koichi Hamamura, script supervisor Teruyo Nogami, actors Seiji Miyaguchi and Yoshio Tsuchiya and more.  This is a wonderful documentary for anyone who wants to know how this masterpiece was made.  This feature was originally included in the 2006 DVD release but is now presented in 1080i.
• My Life in Cinema: Akira Kurosawa – (1:55:59) Filmed for the Directors Guild of Japan in 1993, this featurette showcases director Akira Kurosawa talking with filmmaker Nagisa Oshima.  Two two talk about Kurosawa’s life and career.  This conversation between the two is very cool, especially if you have followed the careers for both filmmakers!  This feature was originally included in the 2006 DVD release but is now presented in 1080i.
• Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences - (55:12) A documentary exclusive for the Criterion Collection, this documentary takes a close look at the history of samurai in Japanese life and art and the influence of the samurai figure in film leading up to Kurosawa’s masterpiece.  Another awesome documentary featuring Tony Rayns, Donald Richie and David Desser discussing samurai in Japanese films.  This feature was originally included in the 2006 DVD release but is now presented in 1080i.
• Trailers and Teaser – Featuring three trailers (3-5 minutes each) and a teaser (:42).
• Galleries - Using your remote, you can view galleries via behind-the-scenes and the film’s movie posters.

EXTRAS:

“Seven Samurai” comes with a slipcase and a 60-page booklet. The booklet features essays by Kenneth Turan (The Hours and Times), Peter Cowie (Seven Rode Together), Philip Kemp (A Time of Honor), Peggy Chiao (Kurosawa’s Early Influences), Alain Silver (The Rains Came), Stuart Galbraith (A Magnificent Year), A Tribute from Arthur Penn, A Tribute from Sidney Lumet and an interview with Toshiro Mifune (In His Own Words).

Also, the “Seven Samurai” is presented in a digipack case in which both the case and the booklet fits into a slipcase.

Like many fans of the Criterion Collection, I purchased the original “Seven Samurai” when it was released, followed by the DVD re-release and then here I am once again reviewing another magnificent release of the film but this time on Blu-ray.

“Seven Samurai” on Blu-ray has much more detail and clarity than any previous release of the film and for those who are passionate about the film, this is the definitive version to own.

There is no doubt that the Criterion Collection is passionate about Akira Kurosawa and his work.  From the various Criterion Collection releases to the eclipse series releases and the AK100 set released earlier this year, Akira Kurosawa is a filmmaker that many people all over the world respect and with the announcement of the Blu-ray release of “Seven Samurai”, needless to say, many fans have been waiting patiently and it was definitely worth the wait.

The film exemplifies the magnificence of Kurosawa and here we are with a beautiful release of this film, with the intermissions and not hacked and cut like when it first was released in the US.  In Japan, it was uncut.  In the US, in 1954,  this 207 minute film was reduced to 160 minutes and further cuts were made.    And I can’t even fathom this film being shortened, as nearly every minutes, every hour of this 207-minute film was important to the story.

But there is so much to love about “Seven Samurai”, it’s storytelling is well-paced, the characters especially the samurai were well-planned and their scenes were well written, the discussion of strategy was well-thought and planned and the action is well-executed.

Both actors that have worked with Akira Kurosawa in his previous movies, Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune were fantastic!  Shimura as Kanbei, the disciplined leader who is aware, always thinking and is very astute when it comes to the samurai way and always practicing caution with his knowledge of strategy and how the farmers can use their surroundings to their advantage.    It’s one thing for Shimura to shine two-years earlier as Kanji Watanabe in the 1952 film “Ikiru” but in “Seven Samurai”, Shimura fit the part as a samurai leader.  Convincing and a leader onscreen that wins your respect and you want this man to truly succeed.

Actor Toshiro Mifune as Kikuchiyo is phenomenal.  A popular actor in Kurosawa films such as “Drunken Angel”, “Stray Dog”, “Rashomon”, in “Seven Samurai”, Mifune masterfully plays the wannabe samurai Kikuchiyo who tries to convince everyone he is a samurai but his public display, awkward, weird, unusual, abrasive and crude at times, shows that he is a man with a kind heart and a man who wants to be with men like Kanbei and earn his respect as one of them.  But no matter how unusual Kikuchiyo is….whether he is impulsive, talks a lot, laughs a lot and downright mouthy, this is a character who rises to the occasion.  He is a man who does all he can to defend the farmers from the bandits, he is also a man that will earn the respect of his comrades.

Awesome performances by both men but also everyone in this film.  The main characters to the supporting characters are well thought of, are well-utilized…and each talent and even the crew braved through cold weather, cold water and gave the best performance onscreen as Kurosawa demanded and expected the best and got the best performance out of them.

As mentioned, the film is 207 minutes long but by no means does the film make you want to look at the clock.  I’ve seen long films before but with “Seven Samurai”, I was glued to my seat.

Film critic Roger Ebert wrote in his review of the film,  “Akira Kurosawa’s ‘The Seven Samurai’ (1954) is not only a great film in its own right but the source of a genre that flowed through the rest of the century.” (from Roger Ebert, “The Great Movies”, pg. 400)

“Seven Samurai” is a wonderful triumph in cinema.  Kurosawa’s wanting to create a jidaigeki samurai film but wanting to make it real, making it entertaining for the viewer that no matter how long the film is, the viewer is captivated.  We know this war with the bandits is not going to go perfectly, some will live and some will die.  We watch to see how well the plans of Kanbei are executed, how well prepared the farmers are in defending their home and we see how ruthless and cunning the bandits are and how they also have other weapons such as muskets and bows and arrows to their disposal.

Film critic Pauline Kael wrote about “Seven Samurai” (in her , “It is the Western form carried to apotheosis – a vast celebration of the joys and torments of fighting, seen in a new depth and scale, a brutal imaginative ballet on the nature of strength and weakness.” (from Pauline Kael, “For Keeps”, pg. 61)

“Seven Samurai” is a battle of underdogs vs. a large group of samurai-turned-bandits and we find ourselves supporting the seven samurai and the farmers in hoping they can become victorious?  But with victory comes a price.   But it’s not about just the battle, it’s about the relationships of each characters.  The samurai who follow the Bushido way, the farmers who hire the samurai for protection but at the same time, have their own set secrets of what they have done to samurai in the past.  The farmer who lives with revenge for the wife that was taken from him, the man who wants to be a samurai but sympathizes with the farmers for a reason.  There is so many layers within this film, masterfully pieced together, amazing shots that Kurosawa is known for and like a maestro, manages to make the 207 minutes an incredible cinema experience.  The word “masterpiece” can be a bit misused and even overused but there is no doubt, “Seven Samurai” is a Kurosawa masterpiece and a truly a magnificent film.

As for this Criterion Collection Blu-ray release of “Seven Samurai”, there will be some who may want to know if it’s worth it, especially after purchasing the magnificent 2006 DVD release.  While not having any newer special features, you do get the best presentation of the film (and special features) in HD, as well as the two audio commentaries, the three lengthy special features that with special re-release and the booklet as well.  This is truly the definitive version of “Seven Samurai”, a wonderful HD version of the film and if that matters to you, then “Seven Samurai” on Blu-ray is absolutely worth it.

“Seven Samurai” is Akira Kurosawa’s ultimate masterpiece that has been one of the highlight release for the Criterion Collection for more than a decade.  It’s a film that many cinema fans have in their collection and if you are a cineaste is practically essential to have in your film collection.  This Blu-ray release of “Seven Samurai” looks fantastic and is the definitive version to watch and own.  Overall, with the film, commentary and lengthy special features, “Seven Samurai” on Blu-ray is a 5-star release and it receives our highest recommendation!

Seven Samurai – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #2: First Release (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

TITLE: Seven Samurai – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #2

MOVIE COMPANY: TOHO

CAST: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Daisuke Kato, Isao Kimura, Minoru Chiaki, Seiji Miyaguchi, Yoshio Kosugi, Bokuzen Hidari and Yoshio Inaba.

DIRECTED BY:  Akira Kurosawa

PRODUCED BY:  Sojiro Motoki

TYPE OF MOVIE: Drama, Action

DURATION:  207 minutes

A desperate village hires seven samurai to protect it from marauders in this crown jewel of Japanese cinema.  No other film so seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action.  Featuring Japan’s legendary star, the great Toshiro Mifune, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai is an inspired epic, a triumph of art, and an unforgettable three-hour ride.

DVD EXTRAS:

• Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
• Black & White
• Commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck
• Original U.S. Theatrical Trailer

KNOWN DVD SECRET(S): None at this time

NOTE: This review is for the first “Seven Samurai” DVD release from THE CRITERION COLLECTION from 1999.  The company released a superior version featuring better picture quality back in 2006.

Seldom do I give a DVD or a movie a perfect rating but I’ve never felt so intense for a movie that just really hooked my attention as “Seven Samurai” did for me.

The legendary director from Japan, Akira Kurosawa really created a milestone in film history with “Seven Samurai” and even though it was released in 1954, it’s definitely a great film to keep your eyes on.

If you can just open your mind to a foreign film, a classic film made in the 50′s, a film that is not Widescreen (Akira Kurosawa went towards widescreen in the later 1950′s), you will love this movie.

It has love, action, intrigue…so much in three wonderful hours that will keep you hooked.

The video is black and white and Criterion did their best to make this in optimal image quality.  The audio is mono but the sound and picture has been restored.  For special features, the DVD comes with it’s original theatrical trailer and an interesting audio commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck who seems to know a lot about the filming/lighting styles of Kurosawa.

This is one DVD that is a definite must buy in any movie watcher’s collection!

THE MOVIE: A+
THE DVD EXTRAS:  A+
THE DVD OVERALL:  A+