Postwar Kurosawa -- Criterion Eclipse Series 7

This review was written by Michael Kaminski Criterion has always led the way in preserving rare, classic and foreign films, and that is truer now than it ever has been. For many years now, they've stopped producing barebones DVD's and instead treated every release to extensive restoration and plentiful supplemental features, all the while maintaining their high output of a few dozen releases every year. But they reached a quandary--there's over 100 years of cinema to cover across dozens of countries; the number of titles to put out would number the thousands, and at the rate of only a few dozen a year, it would be uncountable ages before all the important and overlooked films on their dashboard were available on DVD (let alone high-def). The major releases-- BREATHLESS, SEVEN SAMURAI, JULES ET JIM, THE SEVENTH SEAL--are available (some of these have actually been re-released in improved versions), but what of the less-mainstream releases? What of those first films that Bergman made that have never been released? What of Kurosawa's more obscure films in his nearly-30 film resume? To release, restore and create special editions of all these libraries might mean that they will never see the light of day, forever overlooked in favor of concentrating on more popular titles. To combat this, Criterion created the Eclipse label, which would speed up the output of Criterion by releasing more obscure, less-commercial titles like the aforementioned examples in boxsets without extras or extensive restoration but at reduced prices. One of their most anticipated sets is the seventh box set in the Eclipse line: a collection of Kurosawa titles from 1946-1955 that dealt with the social ills of postwar Japan. Though Kurosawa is ostensibly remembered for his samurai pieces, his cinema at its heart was always a social one; films like YOJIMBO and SEVEN SAMURAIwere action epics, but they were also concerned with political issues and utilised these period setting to comment on contemporary Japan. Kurosawa is sometimes criticised as a "Westernised" director, but Japan has seldom seen a director more concerned with the welfare of his own country. In this Eclipse boxset we see that concern in direct terms. The films here are mostly from the early stages in Kurosawa's career, and do not show the confidence or technique of his later period in the 50's and 60's, but they provide a terrific snapshot of Japan after the second world war and give an interesting tracking of Kurosawa's skills as a director. The first is 1946's NO REGRETS FOR OUR YOUTH, one of Kurosawa's earliest films and an overlooked gem that shows Kurosawa developing his own style amid the propaganda codes of Japan. ONE WONDERFUL SUNDAYfollows in 1947, a film which I had never seen until now and which I am glad I did; described as Capra-esque (it certainly is), we see Kurosawa experimenting with form, such as when he builds a plot point around "breaking the fourth wall", with the heroine turning to the camera and urging the audience to applaud the hero's efforts. With some great visuals and a charming humanism at its heart, I was quite pleased with this early effort of Kurosawa's, which also provides an interesting look at the strife of postwar families and the state of the country.

Next up is SCANDAL, from 1950. Here we see the charismatic Toshiro Mifune enter Kurosawa's career, and we also witness Takashi Shimura rise to prominence and carve out a character that is a remarkable prototype to his lead in IKIRU. This film dealt with freedom of press and celebrity tabloids in an age well before this was a common topic in film, and it also points out some of the negative impacts of the political reforms of the Allied occupation. Somewhat conventional by later Kurosawa standards, it is nonetheless an interesting and entertaining film. The next film included is the first post-RASHOMON entry: the controversial THE IDIOT, from 1951. Kurosawa loved Russian author Doestoevsky, and here he adapted his novel and placed it in postwar Japan. The film is stunning in some of its visuals, showing glimpses of the grandeur Kurosawa was capable of, but it is a flawed, painfully tedious, incomprehensible film that ranks among Kurosawa's greatest failures. The utterly disjointed film originally was to be a two-part film that ran a combined 4 hours and 20 minutes--edited down to two and a half hours, it is no wonder that the film is so dreadful. Sadly, there is no know copy of the original edit (though rumors persist that one exists). Finally, we have the overlooked masterpiece I LIVE IN FEAR, from 1955. This later period of Kurosawa's career shows him in his prime, crafting a compelling and dynamic film that doesn't waste a moment onscreen. By far the best film on this set, it's also the darkest and most personal--with the postwar censorship lifted by 1950, this is the first in which Kurosawa's own feelings steer the subject matter, and indeed this is a sobering look at the obssessive fear of nuclear annihilation that certainly must have gripped a great many Japanese in the 1950's. Viewers wishing to understand the context in history of all of these films should pick up Criterion's recent DRUNKEN ANGELDVD; considered the first "personal" film of Kurosawa's, it too dealt with postwar ills, and its supplements lengthily examine the atmosphere and state of Japan in the period documented here, and also examine the censorship issues that prevented Kurosawa from taking a more personal look at postwar Japan until around 1950 (which goes a long way towards explaining the more Occupation-friendly and upbeat NO REGRETS FOR OUR YOUTH and ONE WONDERFUL SUNDAY, in stark contrast to a later film like I LIVE IN FEAR). Video: The Eclipse label does not do extensive restorations as Criterion normally does; however they have sought out the best print sources available, and the results are suprisingly high quality. There is some grain in the earlier films and scratches here and there but they are all very mild, and certainly better than you would expect for lesser-known foreign films from the 40's and 50's. Criterion's DRUNKEN ANGEL release--the roughest-looking of the Kurosawa special editions due to condition of the film elements--is about on par with most of the titles here. NO REGRETS FOR OUR YOUTH looks the roughest, but ONE WONDERFUL SUNDAY and SCANDAL offer marked improvements, and THE IDIOT and I LIVE IN FEARare surprisingly pristine. Contrast could be better in all the films, but thankfully it appears Criterion has stopped their annoying windowboxing policy. Overall, though these films are not exactly pristine, they are in good condition considering their age, and the transfer here is first-rate. Audio: No re-mixing or special audio treatment has been done, so the sound is presented in the original audio form--which means mono. Though it would be nice to have a stereo version, since all of these films are recorded in mono this is a faithful representation. The sound is crisp and clear, and though there is mild noise here and there, there's no real audio defects. This is as per expectations for movies from the 40's and 50's. Extras: The Eclipse line is a bargain-priced barebones deal, so there's no supplements. There is, however, liner notes in each DVD case that explains historic context, production detail and offers insight into the respective film. While not much these go a long way to priming the viewer about each film. Viewers wishing for supplements about postwar Kurosawa should definitly take a look at DRUNKEN ANGEL and its supplements. All in all, this set is a terrific treat for Kurosawa fans, and with a low price (as far as Criterion standards) its hard to stay away. Those unfamiliar with the director should start elsewhere, but for those looking to broaden their understanding of one of cinema's greatest artists Eclipse's "Postwar Kurosawa" set is a breakthrough for his more obscure titles.

rating: 4

This excellent DVD set can be picked up at Amazon U.S. or if your in the U.K. it can be imported into this country from CD-Wow.