 |
DVD Title |
Kagemusha |
International Title |
Kagemusha |
DVD Length |
Original Length |
180 Minutes |
179 Minutes |
Company |
Year of Manufacture |
Criterion |
2005 |
Language |
Subtitles |
Japanese |
English |
Region |
Number of Discs |
1 |
2 |
Aspect Ratio |
Sound |
1.85:1 (Anamorphic) |
2.0 Stereo |
Extras |
. |
Menus (English) |
. |
Chapters (32) |
. |
Trailers: Kagemusha (#1, #2, US Trailer) |
. |
Commentary with Stephen Prince (English) |
. |
George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola Interviews
(19 minutes) |
. |
Documentary on Kagemusha, from Toho's Masterworks,
with interviews from the staff (41 minutes) |
. |
Reconstruction of Kagemusha using the storyboard
art (43 minutes) |
. |
Storyboard gallery with side-by-side finished
scene comparisons |
. |
5 Suntory Whiskey commercials done on the set
of Kagemusha |
. |
45 pages of background information on the film
by Donald Richie, a 1981 interview with Akira
Kurosawa, an essay by Peter Grilli and shots
of the film's story boards found in the booklet |
 |
|
Captures |
|
Review |
Criterion does it again. They have raised
the bar in terms of what can be expected from
extras found on a Toho DVD tremendously with this
release. One really couldn't ask for more. This
two disc DVD set is brimming with supplementary
content, although the presentation of the movie
itself can't be overlooked. Criterion's Kagemusha
release is a shinning example of how a company's
effort pays off in the long run, as this release
contains a solid video and audio presentation
while sporting the best extras of any Toho film
on a region 1 DVD to date.
|
Video: |
 |
Another solid video presentation by Criterion.
Overall, the video quality is good on Kagemusha,
although not flawless. The colors, thankfully,
are handled well here. Those familiar with Kagemusha
know that this is a film which utilizes a lush
presentation of color through out, so it's nice
to see Criterion supply the disc with a very vibrant
array. There is no discoloring present either,
everything looks spot on. The brightness level
is perfect as well, as every detail is easily
recognizable, even during the darkest scenes.
Digital inconsistencies is another area where
the disc excels. Artifacting is entirely unnoticeable
on this release, while edge enhancement is handled
very well, with the film looking very sharp.
The print used in the transfer is the uncut Japanese
version of the film, which restores a minute of
footage not present in the Japanese theatrical
release and 20 minutes of footage removed from
the international version. As for the quality
of the print, it's great as
there isn't a scratch in sight for the entire
course of the film. However, noise levels are an issue as there is noticeable grain,
the amount of which varies drastically from scene
to scene. Here
is an example of one of the more noticeable scenes
with heavy noise in it, going beyond what I would consider a natural look for the 1980 production.
Kagemusha
is presented here in its original aspect ratio
of 1.85:1, and is Anamorphic for widescreen TVs.
|
Audio: |
 |
No punches are pulled here. The disc contains
the original, 2.0 stereo, Japanese audio track
of the film and nothing more. It would have been
nice to see a 5.1 surround mix, but the stereo
track gets the job done, and was the way the film
was intended to be experienced. The music never
sounds harsh, as it does on some older mono tracks,
and the quality is generally well preserved. There
are no pops, or any other inconsistencies, to
be heard during the course of the film, while
some speaker distinction is noticeable thanks
to the stereo format. The disc accompanies the
audio track with, removable, English subtitles.
Like other recent Criterion releases, the subtitles
here are brand new, freshly commissioned for this
release, and are spot on, in regards to accuracy,
in just about every regard.
|
Extras: |
 |
Simply put, Criterion's Kagemusha release
has the best extras of any Kurosawa, any Toho,
region 1 DVD to date. Enough praise can not be
sung in this regard. Almost two hours of extras
are present, not counting the booklet, the gallery,
or the audio commentary. There is enough extra
material here, that I would even considering purchasing
the second disc alone, had they not be sold as
a set. None of these extras feel tacked on, and
every single one is recommended viewing.
The challenge here, is picking which of the extras
stands out amongst the others. The very well done
19 minute interviews with the film's international
producers, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola,
is the likely candidate to lead the pack, though.
The interviews, done in 2004 specifically for
this release, are great sources of information
on how this film came to production, George Lucas
going to 20th Century Fox so that they would collaborate
with Toho to see the film finished, and both of
the director's feelings on Kurosawa's work and
its influences. The interviews also contain some
very rare shots of the three
directors together while Kagemusha
was still in the filming process.
The other extra that stands out here is the,
always wonderful, Toho Masterworks episode. Conducted
in Japanese, with removable English subtitles,
the 41 minute extra gives a detailed analysis
of the film, and also conducts interviews with
numerous individuals involved. Of particular interest
is the interviews with Tatsuya
Nakadai, and how he replaced Zatoichi
star Shintaro Katsu in the lead role and the eventual
confrontation between Nakadai and Katsu's brother
Tomisaburo Wakayama, star of Lone
Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972),
regarding comments made after the transition.
As always, the Masterworks episode is incredibly
informative and anyone who has a interest in Kurosawa,
or Toho cinema in general, should check it out.
The audio commentary found on the disc, provided
by Criterion regular Stephen Prince, is a great
source of information as well. It also pinpoints
the 20 minutes of footage that was cut from the
US version and where it appears in this uncut
print. Like his other commentaries, his presentation
is a little dry, but the information he has to
give tends to be so detailed one can hardly complain.
Another interesting extra, if one wants to look
over a wealth of concept art and storyboards,
is the reconstruction of Kagemusha with
audio clips and art. The feature runs 43 minutes
long, and was compiled by actor Masayuki, Yui
Ieyasu in Kagemusha, and approved by Kurosawa.
The feature comes complete with 20 chapter breaks
as well, for easier viewing.
There are still quite a few extras to explorer
in this setas well, including three trailers (two
Japanese, one US), a storyboard gallery set side-by-side
with the finished scene for comparison (as seen
here),
and five commercials of Francis Ford Coppola and
Kurosawa drinking
it up with a bottle of Suntory Whiskey in
Kagemusha themed commercials.
To round out the extras, Criterion included a
very in depth booklet on the subject. This isn't
like the one sheet inserts in AnimEigo's releases,
the booklet found in the Kagemusha release
is almost a book on its own. At 45 pages long,
and packed with great shots of the full color
storyboards, information, and a great interview
with Kurosawa, the book by itself would be worth
buying separate of the disc if they were sold
as thus.
|
Overview: |
 |
Bottom line, this stands as a good contender for
the greatest Toho, region 1, disc to date. The video
and audio are done well, while the sheer vast array
of extras make this title a must for anyone who
is interested in the many films of Akira
Kurosawa. |
-Anthony Romero |
Buy
this DVD |
|