HVE is known for their attention to both video
and audio quality, and their release of Kinji
Fukasaku's Under the Flag of the Rising Sun
doesn't disappoint in either of these areas. In
fact, HVE has done a excellent job of restoring
Fukasaku's movie, matching both the video and
audio to how they were likely originally presented.
The company has also stocked the release with
a nice supply of extras, and the fact that they
went out of their way to produce two of them on
their own accord is also very appreciated.
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Video: |
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HVE does it again with another great video
presentation, especially given the 33 year age
of the film. Granted, it's not a flawless transfer,
but the disc deserves high marks none the same.
Unfortunately, the colors are one of the less
impressive aspects, as they lack a vibrant array
or any true definition. It would appear that this
is on account of the source material likely being
a little washed out, but it still looks reasonably
good, and nearly half of the film is showcased
in black and white anyway. In terms of the brightness
level, it appears to be set at the appropriate
level. Some of the flashbacks are a little hard
to make out, but all of the color scenes are readily
visible. Other aspects of the video quality also
fair well, without any noticeable digital inconsistencies
and the film looking naturally sharp; furthermore,
the print used in the transfer is in excellent
shape as well, with very
few scratches. There does appear to be an odd
texture, like a slight patchwork pattern, to the
movie; however, this is very faint, and far less
distracting then the average amount of film grain present
on movies this old.
Under the Flag of the Rising Sun is
presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1,
and is Anamorphic for widescreen TVs.
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Audio: |
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The audio presentation here, which is two
channel mono, is a faithful recreation of the
audio track that was originally released with
the film. In terms of quality, there are a few
moments where the musical track reaches high pitches
that cause it to sound harsh, but it's nothing
too noticeable. The dialogue comes through crystal
clear, which is what's important, although some
remixed stereo or surround tracks would have made
for some nice additions.
The audio track here is accompanied by, removable,
English subtitles.
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Extras: |
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HVE packs their Under the Flag of the
Rising Sun release with a good selection
of extras for those interested in exploring the
production further. First off on the disc is the
film's original theatrical trailer, in excellent
shape I might add, with English subtitles that
are toggleable. Next up is an interview with Fukasaku
scholar Yamane Sadao that is in Japanese with
toggleable English subtitles. Sadao's interview
covers numerous aspects of the film, including
changes from the novel and the filming style of
the movie, while production stills are cycled
through. Finally, the last extra is an audio commentary
by subtitler Linda Hoaglund. Overall, the commentary
is very informative, both with what's going on
in the film and with background information on
the war, but, sadly, has far too many gaps of
silence during the runtime.
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Overview: |
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Bottom line, this disc has some small problems
with it, but is, overall, a great presentation
of the 1972 movie. HVE's efforts to include some
added content, although not in tremendous quantity,
is appreciated as well, especially given how hard
it can be to produce extras for movies of this
age.
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- Anthony Romero |