BFI: 32 Ozu Films

[manicsounds]

digital fix review of the melodramas set

[antnield]

...as does MovieScope.

[Peacock]

There is one issue that separates Early Spring from Tokyo Twilight however, and that is what appears to be some sort of interlacing or de-interlacing “glitch” that mire the Tokyo Twilight transfer at periodic intervals throughout the film. This appears as jagged lines running through the image in a sort of “wave”, and can be quite distracting for brief amount of time it occurs.

Weird... I'm guessing this is the same source that Criterion used then? I didn't think the Tartan disk had this issue. Really kicking myself for selling that...

[MichaelB]

In virtually all cases (I think Good Morning is the only exception), the BFI either used Shochiku's or Criterion's masters.

[antnield]

The Gangster Films

The latest volume in the BFI's ongoing releases of the works of Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu focuses on his crime films. These rare, silent works mix the thrills of western filmmaking with compositions that served as a forerunner to his renowned, mature, post-war style. All films are here presented with newly commissioned scores by Ed Hughes.

Titles comprise: Walk Cheerfully, That Night's Wife & Dragnet Girl

[MichaelB]

No great surprise (after the Student Comedies, this box was all but inevitable), but I'm delighted it's definitely on the horizon.

[Michael Kerpan]

Looks like a must-have set. I guess, though, it should be "Gangster" Films (as these would-be American-style gangsters had very little resemblance to anything in real life).

I am beginning to worry that Tokyo Inn might not be included in BFI's release plans -- maybe they consider the source too damaged?

[Cash Flagg]

According to that Play.com link, the one extra is 'The only surviving fragment of A Straightforward Boy'.

[reno dakota]

I am beginning to worry that Tokyo Inn might not be included in BFI's release plans -- maybe they consider the source to damaged?

I've heard folks refer to Tokyo Inn, Passing Fancy, and A Story of Floating Weeds as the 'Kihachi trilogy.' I wonder if those three might be released together at some point (assuming, of course, that the BFI does not have the rights to Floating Weeds).

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

Please let Dragnet Girl be in the next batch. Ozu Hoods anyone?

This is the luckiest I've ever been I think it might be time to try the lottery.

[Michael Kerpan]

I've heard folks refer to Tokyo Inn, Passing Fancy, and A Story of Floating Weeds as the 'Kihachi trilogy.' I wonder if those three might be released together at some point (assuming, of course, that the BFI does not have the rights to Floating Weeds).

Story of Floating Weeds seems (to me) to be in good enough shape to justify a Blu-Ray release (unlike almost all the other silents).

The films featuring Takeshi Sakamoto as Kihachi are no more a "trilogy" than the films starring Setsuko Hara as Noriko. I guess it's okay a pure marketing gimmick... ;~}

[MichaelB]

I am beginning to worry that Tokyo Inn might not be included in BFI's release plans -- maybe they consider the source to damaged?

I've heard folks refer to Tokyo Inn, Passing Fancy, and A Story of Floating Weeds as the 'Kihachi trilogy.' I wonder if those three might be released together at some point (assuming, of course, that the BFI does not have the rights to Floating Weeds).

It's just been confirmed that the BFI doesn't have the rights to Floating Weeds...

...because it's coming out as a dual-format release in December, courtesy of Masters of Cinema.

[effigy105]

Amazon.co.uk currently claim the Gangster set is being released April 29th, 2013. I'm kind of hoping Play.com's December release date is a little more on the mark as I've already got all excited about this.

[feckless boy]

I am beginning to worry that Tokyo Inn might not be included in BFI's release plans -- maybe they consider the source to damaged?

I've heard folks refer to Tokyo Inn, Passing Fancy, and A Story of Floating Weeds as the 'Kihachi trilogy.' I wonder if those three might be released together at some point (assuming, of course, that the BFI does not have the rights to Floating Weeds).

It's just been confirmed that the BFI doesn't have the rights to Floating Weeds...
...because it's coming out as a dual-format release in December, courtesy of Masters of Cinema.

Floating Weeds (1959) and A Story of Floating Weeds (1934) are of course two different films...The latter is also a Shochiku production like the rest of the Ozu films that BFI has released so far. So unless MoC has acquired the rights for A Story of Floating Weeds I don't see why it wouldn't end up being released by BFI.

[zedz]

How does that contradict what Michael posted?

Nobody's suggesting that the BFI doesn't have the rights to A Story of Floating Weeds.

[feckless boy]

How does that contradict what Michael posted?

Nobody's suggesting that the BFI doesn't have the rights to A Story of Floating Weeds.

As you can see I'm quoting more than one poster, and I thought that reno and MichaelBs post were potentially confusing to anyone not familiar with Ozu's filmography. If my post in any way muddied the water further, I apologize to all involved.

[tim180]

Is anyone keeping track of the remaining films to be released? By my count, excluding December's release, the following titles are still candidates:

Tokyo Chorus
An Inn in Tokyo
A Story of Floating Weeds
Record of a Tenant Gentleman
The Munekata Sisters
The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice
Floating Weeds
End of Summer

Three of these are already available through Criterion, but it would be so nice to see BFI cover all the remaining titles. Did I miss anything?

[Askew]

Floating Weeds will be released by Masters of Cinema.

[MichaelB]

The BFI originally promised 32 titles, and we already know the identity of 25 of them (i.e. 22 released, three announced). If we assume that The End of Summer is the other one that the BFI doesn't have (because, like Floating Weeds, it was also licensed by Artificial Eye at the time the BFI struck a deal with Shochiku), that leaves these as the most likely candidates:

• Tokyo Chorus
• An Inn in Tokyo
• A Story of Floating Weeds
• Record of a Tenant Gentleman
• The Munekata Sisters
• The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice

[reno dakota]

• Tokyo Chorus
• An Inn in Tokyo
• A Story of Floating Weeds
• Record of a Tenant Gentleman
• The Munekata Sisters
• The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice

With Passing Fancy rounding out the list?

[Jack Phillips]

The films not covered by BFI's deal with Shochiku would be Floating Weeds (Daiei), The Munekata Sisters and The End of Summer (both Toho). This does not mean that the BFI could not have made separate deals for those films, but in the case of Floating Weeds, they didn't. Would the BFI license The Munekata Sisters from Toho but not The End of Summer?

[Ozu Teapot]

• Tokyo Chorus
• An Inn in Tokyo
• A Story of Floating Weeds
• Record of a Tenant Gentleman
• The Munekata Sisters
• The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice

I just hope some of these are on Blu-ray!

These BFI Ozus started off so well with the dual-format releases but all the recent ones have been DVD only. I know in some cases the BFI have to take into consideration whether the quality of the film warrants a Blu release, hence those early "Student Comedies" being DVD, but I worry that perhaps poor sales have prompted them to curb their original plans and go down the route of DVD only as it's more financially viable.

[MichaelB]

These BFI Ozus started off so well with the dual-format releases but all the recent ones have been DVD only. I know in some cases the BFI have to take into consideration whether the quality of the film warrants a Blu release, hence those early "Student Comedies" being DVD, but I worry that perhaps poor sales have prompted them to curb their original plans and go down the route of DVD only as it's more financially viable.

I'm not aware of a single instance of the BFI failing to use an HD master where one was available for the Ozu project - but I can think of only one case of them creating one themselves, and I doubt any of the remaining titles have anywhere close to the commercial clout of Good Morning.

Basically, if neither Shochiku nor Criterion have an HD master, the film will unavoidably be presented on DVD - so are any of these remaining titles known to be available in HD?

[Calvin]

Criterion credit A Story of Floating Weeds as being from a high-definition transfer

[FilmFanSea]

Record of a Tenement Gentleman is among my very favorite of Ozu's films, so I hope its release is imminent. A wonderfully humane and touching film.