criterionforum.org

Pale Flower



In this cool, seductive jewel of the Japanese New Wave, a yakuza, fresh out of prison, becomes entangled with a beautiful yet enigmatic gambling addict; what at first seems a redemptive relationship ends up leading him further down the criminal path. Bewitchingly shot and edited and laced with a fever-dream-like score by Toru Takemitsu, Masahiro Shinoda’s breakthrough gangster romance announced an idiosyncratic major filmmaking talent. The pitch-black Pale Flower (Kawaita hana) is an unforgettable excursion into the underworld.

Disc Features

- New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
- New video interview with director Masahiro Shinoda
- Selected-scene audio commentary by film scholar Peter Grilli, coproducer of Music for the Movies: Toru Takemitsu
- Original theatrical trailer
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- PLUS: A new essay by film critic Chuck Stephens

DVD
Criterionforum.org user rating averages

Feature currently disabled
Blu-ray
Criterionforum.org user rating averages

Feature currently disabled

I hope the resounding silence indicating a lack of enthusiasm for this release over at Criterion's FB page doesn't bode poorly for its sales (and, consequently, the chances of more Shinoda being released).

I'm assuming "New video interview with director Masahiro Shinoda" means that the one from the HVE disc will be replaced; I suppose I should hang on to my copy.

Never seen this one, anyone got an opinion on it?

The plot description sounds vaguely like Bay of Angels.

This is a superb film. I'd like to think that those who haven't seen it are in for a real treat. It's noir as hell, in my view, what with moody, stone-faced characters and, from the original HVE release, beautiful black and white cinematography. I also remember this having a jazzy score that seemed to emphasize the noirish atmosphere of the movie. The HVE release looked very nice, so I wonder how the original transfer has been improved.

It's an absolute masterpiece of mood, chiaroscuro and nihilism. It's about as dark a cinematic journey as I've seen. It also has a great score and breathtaking pitch-black and white photography.

EDIT: Agreed with Tribe on all points, particularly about the treat first-time viewers are in for.

I second the above comments. It's actually been quite a while since I've watched it, but the intensity of its visual stylisation and score left a permanent impression. If you've seen Assassination and liked it, you'll most likely enjoy this too. It explores similar existential themes, if my memory serves. I also remember being left with the impression that, perhaps in certain ways moreso than something like Branded to Kill, it had an impact on later yakuza films, such as those of Takeshi Kitano.

I wholeheartedly agree with all the positive comments for what may be my favorite yakuza film. The Takamitsu score will be outstanding in a lossless format and the segue at the end into Dame Janet Baker's sublime When I am laid in earth from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas is one of the great moments in film scoring. I was stunned by it the first time I saw the film and on subsequent viewings I've found It the perfect accompaniment to Muraki's sacrifice.

I am not sure whether I'd call 'Pale Flower' a masterpiece but I do agree with all of you, too. A lovely little new wave movie about alienated youth. And I also prefer it to 'Branded to Kill'.

This comes as no surprise, but leaves me wondering whether I should give my old HVe disc away. I guess I'll join skuhn8 in complaining about region-coding and stick to it ...

triodelover wrote:The Takamitsu score will be outstanding in a lossless format and the segue at the end into Dame Janet Baker's sublime When I am laid in earth from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas is one of the great moments in film scoring.

Absolutely! I've just re-watched this scene on youtube. Takemitsu's eclectic profundity at its western-influenced best.

Incidentally, is this the first HD release of a 60's Takemitsu-scored film? I don't keep up with Japanese BDs, but I'm pretty certain there's nothing else in the west. Something to celebrate!

zeroism wrote:Incidentally, is this the first HD release of a 60's Takemitsu-scored film? I don't keep up with Japanese BDs, but I'm pretty certain there's nothing else in the west. Something to celebrate!

I believe you are correct. I can't find any other BDs. Ran is out on a BD from Studio Canal, but that's not the '60s.

The Takamitsu score will be outstanding in a lossless format

couldn't agree more!!
Fantastic news - this IS a masterpiece film indeed.

Why are the FB-pagers unimpressed? (Not a FB site I frequent). Doesn't speak well of their critical acumen.

Fuck 'em. It's movies like this that convince me I should watch more Japanese cinema than I usually do. The darkness and attitude that it exudes puts its competition on the curb. I'd go blu for this film alone. Despite the lack of as many extras as I'd prefer, I'm still delighted that it's getting its due in May.

A wonderful film -- and Mr. Shinoda is a wonderful interview subject (charming, talkative and intelligent).

Peter Grilli (head of the Japan Society of Boston) has been showing various films at the Showa Institute -- I wonder if he will be showing Pale Flower sometime soon.

Just watched it (on netflix instant viewing) and loved it. The climactic scene is, of course, genius, but the entire score is really phenomenal, and this film is a masterful combination of gangster stoicism and mood, with just enough humor at key moments to charge the film with a subtle playfulness. So glad I've made it a point to watch more Japanese cinema this year.

Mariko Kaga's eyes are reason enough to blind buy this.

jbeall wrote:Just watched it (on netflix instant viewing) and loved it. The climactic scene is, of course, genius, but the entire score is really phenomenal, and this film is a masterful combination of gangster stoicism and mood, with just enough humor at key moments to charge the film with a subtle playfulness. So glad I've made it a point to watch more Japanese cinema this year.

Just watched it; beautiful looking, and beautifully paced with strong Melville influence, in addition to classic 40's noir: I could picture Richard Conte, or John Garfield being the hero's US noir equivalent.
The ending was somewhat unexpected, although I had seen it about 7 or 8 years ago in my local art-house, in a season of Japanese films which included 'Sword of Doom'.
But it was the perfect conclusion for the story.

I loved Takemitsu's score, but I also loved the way the soundtrack balanced it, silence, and sounds such as the clicking of the dominoes (or whatever they were).
And I knew the aria which accompanied the climactic hit but had to depend on an IMDb external reviewer to confirm it for me.

Perhaps one or two longeurs and it was more about mood than content but overall a beautiful piece of work

Yojimbo wrote:I loved Takemitsu's score, but I also loved the way the soundtrack balanced it, silence, and sounds such as the clicking of the dominoes (or whatever they were).

If my memory serves me right, they're mostly playing hanafuda.

feckless boy wrote:

Yojimbo wrote:I loved Takemitsu's score, but I also loved the way the soundtrack balanced it, silence, and sounds such as the clicking of the dominoes (or whatever they were).

If my memory serves me right, they're mostly playing hanafuda.

Yeah, I don't know are they made from wood, or is it just the sountrack, but as the cards are being played the sound is similar to the clicking of dominoes.

Added to Roger Ebert's Great Movies.

Yojimbo wrote:

feckless boy wrote:

Yojimbo wrote:I loved Takemitsu's score, but I also loved the way the soundtrack balanced it, silence, and sounds such as the clicking of the dominoes (or whatever they were).

If my memory serves me right, they're mostly playing hanafuda.

Yeah, I don't know are they made from wood, or is it just the sountrack, but as the cards are being played the sound is similar to the clicking of dominoes.

I would surmise that it was Takemitsu who was behind the design or refinement of these sounds and their prominence in the soundtrack. He generally exercised a great deal of creative control over not just the music, but the entirety of the audio from beginning to end (including a great emphasis on the placement of silence) of the films he worked on in those days, hence the similarity of atmosphere across films by multiple directors featuring Takemitsu scores. I suppose he could be considered almost as much of an 'auteur' as many of the directors he worked with.

Yojimbo wrote:

feckless boy wrote:

Yojimbo wrote:I loved Takemitsu's score, but I also loved the way the soundtrack balanced it, silence, and sounds such as the clicking of the dominoes (or whatever they were).

If my memory serves me right, they're mostly playing hanafuda.

Yeah, I don't know are they made from wood, or is it just the sountrack, but as the cards are being played the sound is similar to the clicking of dominoes.

Hanafuda cards are made of a hard plastic (at least the ones I have), sort of similar to a credit card (but smaller), hence the sound.

Presumably, the hanafuda cards used in Pale Flower were made of mullberry bark.

The hanafuda-like game favored by gangsters (and using hanfuda cards, albeit not the entire deck) is apparently called Oicho-Kabu.