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The Human Condition



This mammoth humanist drama by Masaki Kobayashi is one of the most staggering achievements of Japanese cinema. Originally filmed and released in three installments of two parts each, the nine-and-a-half-hour The Human Condition, adapted from Junpei Gomikawa’s six-volume novel, tells of the journey of the well-intentioned yet naive Kaji—played by the Japanese superstar Tatsuya Nakadai—from labor camp supervisor to Imperial Army soldier to Soviet prisoner of war. Constantly trying to rise above a corrupt system, Kaji time and again finds his morals to be an impediment rather than an advantage. A raw indictment of Japan’s wartime mentality as well as a personal existential tragedy, Kobayashi’s riveting, gorgeously filmed epic is novelistic cinema at its best.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• On the Blu-ray: High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural (Parts 1–4) and 4.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio (Parts 5 and 6) soundtracks
• On the DVD: Restored high-definition digital transfer
• Excerpt from a 1993 Directors Guild of Japan interview with director Masaki Kobayashi, conducted by filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda
• Interview from 2009 with actor Tatsuya Nakadai
• Appreciation of Kobayashi and The Human Condition from 2009 featuring Shinoda
• Trailers
  PLUS: An essay by critic Philip Kemp

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Paupau wrote:According to zonadvd, The Human Condition will be released on 21st March in Spain.

Does this bode well for a release in other markets? I'd prefer subtitles in English, rather than Spanish.

I hope it bodes well. Surely Janus is aware that their audience is expecting this from them, and hopefully they will deliver. If this is coming out in new editions abroad, hopefully it's from a digibeta of a restored print that will now start making the rounds... Bfi, AE or MoC in UK, CC in US, etc. I think it's a little unusual that since Kurosawa, the most obvious western-crowd-pleaser of the eastern bunch, since his catalog has been mostly drained (still some key films like I LIVE IN FEAR, DODES'KA-DEN, S SHUGATO, RECORD OF A.. etc remain for release), the universally scorching work of Kobayashi, known to be sitting in the Janus library, is being overlooked as they haul out the far more subtle & delicate, "anti-epic" crowd pleasers of Naruse & late Ozu.

With Nakadai residing up there in the CC pantheon of "masterpiece actors" along with Mifune, Gabin, Shimura, and one or two others this-- surely one of his most stupendous achievements and a key moment (making YOJIMBO at the same general time) in his breakthrough as an actor-- must be a forthcoming CC release. I'd bet my walnuts on it.

Not to mention BLACK RIVER which is part of the Janus library, another early, key part for Nakadai in a Kobayashi film... collab which reached it's peak of intensity with SEPPUKU (HARAKIRI)-- masterpiece of masterpieces and one of the greatest male performances ever captured on film.

I've already got the R1 release of the whole trilogy. Not anamorphic, though...

I wasn't so taken with the film overall. Despite some very solid cinematography, the central character is too naive/idealistic throughout, with very little sense of a personal journey, which is bizarre given the running time. Far prefer Ichikawa's Fires on the Plain, although ironically it was Kobayashi who actually fought in Manchuria.

There's a French 3-dvd-set of the whole trilogy out already, anamorphic, but as expected, only French subs. Perhaps better than Spanish subs for some, though. Look here.

I'm still hoping to see this from Criterion or at least Eclipse, though.

And as Schreck mentions Kurosawa, will there ever be an acceptable version of "Madadayo"?

O man I just couldn't take MADADAYO. Most of his post RED BEARD material feels unbalanced and more flawed than his group-written efforts.

There are many people, apparently, who don't like late Kurosawa very much, though normally they mean post-"Ran" rather than post-"Red Beard". "Madadayo", like "Rhapsody in August" suffers from didacticism and sentimentalism to an equal degree, still I think it's a nice little work which is well acted and impeccably photographed, and thus deserves some adequate dvd treatment. But certainly, no comparison to his great masterpieces.

Just caught this in its entirety at the Belcourt Theater here in Nashville. Loved every bit of it.

It was interesting to see Kobayashi's visual style develop over the course of the entire work. Upon watching the first part of the trilogy, I couldn't help but think "This is the same guy who directed 'Harakiri?' Really?" Needless to say, by the time I wrapped up the third part, I was back on board. What an ending.

So is there any news already on if and when this is gonna be released? I still didn`t buy the Dutch version of the box set in anticipation for the Criterion release.

TheGodfather wrote:So is there any news already on if and when this is gonna be released? I still didn`t buy the Dutch version of the box set in anticipation for the Criterion release.

To my knowledge it is still playing theatrically. It'll definitely come out on DVD, but expect the usual wait time between theatrical and home video releases.

arsonfilms wrote:

TheGodfather wrote:So is there any news already on if and when this is gonna be released? I still didn`t buy the Dutch version of the box set in anticipation for the Criterion release.

To my knowledge it is still playing theatrically. It'll definitely come out on DVD, but expect the usual wait time between theatrical and home video releases.

That being said, it just hit Nashville.

If it's hitting towns like this one, a DVD release probably isn't all that far away. Just a hunch.

480 The Human Condition announced!

Finally!

Finally! All these years after I first read about this film I've waited for this criterion version and now... finally, instant preorder as soon as it becomes available.

You can preorder it from Criterion right now.

^ Because of customs I won't be doing that, otherwise I would have already ordered it. I'll be using another shop for that but thanks for the advice anyway.

Thank heavens for the release, but I have to ask, is that the best extras they could find? Love the cover though.

Unbelievably awesome! And, yes, finally!

It is a fantastic trilogy of films. Everyone who has the chance to see it the first time in this edition, I am sure you will be in for one of your great cinema experiences.

I Bought my first DVD player to see these films, when they were released by Image Entertainment back in the early days. I am so happy that Criterion is giving them an upgrade.

Oh god yes! I have only the last part of it on tape from German commercial television in wrong aspect ratio and the Image disc being out-of-print ... that really fills a big gap.

This really is the most welcome announcement for me since the Painleve (and actually more welcome than that.. Painleve is not someone Igo moist and gooey for). Oh so very long overdue, but it's fully restored in HD so AMEN!

I really wish this was blu. ](*,)

Schreck, were you able to attend the screenings at FF?

I can remember thinking since about 2003 or '04 that this announcement must be just a few months away at most.

Very nice.
There's only been a 3-disc French edition here with French subtitles.
I keep eying the thing with longing.

I'm somewhat concerned with the first disc of the set. "Part I - No Greater Love" clocks in at 208 minutes. Criterion's re-release of "Seven Samurai" clocks in at 207 minutes. The latter was split up onto two separate discs.

I might be overreacting, but as mentioned above, I just caught the work in its entirety. I'd really like to see it get the treatment it deserves.

Here's hoping Criterion doesn't cut any corners...

Seven Samurai did have two commentaries on it if that means anything.