A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds: Two Films by Yasujiro Ozu
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Synopsis
In 1959, Yasujiro Ozu remade his 1934 silent classic A Story of Floating Weeds in color with celebrated cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. Setting his later version in a seaside location, Ozu otherwise preserves the details of his elegantly simple plot wherein an aging actor returns to a small town with his troupe and reunites with his former lover and their son, a scenario that enrages his current mistress and results in heartbreak for all. Together, the films offer a unique glimpse into the evolution of one of cinema's greatest directors. A Story of Floating Weeds finds Ozu in the midst of developing his mode of expression; Floating Weeds reveals his distinct style at its pinnacle. In each, the director captures the joy and sadness of everyday life.
Picture 8/10
The Criterion Collection upgrades their double-feature DVD edition of Yasujirō Ozu’s A Story of Floating Weeds and its remake Floating Weeds to Blu-ray, presenting them in the aspect ratios of 1.33:1 and 1.37:1, respectively. They feature 1080p/24Hz high-definition encodes and share the same dual-layer disc.
Of the two, only Floating Weeds has received a new 4K restoration, scanned from the original negative, providing a significant upgrade over the previous DVD edition. The restoration has substantially cleaned up the image compared to the old DVD, addressing almost all instances of damage and leaving behind only very minor imperfections. The encoding could be improved, admittedly, yet overall, the image looks fine, and the grain is rendered well enough. There is some slight noise evident in some brighter areas, yet it thankfully doesn’t impact the finer details, and the intricate cross-hatching patterns present in some of the kimonos are rendered beautifully without any shimmering artifacts.
I admit I’m uncertain about the colors, which look a bit bland outside of the reds, which have a vibrant pop. This may be an attempt to replicate Fujifilm, though I can’t say for sure. Regardless, they still look better than the DVD’s rendering, and the overall presentation is quite impressive.
Sadly, the silent 1934 original hasn’t received any new restoration, and it seems Criterion is reusing the same high-definition master from their DVD edition. It is, ultimately, a dated master made from a problematic source. The black-and-white image is fairly blurry and still marked with imperfections, though it appears an extensive amount of work has been done to clean it up. The grayscale is decent, though black levels are more of a dark gray.
The age of the master also shows. It renders grain as well as it can, but it looks a bit blocky and clumpy, which a newer scan would likely fix. Still, it’s watchable, and I think Criterion is doing what they can with it, short of creating an entirely new master.
A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds: Two Films by Yasujiro Ozu - Screen Captures
Audio 7/10
The silent film A Story of Floating Weeds features a score composed by Donald Sosin, presented in DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround. Floating Weeds’ original monaural soundtrack is presented in lossless single-channel PCM.
Since the score for A Story of Floating Weeds is newer, it’s unsurprising that it is technically the better of the two, sounding crisp and clean with a wide range. It’s mixed nicely between speakers and complements the film in its own way.
The soundtrack of Floating Weeds delivers a couple of surprises. Despite the film not being particularly showy and having a generally one-note audio profile, the music occasionally exhibits impressive depth. Dialogue is clear, and there are no significant signs of damage.
A Story of Floating Weeds: 8/10 Floating Weeds: 6/10
Extras 8/10
Outside of a trailer for Floating Weeds, Criterion doesn’t include any other video features, but they did record new commentaries for each film back in 2003. Donald Richie contributed a commentary to A Story of Floating Weeds (along with an essay in the included insert), and Roger Ebert provided one for Floating Weeds.
The two approach each film differently. Richie brings his expertise in Ozu and Japanese cinema, Ebert, admitting he is far from an expert in either area, approaching the film from a more personal angle. Richie delves into a surprising level of detail on the production (I thought it would have been harder to find this kind of info for a film from the 30s), placing the film in the context of the Japanese film industry of the time and Ozu’s filmography. He examines the familiar themes and subject matter that would become constants throughout Ozu’s career, the early elements of his style, and even discusses Ozu’s representation of class in Japan and addresses the criticism he faced throughout his career on this subject.
Ebert, on the other hand, talks about what it is about Ozu’s work that draws him in or makes him “feel rested” or “at peace,” breaking down several scenes to explain their effectiveness, including how Ozu frames and fills every shot. He also discusses Ozu’s work from this period, drawing on his knowledge while also referencing experts such as Richie and David Bordwell. He even references Paul Schrader’s book Transcendental Style in Film where appropriate.
Both commentaries are excellent, with Richie bringing his extensive knowledge of Ozu and Japanese cinema and Ebert offering his valuable insights and natural energy. The tracks also work together to explore Ozu’s developing style, evident in the silent film but more honed and precise in the remake. A fishing scene present in both films may be one of the more interesting comparisons. Overall, both commentaries are fantastic additions and more than make up for the lack of additional material in the release.
Closing
Still a nicely assembled edition featuring Ozu’s two takes on the same material, with two excellent commentaries and a fantastic new high-def presentation for Floating Weeds. It's well worth picking up.
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