A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 28, 2025

When is a perceived "sports movie" in fact not a sports movie? Well, maybe it should go without saying, at least for those acquainted with a certain filmography, but the answer to that question is when it's directed by Seijun Suzuki. This is a film which in its own way is kind of attempting a cinematic version of cos play, masquerading as a story about a female golf player which is really about any number of tangentially related things, like marketing and the perils of fame. On its face, A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness traces an actually kind of rote "topography", depicting the steady climb of Reiko Sakuraba (Yoko Shiraki) to the pinnacle of celebrity in Japan for playing golf. The fact that Reiko is initially selected for attention due to her looks rather than any talent by a sports magazine is just the first of several subversive touches this film offers.

To maybe purloin a term of art in the golf world, there is more than one "shank" on display in this increasingly convoluted tale, by which I mean to suggest that perceived "targets" are often not where the plot goes. Aside from the whole "manufactured" aspect of Reiko's stardom (which it is shown is at least partially due to her talents and stamina), there are a number of sudden detours that should keep even inveterate "twist guessers" on their A game. Suffice it to say that almost as soon as Reiko is a certified sensation, both through her own actions and also for other reasons completely beyond her own control, she is quite suddenly in significant danger.

As the supplements on this disc and in the insert booklet get into, while this now thought of as Suzuki's "comeback" film, it was a bit of a head scratcher for audiences at the time, and it's not hard to see why.

A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Radiance's insert booklet contains just a bit of fairly generic information on the transfer:

A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness was transferred in high definition by the Shochiku Corporation. The film was supplied to Radiance Films as a high definition digital file and is presented in the original aspect ratio.

I've been on record as not always being completely pleased by the look of some these "pre delivered" masters various boutique labels like Radiance have offered over the years, but this is a nice exception, one that is marked by a really solid accounting of Suzuki's completely hyperbolic use of color, something Jasper Sharp overtly singles out in his insert booklet essay as a prime reason this is a "Suzuki film". Primaries are especially bold and vivid, with some of the blues and reds in particular looking especially evocative. Detail levels are generally excellent throughout, though Suzuki does tend to utilized midrange framings quite a bit throughout the film, something that at least allows him to highlight some "groovy" midcentury modern production design, but which may slightly tamper fine detail levels at times. Grain resolves naturally.

A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness features LPCM 2.0 Mono audio in the original Japanese. This doesn't have an overly elaborate sound design, though both some of the supposed sporting angles, including tournament play, as well as some interesting underscoring choices, offer some good opportunities for sonic energy. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Samm Deighan


• Kuniko Ukai (HD; 19:54) is a new interview with the film's editor. Subtitled in English.


• Trailer (HD; 2:55)

Additionally Radiance provides a really nicely appointed insert booklet with an especially interesting and insightful new essay by Jasper Sharp, along with an archival piece by Atsushi Yamatoya and the usual cast/crew and technical information. The keepcase features a reversible sleeve and Radiance's trademark Obi strip.

A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's some great background information on Suzuki and where he was in his career in the on disc supplements and insert booklet writing here, and that all may help to explain a certain "messiness" afoot in this film. Still, this is an incredibly provocative piece, one that reminded me of a whole host of movies, including everything from A Face in the Crowd to All About Eve, in addition to several films Jasper Sharp has mentioned like Play Misty for Me. Technical merits are solid and the supplements are very enjoyable. Recommended.