7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
The trials and tribulations of Eddie and other transvestites in Japan.
Starring: Pîtâ, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Emiko Azuma, Toshiya Fujita, Hôsei KomatsuForeign | 100% |
Drama | 63% |
Erotic | 9% |
Psychological thriller | 9% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
English
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Toshio Matsumoto's "Funeral Parade of Roses" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cinelicious Pics. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers for the film; eight short films; an exclusive new audio commentary by author and film historian Chris Desjardin. The release also arrives with a 14-page illustrated booklet featuring Hirofumi Sakamoto's essay "The Shape of the Avant-Garde", information about the short films, and technical credits. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
In the club
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Toshio Matsumoto's Funeral Parade of Roses arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cinelicious Pics.
Please note that the screencaptures that are included with our review appear in the following order:
1. Screencaptures# 1-22: Funeral Parade of Roses.
2. Screencaptures# 25-26: Nishijin
3. Screencaptures# 27-28: Ecstasis
4. Screencaptures# 29-30: The Song of Stone
5. Screencaptures# 31-32: Metastasis
6. Screencaptures# 33-34: Expansion
7. Screencaptures# 35-36: Mona Lisa
8. Screencaptures# 37-38: Siki Soku Z Ku
9. Screencaptures# 39-40: Atman
I found this release to be quite frustrating because I think that it should have been one of the year's all-around best packages. However, it feels like two different groups of people worked on it and a few of them were not on the same page.
First, the good news. Funeral Parade of Roses is sourced from a top-notch 4K restoration and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that it will be the go-to source for this film for years to come. Indeed, while I did not attend a theatrical screening of it in my area, it is extremely easy for me to tell that the work that was done was of exceptionally high-quality. The film looks fresh, spotless, and has all the right qualities that I expect to see after a competent recent 4K restoration. No complaints.
The bad news. The 4K restoration's transition to Blu-ray is flawed. Basically, it appears that the data was input incorrectly and as a result on the surface of the film there is plenty of chroma noise. I don't know precisely how this was done, but I can tell with absolute certainty that it is not a byproduct of the restoration. (As mentioned above, it is hugely impressive). So this adds up a layer of greenish chroma noise on top of the visuals that can create blotches and even affect the film's black/gray/white balance and dynamic range. The effect is especially obvious during the darker footage where instead of proper black(s) the chroma noise would flatten the image and produce a grayish/greenish veil. Here are a couple of examples: See the inside of the suitcase where the blotches pop up in screencapture #17; see the chroma all over screencapture #9 and the right side of screencapture #13; you can even see the chroma all over the well-lit face in screencapture #19.
All else looks great. Grain appears as nicely exposed and resolved as it should be. Density is great. There are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Image stability is also excellent. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.
It immediately becomes obvious that the audio has been fully remastered. It is clean, wonderfully balanced, and completely free of distracting age-related imperfections. Because of the nature of the film during some of the mass scenes some unevenness does exist, but it is part of the original organic sound design. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report.
Toshio Matsumoto's Funeral Parade of Roses carries at least three different identities and enthusiastically exchanges them as it attempts to earn the admiration of its audience. It is a fascinating time capsule and yet, oddly enough, it is one of the most un-Japanese films from the 1960s because there simply isn't another one quite like it. Thanks to Cinelicious Pics Funeral Parade of Roses now has its first ever legit American home video release, but I found the technical presentation quite frustrating. The 4K restoration is really fabulous, but it does not look as good as it should on Blu-ray. My advise to you is to wait for a sale and try to find an attractive price to justify a purchase. RECOMMENDED (but with many reservations).
一一
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