8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A widowed father who feels compelled to marry off his beloved only daughter.
Starring: Chishû Ryû, Setsuko Hara, Yumeji Tsukioka, Haruko Sugimura, Hohi AokiForeign | 100% |
Drama | 93% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Japanese: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Winner of Best Film Award at the Kinema Junpo Awards as well as Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay Awards at the Mainichi Film Concours, Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu's "Banshun" a.k.a "Late Spring" (1949) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an audio commentary by associate professor Richard Pena and director Wim Wenders' documentary film "Tokyo-ga" (1985). In Japanese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Why do I have to marry?
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Yasujiro Ozu's Late Spring arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:
"This high-definition transfer was created on a Spirit Datacine from a 35mm fine-grain master positive and a 35mm theatrical print. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, and warps were manually removed using MTI's DRS while Image System's Phoenix was used for small dirt, grain, jitter, and flicker.
Telecine supervisor: Lee Kline.
Colorist: Osamu Iseki/Imagica Corp., Tokyo."
There are light scratches and small damage marks throughout the entire film. Many more tiny flecks and splices, however, have been removed. There are a few frame skips as well, but overall there are no serious stability issues. Detail is pleasing, especially during close-ups that are free of source damage. Clarity occasionally fluctuates, but this is due to the fact that two different sources were used to strike the high-definition transfer, not because there are any specific technical anomalies. There are no traces of post-production sharpening and severe denoising either; Criterion only appear to have carefully elevated contrast levels and boosted black levels a bit. Finally, edge flicker is not a serious issue of concern. All in all, considering the source limitations the film's transition to Blu-ray is indeed most pleasing. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Japanese LPCM 1.0. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.
The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:
"The original soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from the film's optical track. Viewers may notice significant distortion inherent in the original surviving soundtrack materials. Clicks, thumps, hiss, and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using AudioCube's integrated workstation."
Generally speaking, the dialog is crisp and stable, but, as mentioned in the quoted text above, there are a few minor distortions that have been inherited from the soundtrack materials. None of them, however, dramatically affect the viewing experience. In fact, most viewers will likely miss them unless they are told exactly where to expect them. The English translation is very good.
Late Spring is a simple yet profoundly moving film about an aging father and his daughter directed by one of Cinema's greatest masters, Yasujiro Ozu. While some of the Japanese director's films have already been released on Blu-ray outside of North America, Late Spring is the first one to be made available domestically. Do not miss it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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