7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The tale of a generational conflict between a father and son over a marriage.
Starring: Sumao Ishihara, Nobuko Fushimi, Kikuko Hanaoka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Benkei ShiganoyaForeign | 100% |
Drama | 70% |
Romance | 16% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Japanese: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Kenji Mizoguchi's "The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum" (1939) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The only bonus feature on the disc is an exclusive new video interview with critic Phillip Lopate. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by film scholar Dudley Andrew and technical credits. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked'.
The family gathering
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Kenji Mizoguchi's The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this Blu-ray release:
"This new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a Scanity film scanner and restored by Shochiku Co., Ltd., at IMAGICA Corporation in Tokyo. The restoration was undertaken from a 35mm fine-grain positive and a 35mm duplicate negative. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from a 35mm optical soundtrack print.
Transfer supervisor: Mitsufumi Hanada."
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum was first released on Blu-ray in the United Kingdom by Curzon Artificial Eye. It was included in this box set together with three additional films from Kenji Mizoguchi. It was a good effort, but there were various inherited source limitations.
Criterion's upcoming release is sourced from a new 4K restoration which has addressed a number of the big issues that are present on the old release. However, because of the nature of the existing materials, various limitations remain. I think that the biggest improvements are in three different categories. First, there are sizeable stability enhancements that have eliminated virtually all of the warps and transition issues. There are still some small jumps where time has left its mark, but the end result here is vastly superior. Second, overall image balance is substantially better. The film looks slightly darker, but there are healthy nuances that are missing on the previous release. Brightness levels are also better managed and the blacks, whites, and grays now appear much more convincing. These improvements affect overall depth and fluidity, which are far more convincing. Third, grain is better exposed and distributed. There are still some obvious fluctuations during the nighttime and darker footage, but even there improvements are quite easy to see (see screencaptures #1 and 3 and 5 and 6 to see what type of native fluctuations exist). I should also mention that efforts have been made to remove plenty of debris, specks, dirt, damage marks, and other visible age-related imperfections, but some very light vertical lines and fading/traces of deterioration remain. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Japanese LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.
There are sizeable improvements in the audio department as well. For example, it immediately becomes obvious that serious work has been done to remove the background hiss that is present on the previous release. The cracks and pops have also been eliminated. It appears that specific stability enhancements have been performed as well because the mid/high registers are now better balanced. This being said, in the upper register there are still some light distortions, but they are managed in such a way that impact on clarity is minimal at best. (You should be able to hear the source limitations during the ceremony around 02.22.19, where the music and crowd noise bring them forward). The dialog is easy to follow.
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum is a simple but very elegant and moving film about a young man who is forced to choose between the woman he loves and his conservative family in pre-war Japan. It comes from the great master Kenji Mizoguchi, whose work unfortunately rarely receives the same attention and respect as that of Akira Kurosawa and Yasujirô Ozu. Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release of The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum is sourced from a new 4K restoration of the film which was completed in Japan by the Shochiku studio, and will almost certainly remain its definitive presentation. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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