British distributors Eureka Entertainment have officially announced their upcoming Blu-ray release of Japanese director Yûzô Kawashima's Bakumatsu taiyô-den a.k.a A Sun-Tribe Myth From the Bakamatsu Era (1957). The release will be available for purchase on April 22.
Voted one of the top five Japanese films ever made in a critic's poll by Japan's leading cinema publication Kinema Junpô, yet barely known in the West, Yûzô Kawashima's richly funny multi-levelled portrait of Japanese society Bakumatsu taiyô-den a.k.a A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era is a glorious rediscovery.
When man-about-town Saheiji (the beloved comedian Frankie Sakai) finds himself unable to pay for a bill at a brothel, he is forced to remain there to work off his debt. However he finds his wit and resourcefulness enable him to turn this situation to his advantage, as he interacts with a whole range of characters, from rivaling courtesans to political activists.
Co-scripted by Shôhei Imamura (Vengeance Is Mine), it sharply and comically demonstrates the constants of human nature just as it delineates the tumultuous political times (the 1860s, leading up to the Meiji Restoration) in which they lived.
Special Features:
Gorgeous new Nikkatsu restoration of the film in its original aspect ratio, presented in 1080p HD on the Blu-ray
New and improved English subtitles
A booklet including Shôhei Imamura's tribute to Yuzo Kawashima, and more
More extras to be announced closer to release date