Tokyo Story (1 Viewer)

[Carrol]

Yasujiro Ozu's TOKYO STORY coming in October from the Criterion Collection.

They just posted this cover art...I think the release date is October 11th, to be exact.

Just wanted to pass this along.

Carrol

 

[Adam_S]

just got to say I love the cover art and that I can't afford this disc in my DVD budget. :frowning:

 

[Brian PB]

The Criterion website has taken down the cover art for this film, which may mean it's being tweaked.

Personally, I agree: I think it's very beautiful (though some have pointed out that it doesn't accurately convey the film or Ozu's style).

One of my most greatly anticipated releases.

 

[Matt_P]

I still haven't seen any reviews.

Anyone have any comments on the presentation by Criterion?

 

[Brian PB]

Good News / Bad News about Tokyo Story (à la David Brent of BBC's The Office):


The Bad News: Apparently, Criterion wasn't able to send out the screeners early, so many reviewers are just now receiving their copies.

The Good News: DVD Empire notified me that my pre-ordered copy was shipped this morning.

 

[Matt_P]

My copy from DVD Empire also shipped this morning. Can't wait!

 

[Kristoffer]

Is this worth a blind buy?
I love Kurosawa and also have Tokyo olympiad..

 

[Jan H]

Ikiru is arguably Kurosawa's best film, though it isn't a samurai movie. Tokyo Olympiad is a documentary by Kon Ichikawa, and it has about as much in common with Ikiru as Breaking Away does with Citizen Kane.

 

[Jon Robertson]

By God, yes, it's worth a blind buy!

This is the first review I'm aware of (the video rating should actually be a 6.5 - it's a typo). Keep in mind that the original negative was destroyed long ago, so rest assured Criterion have done what they can with troublesome source elements.

 

[Brook K]

Can't wait to have this in hand, but I ordered it with Once Upon A Time in the West, so Amazon probably won't ship it for a few more weeks.

 

[Matt_P]

Definately worth a blind buy, if you love film in any way shape or form.

Be warned, though, it's a patient film. Ozu is a VERY Eastern director, and focuses on domestic issues/life through a camera that basically never moves. His shots are very particular, picturesque and still. Often his camera is near the floor, placing the audience at the same level as the characters. This is very different from Kurosawa, who has very Western sensibilites (that's why he's quite popular in the West), utilizing dynamic camera movement and editing. In an Ozu film, major events take place in the form of dialogue, not rain soaked sword battles.

I love Kurosawa's films (probably my favorite director--it's hard to pick), but have a great appreciation for Ozu, as well.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Is this worth a blind buy?

I'm going to have to be the dissenting opinion here. No, it is not worth a blind buy. Find a local college library first and rent it or watch it in the facilities.

Don't get me wrong. It's indeed a wonderful film on the narrative level, but it's a very, very dry experience for the vast majority of the time.

Speaking of Kurosawa, he had this to say about Japanese filmmaking (taken from Criterion Collection Seven Samurai essay)

Japanese films all tend to be rather bland in flavor, like green tea over rice," Kurosawa remarked in an interview, making a knowing dig at his staid rival, Yasujiro Ozu (one of whose films was actually called The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice). "I think we ought to have richer foods, and richer films. So I thought I would make this kind of film entertertaining enough to eat."

I'm not going to budge from this stance: I find Ozu's camerawork rather boring and unmoving (pun intended). Does it serve a purpose? Yes, but you can almost achieve the same effect with much more dynamic work.

 

[CraigF]

Have you guys got your copies yet? amazon.ca, where I pre-ordered mine at a good price a looong time ago, still lists this title as unreleased. Unusual, have never seen this there before, usually they list a wait time if they don't have any, and I have always gotten my pre-ordered Criterions from them very quickly after release. So wondering what's up. Thanks.

 

[Brian PB]

I received my copy October 31st from DVD Empire.

I will respectfully disagree with Dome's opinion on the film. Since it's been tagged as one of the "ten greatest films of all time" (Sight + Sound poll, 2002 & 1992), I was initially underwhelmed by this simple story (which has its roots in Leo McCarey's great 1937 film, Make Way for Tomorrow). As has been discussed, Ozu's camera style and editing technique may seem old-fashioned to those unfamiliar with him. Yet Ozu is able to achieve an empathy toward the characters which doesn't rely on cheap melodrama or surging musical cues, and his images have a cumulative, subliminal effect. I rarely cry at movies, but I was sobbing by the end of this film, which I think only improves with subsequent viewings. I highly recommend it to those with any interest in world cinema.

With respect to Criterion's two-disc set, note that the original negative was destroyed in a laboratory fire, and the remaining elements are in very bad shape for a film of 1953 (it looks more like a Hollywood film from the early thirties). Despite their best efforts, Criterion wasn't able to work a miracle here, and some have felt that their transfer uses too much contrast (when compared to Shochiku's own Japanese release--which does not have English subs).

The audio commentary from David Desser is solid, but far from definitive. The two Shochiku documentaries included (from 1983 and 1993) are good, but I would have liked Criterion to be more creative with this release. A good solid B+, but not the A+ set I was hoping for.

For those whose interest in Ozu is piqued by this release, it's well worth seeking out David Bordwell's scholarly, OOP book, Ozu and the Poetics of Cinema.

 

[Pascal A]

Have you guys got your copies yet?

Yup, I've had mine for a few days now and on cursory inspection, it looks very good. It's probably just slow in coming.

Edit: Since Brian mentioned the Bordwell book, I just wanted to add that for a primer, I don't suggest Bordwell's very dry and academic book which tends to pore over specific details rather than create an analytical overview. In that respect, I think the Donald Ritchie book is better, although both are far from being "definitive" books on Ozu.

 

[Marc Colella]

Have you guys got your copies yet? amazon.ca, where I pre-ordered mine at a good price a looong time ago, still lists this title as unreleased.

It was listed as "unreleased" up until yesterday - when it was listed as "Usually ships within 1 to 2 weeks".
Today it's listed as "Usually ships within 2 to 3 weeks".

Who knows what's going on?

I had TS and Cercle Rouge on the same order. Cercle Rouge shipped on it's own to me and received it the next day.

Still waiting for TS.

 

[Matt_P]

I received mine a day after release day from DVD Empire. It's odd that Amazon.ca is having problems...it's definately out there. It might be worth inquiring to their customer service dept.

 

[Brian PB]

Agreed. I own both books, and clearly, Richie's 1974 effort is a much easier read. Bordwell goes into greater depth on the individual films, but his analysis is grounded in the language of college-level film theory, which may put many people off. Richie's book can be had for under $25, while a "good" condition paperback copy of Bordwell's OOP book is going for $100 at Amazon.com!