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Criterion To Release Four Masaki Kobayashi Films


Vegeta84

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Great find; this is going to be a must buy. Masaki Kobayashi may very well be my favorite Japanese director after Akira Kurosawa, but unlike Kurosawa, most of his filmography has never been released in the West.

Of those films I've only seen Black River -- which makes me that more excited about the box set. I much prefer seeing Criterion release films that have never been subtitled before, rather than the endless re-releases of the big-name films.

Black River is great. It's not quite as polished as his later works like the Human Condition, Harakiri, etc, but in all seriousness, 99.9% of stuff isn't. In terms of tone, Black River is right in line with those two aforementioned films, so be prepared for a harrowing experience. The acting is what really makes this film though, with two performances standing out in particular: Tatsuya Nakadai as the local gang leader, in perhaps the most sociopathic role of his career; and Seiji Miyaguchi's hilarious turn as a disillusioned Communist.

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Great find; this is going to be a must buy. Masaki Kobayashi may very well be my favorite Japanese director after Akira Kurosawa, but unlike Kurosawa, most of his filmography has never been released in the West.

Of those films I've only seen Black River -- which makes me that more excited about the box set. I much prefer seeing Criterion release films that have never been subtitled before, rather than the endless re-releases of the big-name films.

Black River is great. It's not quite as polished as his later works like the Human Condition, Harakiri, etc, but in all seriousness, 99.9% of stuff isn't. In terms of tone, Black River is right in line with those two aforementioned films, so be prepared for a harrowing experience. The acting is what really makes this film though, with two performances standing out in particular: Tatsuya Nakadai as the local gang leader, in perhaps the most sociopathic role of his career; and Seiji Miyaguchi's hilarious turn as a disillusioned Communist.

Sweet! Looking foward to Black River as I believe it's his first starring role even though from what I've read it's who is Fumio Watanabe who could also be considered the lead.

Check your PM box Yakuza, as I have a spoiler question for you.

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vengeanceofhumanlanterns

I saw The Human Condition at Fye used for like $30 or something. Almost got it. 9 hours of film? These films look interesting and Tatsuya Nakadai fucking rules!

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I saw The Human Condition at Fye used for like $30 or something. Almost got it. 9 hours of film? These films look interesting and Tatsuya Nakadai fucking rules!

Even though it would make a more perfect film at 8 hours than 9, it's certainly one of the most impressive, mindblowing epics you will ever see. HIGHLY recommended!

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vengeanceofhumanlanterns
Even though it would make a more perfect film at 8 hours than 9, it's certainly one of the most impressive, mindblowing epics you will ever see. HIGHLY recommended!

Wow! I'll have to check it. Thanks bro!

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