221 - Ikiru

[captainofbeef]

- New high-definition digital transfer, with restored image and sound
- Audio commentary by Stephen Prince, author of The Warrior’s Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa
- A Message from Akira Kurosawa (2000): a 90-minute documentary produced by Kurosawa productions and featuring interviews with the director on the set of his later films
- A 41-minute documentary on Ikiru from the series, Akira Kurosawa: To Create is Beautiful, including interviews with Akira Kurosawa, writer Hideo Oguni, actor Takashi Shimura, and many others
- Original theatrical trailer
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition

[criterionmaster]

A true masterpiece that shows once again Kurosawa’s talent. The film is about a man who doesn’t truly start living until he is told he has stomach cancer and has around a year to live. He lives it up for a while until it hits him that he has really done nothing with his life. Not showing Watanabe’s last couple months is a genius idea and works so well. Instead of showing his last few months a group of coworkers/family while at his funeral talk about it. A sign of a great film, at least for me, is when the film makes me think or stays with me. Well this film made me think about what I am going to do with my life or what I am going to have to show for my life. Takashi Shimura’s face tells so much; it could bring a man to tears just looking at it. One of the best films ever made about the importance of life. It’s a sin that this will be remade…

[captainofbeef]

I just borrowed this from Dan (Criterionmaster), I will be watching this as soon as possible.

[dontdigonswine]

I'll be watching it soon as well. Recorded it on my DVR

[ie]

I found Ikiru at random at my library a little while ago, and just finished it up.

Tangent:

Since I actually watched this movie on a Criterion Collection DVD, I can actually comment on the transfer. This has to be one of Criterion's worst transfers. Quite unfortunate for many reasons, but the least noticeable reason is that since they already released a two-disc set, what are they going to do? Make a five-disc set?

It really needs the restoration. I mean, it's fine if you don't think about it, but there's always a line down the middle, but it isn't always in the same part of the frame, and the audio sure could use some work.

But because it's not everyone's favorite foreign movie, nor is it exactly accessible to everyone, so we're just going to have to live with...

Here are the Amoeba and the Face-Cancer Boys, playing their hit single, "Thanks! (For Keeping Us Around, Criterion Collection)" off their album We're Here To Stay.

Seriously, though. What the hell? Sure, these flaws only appear for a split second, but after a while, the transfer flaws become very noticeable, especially when they say shit like "restored image and sound, because we're awesome, dooood!" When the Criterion Collection says things like that, I think they need to actually be... sincere.

I can understand how much effort goes into cleaning up a movie, even though I haven't done it myself, but if you're going to make claims about having a clean transfer, you better damn well mean it.

/Tangent

Truly this is one of the better and more important movies you'll see. It's better than most other movies, from the mindless popcorn flicks to the "popular alternative" movie buff choices, both of which can be enjoyable and worthwhile, but just don't have much of an effect on you. Ikiru isn't an easy movie to just sit down and enjoy, especially because it can be a little too quiet and meditative at times. However, what it has to offer is grand, and what it has to say is well spoken.

I give Ikiru my highest regards. 10/10.

[Clark Nova]

all you gotta do is read my review in the Film Reviews section or my blog to see what I think of this little gem

[criterionmaster]

Well sometimes you have to realize that Criterion does the best with what they have. If the best available print of the film has unfixable damages to it then Criterion can't do anything about that. I doubt they would have left it like that if they could have fixed it.

From DVDBEAVER.COM:

"The BFI release is very good and only slightly (very slightly) inferior to the Criterion in image quality. In many instances it looks almost identical. Where Criterion takes the cake is the Extras. Unfortunately The BFI has non-removable (but player genrated) subs, but that wouldn't alter me trading up unless I was dieing for the Criterion Features. BFI has done a solid job and I like their subs which are clear and seem different, but accurate. The Alex Cox intro is excellent!

The Criterion is obviously superior in every area. I was moderately happy with the Mei Ah version for the past few years - it allowed me to view the film in a not-too-deplorable state. The biggest failing of the Mei Ah disc are the subtitles. Apparently the Japanese dialogue was translated into Chinese, then the Chinese translated into English - so there are flaws. Also the spelling is poor and the image is cropped. The Mei Ah is a DVD 10 - two sides/one layer.

The Criterion is full of Extras that I have only skimmed through at this time. There is a commentary and a whole seconds disc to peruse. I almost always say when I see a upper-echelon Criterion DVD (higher priced) that this is the best the film will ever look, but I am a shade hesitant in this case. There are some visible damage spots on the Criterion image. I see similar markings on the Mei Ah meaning the existing print is flawed. I will say that this is the best this film has looked since it was shown theatrically. Great contrast is Criterion's hallmark, this DVD is no exception. Wonderful subs. I did notice some flickering brightness throughout the film which can be distracting. The audio is only sub-par as well but regardless this DVD is a must-own for film fans around the world."

So as that says the existing print must be flawed. Criterion I thought did a good job, not an amazing job, but good. And just look at those extras.

Glad you liked the film, I was thinking you may not like it because of length or like you said some parts were very slow and quiet. It is truly a masterpiece.

[ie]

Good point there about the transfer as I told you earlier in the AIM, although, it's still not impossible to clean up digital transfers. It just seems kind of, well, I dunno, I guess I just really hate Amoeba and the Face-Cancer Boys.