Customer Reviews

The Funeral [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I'll start with the movie and save the worst for last. Funny, touching, and some wonderful acting. Nobuko Miyamoto and Tsutomo Yamazaki give great performances as do the cast of characters who parade past the chilled corpse. The camera is wonderfully active and vibrant.

So if the movie is so good what can be bad you ask? Well it would seem most DVDs by Fox/Lorber. The Funeral is presented in a full screen/pan and scan format. It is a shame that Fox/Lorber is not releasing classic movies like the Funeral, My Life as a Dog, and others in at least letterbox and Dolby Digital. Fox/Lorber did not even work on cleaning up some bad edits and scratches on their copy. This pan & scan does not pay attention to making sure all speaking actors are in frame. The audio is just 2 channel with very poor tracking. What would make Fox/Lorber think that anyone would want a DVD version that is inferior to an old VHS copy poorly used at the local rental store?

On top of the poor audio and video there is the fact that the subtitles are useless at many points. The subtitles are in a faded white which are hard to see most of the movie and impossible whenever there is a light background (ie. the ENTIRE black and white episode!). The subtitles actually get cut off of the right side of the screen at some points leaving a question as to what was meant. Amazingly those aren't enough mistakes for Fox/Lorber since they have only subtitled 2/3 of the conversations and huge gaps get left out at the beginning and ends of some scenes. All in all I give the movie 5 stars but the Fox/Lorber edition on DVD is a -3. So I averaged the two together and came up with a 1. I hate to think someone might think that such a great movie gets such a horrible grade, but I would hate for anyone to suffer such through such poor versions if they didn't necessarily have to. If you must have this movie on DVD then at least it's out there. But then again maybe if Fox/Lorber left the good movies alone someone like Criterion would pick them up? Personally I'll be avoiding the Fox/Lorber label on my DVDs from now on until I hear they are going to start doing some quality DVDs. Even with such wonderful classic movies.

This is a great movie, but the DVD could be a lot better. Typically, Fox Lorber seems to have done as cheap a job as possible. It's not letterboxed, and they didn't re-do the subtitles.

This is the first movie by Japanese director Juzo Itami, depicting the Japanese perspective on a subject that most of us would like to avoid. However, with a humorous eye, he presents a universally appealing approach, showing that humankind, despite cultural differences, is the basically the same: the funeral is for the family and friends as much as for the deceased.

I purchased the DVD because it took forever to find a copy of the VHS, and didn't want to miss the chance. However, the Fox-Lorber FLV5109 release is little improvement over the VHS. The video portion is sharper. However, it is still a cut down version with the subtitles occasionally disappearing off the screen (this happens on the VHS also). The subtitles are burned into the video track so you can't turn them off. The sound to me sounds mono, whereas the VHS is stereo. This could just be my poor hearing ;).

Conclusion: The film is well worth owning. However, if you already have a VHS copy, the only reason to "upgrade" is for a slightly sharper image or having it on a more durable format. The DVD also gives a filmography for the main actors, about the only plus. If you don't own it, you can get almost the same quality on the VHS.... If money is no object, the DVD is OK; just don't expect anything beyond owning VHS quality with fast scene selection. ...

There are times when death has been appropriate and hilarious material for a comedy. The juxtaposition of the seriousness of a funeral with wacky hijinks and hootenannies makes for funny stuff. But don't expect to find any of that in Itami's social commentary, "The Funeral" ("O-soshiki").

It is, in fact, an incredibly insightful exposition of the meaninglessness of tradition and ritual in modern Japan. A family, so far removed from the society that first created these traditions, tries to struggle though an "appropriate" funeral for the deceased father. They rent videos on appropriate greetings and responses, they hire experts to tell them what direction the coffin should face, and how many sticks of incense to light. The ritual has far more importance too the family than the actual loss of the father, as does presenting a proper face.

The elderly, as the vanguard of the traditions, are the only ones who care. In fact, the dead man's daughters are shocked and impressed when one of their father's friends shows actual sorrow at the loss. "That's the way to do it," they say. Money is the symbolism for the loss of tradition, the idol that has replaced emotion at the altar. The Buddhist priest is made a gift of Italian tiles for his garden, and the climax of the film is when a case of money opens up to the wind, and the family grasps at it desperately.

While rough in nature, and clearly a first film, Itami manages to artfully wrap these various elements together, without stating the message directly. In the Japanese style, much is implied and little is said. A particularly capturing moment, is a black and white home movie of the family laughing and having fun, while a sad lament plays in the background. The pace is slow and patient.

The critique of Japanese culture is honest and authentic, and I highly recomend this film to anyone who wants to see real Japanese people living real Japanese lives.

There are times when death has been appropriate and hilarious material for a comedy. The juxtaposition of the seriousness of a funeral with wacky hijinks and hootenannies makes for funny stuff. But don't expect to find any of that in Itami's social commentary, "The Funeral" ("O-soshiki.") This film has been done a great injustice by marketers, who in the hopes of possibly capturing a quick sale labeled it "...A Deadly Comedy." You certainly don't find it in the comedy section of a Japanese video store! The scene on the cover, where a man tries to hike up his trousers while a watching woman mocks him, is one of the saddest in the movie.

It is, in fact, an incredibly insightful exposition of the meaninglessness of tradition and ritual in modern Japan. A family, so far removed from the society that first created these traditions, tries to struggle though an "appropriate" funeral for the deceased father. They rent videos on appropriate greetings and responses, they hire experts to tell them what direction the coffin should face, and how many sticks of incense to light. The ritual has far more importance too the family than the actual loss of the father, as does presenting a proper face.

The elderly, as the vanguard of the traditions, are the only ones who care. In fact, the dead man's daughters are shocked and impressed when one of their father's friends shows actual sorrow at the loss. "That's the way to do it," they say. Money is the symbolism for the loss of tradition, the idol that has replaced emotion at the altar. The Buddhist priest is made a gift of Italian tiles for his garden, and the climax of the film is when a case of money opens up to the wind, and the family grasps at it desperately.

While rough in nature, and clearly a first film, Itami manages to artfully wrap these various elements together, without stating the message directly. In the Japanese style, much is implied and little is said. A particularly capturing moment, is a black and white home movie of the family laughing and having fun, while a sad lament plays in the background. The pace is slow and patient.

The DVD is lacking, and the white subtitles can be almost unreadable. It is presented in pan-and-scan as well, with no change from the VHS version. Unfortunately, "The Funeral" seems to be a much-misunderstood film, and has not been given the release it deserves.

The critique of Japanese culture is honest and authentic, and I highly recomend this film to anyone who wants to see real Japanese people living real Japanese lives.

This film was nothing like I thought it would be. Having spent four years in Japan I wanted to see for myself what all the controversy was about surrounding 'The Funeral'. Well, I really liked this film, and found it had a lot to offer. From start to finish there is a lot going on at all levels of the emotional spectrum. I found it very touching, a little sad, a little funny, and very human. The quiet love and dignity of the widow and her daughter are the glue that hold the family and friends together. The widows humble expression of thanks to the guests after the funeral, thus releaving the son-in-law of the obligation, is nothing but poetic. I Recommend this film.

Unless your familiar with Japanese funerals, or are very culture curious then you will not like this movie. The film is billed as a comedy but really only Japanese (or people who have experience with Japan) can really understand the sarcastic look at typical Japanese funeral. Although I can appreciate Juzo Itami's work, I had a hard time watching this movie to the end. If you really want to know what a Japanese funeral is like in a long, drawn out manner, then give it a try. Once was enough for me.

The way this dvd was transferred is truly horrible. Fox/Lorber are well known for doing things as cheaply as possible. Burned in subtitles which sometimes get cut off by the screen, bad translation, English grammar mistakes and poor color control are Fox/Lorber's trademarks. Too bad they just dont care anything about quality.

Those who still think modern Japan has anything to do with "Shogun" should see this flick. Keen insights abound and modern Japanese life is humorously parodied. Been there/done that ... this is real, folks, and very funny, even while the subject is macabre. Don't miss.

Clearly, some people who have watched this funny movie simply do not and will not get it. It is definitely a culture-bound phenomenon. If you don't understand Japanese culture and Buddhist traditions, it may be obscure and boring. But this movie is satire at some of its most biting--right in the butt of Japanese tradition and religion. It satirizes so many of the institutions that are "sacred cows" that to even begin to list them means you're likely not to get it in the first place. Things such as knowing by looking at the sagarifuji crest the sect of Buddhism to which the priests belong, and all that implies. (Contrary to what one other reviewer wrote, as Buddhists we don't provide food or offerings for the afterlife.) Part of the hilarity of the movie is about the ritual impurity imparted by death, part about the role of Buddhism in modern Japan, and a lot about Tradition. An auspicious start to Juzo Izumi's too-brief career.

Who gets a DVD thinking that it could be cut to fit full screen anymore? The camera doesn't even move. The subtitles are forced and not good visual quality. Juzo Itami deserves better. Tampopo is brilliant.