Customer Reviews

Kurosawa DVD Collection (Individually Numbered Limited Edition) (Amazon.com Exclusive)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

My review here is more about the presentation of the set, and not the movies themselves. The movies are great and the documentary is also good. One of the main problems is that the packaging is terrible. The discs fit loosely in the packaging and as a result moved around a great deal in shipping. In the first set I received the documentary disc was covered in scratches and glue and was completely unplayable (the glue was from the poorly made cardboard case). The Ran disc was also scratched badly. Amazon was good about getting another set out but even in that one the documentary disc was scratched, although it plays for the most part. The "extra" items are cheaply made and not worth the money either. Also, I must agree with another reviewer that complained about the RAN transfer. This is not much of an improvement over the Fox Lorber transfer, and there is a lot of noise at the edges of the "letterboxing". If you already own a copy of Ran or Madadayo don't bother with this set. If you must own a newer transfer of Ran this one is coming out as a single DVD in 2003. This set is just not worth the money, unless you just have to have that cheesy cardboard "miniature shoji screen" or the "mini" Ran poster.

I own the Fox-Lorber/Winstar DVD of this immortal classic, and as much as I love the film (one of the truly great movies), I have always been disappointed with the film's hideous transfer. The extraordinary detail, the fine use of color--all subdued by the bad print. Now, that crime has been rectified. But is this worth the expense?

Well, yes and no.

You DO get a glorious DVD of "Ran," an incredible and epic film, and as a most welcome bonus, you also get "Madadayo," Master Kurosawa's last film, a moving, beautifully realized story of an aged professor who looks back at his life. The title comes from the professor's exclamation at each birthday party--"Madadayo!" (Not yet! I am not done with life yet!) It is exquisitely filmed, and achingly poignant-- a fine finish to the career of one of the greatest of filmmakers. The third disc contains an engrossing documentary on the late Kurosawa, with insight from many of those who knew him best. It is a revealing look at a man who was internationally recognized abroad, yet sometimes forgotten at home.

BUT, one gets the impression that this package may be exploitive of Kurosawa fans and film buffs. (My rating of four stars = Five for the films and documentary, three for the extras).The added extras--such as the booklet and shoji screen print, and the certificate of authenticity--strike me as merely lures for consumers who see "special edition" and think that something wonderful is in the works. One can get the two DVDs (granted, with lesser print quality) separate for much less than the cost of this whole set, and if you want the documentary from the third disc, watch for it on PBS (where I caught it). I think it may also be available for purchase. However, I must say this: The new print of "Ran" is a vast improvement over the old version, and for those who are major fans of Kurosawa, this package may be worth the cost. Do bear in mind that there is the possibility that this new print of "Ran" may be issued separately at a later date.

This just to voice my opinion on the new RAN transfer. While I agree it is an improvement over the atrocious Fox Lorber edition (which is not that great an achievement considering the Fox Lorber DVD was one of the worst products in the history of home entertainment), this tranfer is still a long way from doing this masterpiece justice. Yes, the colors are vivid but the sharpness and definition are exceptionally poor and the heavy edge enhancement (straight from hell!) doesn't make it any better. I have seen transfers of movies that are some 30 or 40 years older than RAN but look far better. The problem becomes very obvious when one watches this DVD via progressive component output on a large screen - a video tape was used as a master (and a poor one at that). The only way to restore such an important movie properly and thereby finally showing Mr. Kurosawa the respect he deserves would have been to make a direct digital transfer off an original film negative, before applying filters or any enhancements. Why this opportunity was (again) wasted here escapes me totally and angers me very much. Another problem seems to be the excessive use of noise reduction on the video, which is in part responsible for the poor definition of the transfer. For my part, I would much sooner live with a bit of visible film grain and the odd dust speckle than to have a such a "saucy" soft picture without much "bite" and detail. There is no excuse for posting such an objectively false statement. And yes, the packaging is a liability - my DVDs must have been bobbing about in there all the way across the Atlantic and looked accordingly. Shocking. I would have gladly payed twice the price if they had kept all the cards and posters and instead got the most important thing right: the image quality of RAN. Like this, I'm very disappointed.

Many people have been complaining prior to the release of this set that it looks like a clever way to take money from Kurosawa fans. This isn't the case folks. Yes, it's expensive, I don't deny that. In my view, however, it's worth it. Ran is one of Kurosawa's greatest achievements. Of his entire body of work, I think only Seven Samurai, Ikiru, Rashomon, and Throne of Blood are superior. Ran is terrific cinema, and this 16:9 transfer with yellow subtitles is far better than the previous DVD release which did the picture no justice, and had very atrocious looking subs. The 5.1 channel sound is excellent, my uncle's cinema room was vibrating with every slam of the great gates in the film. The commentaries are great, with Prince's being the better of the two. In short, the Ran DVD is splendid, and vastly superior to the Fox Lorber edition. Madadayo, also included in the set, is not one of Kurosawa's best, but it's still worth owning as it's his last film, and by no means is it as bad as Rhapsody in August or, heaven forbid, Sanshiro Sugata II. It's a quiet little film about an old man who isn't quite ready to leave the world. A bit too sentimental perhaps, but some scenes are rather touching. Definately worth having. The Kurosawa documentary is underrated and overrated at the same time. It has excellent interviews I think, but the narration gets incredibly annoying. However, that may be because I've read Kurosawa's autobiography, and therefore excerpts being read from it seem useless to me. In other words, those who haven't read his book may find the narration incredibly informative. I've only seen one better documentary on Kurosawa overall anyway, so I recommend it. The box is great looking, with the number of your edition on the front along with a logo that says: KUROSAWA. The shoji screen with art from Ran is excellent looking and would make a terrific display. Ditto the mini-Ran 15th Anniversary poster (which I personally prefer to leave untouched, rolled with a seal). There is also an informative little booklet about the filmmaker, well, informative for newcomers to Kurosawa, and an authentication certificate, along with four postcard size Kurosawa storyboards for the two films in this set. Overall, I think this set is a great buy for die hard Kurosawa fans and even casual fans. It's a great way to celebrate his later works.

I purchased this box set as a way to dip my toes more deeply into the ocean that is Kurosawa's work. I own and love the Criterion "Seven Samurai" DVD, and so awaited this set with anticipation. It didn't disappoint! I think I'd seen "Ran," but it had been long enough that seeing it again it was like a new movie. The "Ran" DVD is stunning in all its restored splendor, and the story is emotionally gripping. Full of symbolism and compelling performances, I recommend this set for just this movie alone, but in addition, "Madadayo" and "Kurosawa" are both included. Neither is in anamorphic, but they are worthy additions to the set in any case. I'd never seen "Madadayo" and I'm happy to report it's a wonderful movie. It's a character study with a depth and personal warmth that radiates from the movie in waves. The performances are so natural and unassuming, you forget it's a fictional movie, and not a video journal of a real person. "Kurosawa" is an in-depth documentary on the man and his works. It's great stuff!
Last, the only downside to the package is the packaging itself. The DVD's are not held on their spindles well at all. One of mine had fallen off ("Ran") but thankfully had not taken any damage. I wish they'd taken more care with that. The included booklet, screen, and postcards are a nice touch, but I'd have been happy with just the DVD's, frankly, and in a much simpler case. Still, overall I recommend this to film fans and especially Kurosawa fans.

This is a strange boxset, really. The films included are not related, other than the fact that "Ran" and "Madadayo" are from Kurosawa's later period. However, I cannot help but think that these were bundled together with deliberate choice.

Fans of Kurosawa will already own the Criterion DVDs. Fans of Kurosawa will be disappointed with the unsatisfactory "Ran" DVD, and would jump at the chance to own a better version. Myself, I was considering getting the documentary DVD although I would have tried a rental first. "Madadayo" is not one of his major movies, and I don't think I would have purchased it.

Together, there is one film that I desperately must own (Ran - Masterworks Edition) packaged with another film (Madadayo) and a documentary (Kurosawa) that I wouldn't mind having, but may not have bought otherwise. Calculated marketing really, and I admit that I am sold. There are just enough fun extras to tip the scales towards a purchase and my order is in. (Hey, who wouldn't want a " Japanese-style miniature shoji screen and certificate of authenticity?")

I am glad that Wellspring/Winstar has gone through the effort of remastering Ran. Their previous release of it was atrocious (a quick look at the reviews on Amazon should verify this). However, despite the fact that it is anamorphic, I am doubtful that the image quality will be that good. I have yet to see a high quality dvd from Wellspring (their anamorphic transfers are the only ones I've seen that look terrible), which is unfortunate, because they release so many fantastic films.

Assuming the transfer on the Ran disc is substantially better than the previous one, but still less than great, for lovers of the film it merits purchase--but not as part of this collector's set! You can be sure that the Ran dvd will be released separately and soon, because no company would remaster a title only to release 5,000 copies (or if they did, the remastered transfer must truly [be bad]).

As for Madadayo, there is no indication that the film has been remastered. It is mentioned that the collection contains "Full-screen and widescreen anamorphic formats", but I imagine that this is an error, because the dvd of Madadayo currently available is neither full-screen nor anamorphic, and if Wellspring had done an anamorphic remaster of the title, you can be sure that it would be touted with great fanfare (as is the case with the Ran disc here). If this is not a remaster, then you will have a thoroughly mediocre transfer of Madadayo (perhaps your second copy). If you want this film, I recommend buying it separately

I can't comment on the documentary, since I haven't seen it, but it is also available separately.

This leaves us to consider the items that are only available in this box set: the mini-poster, the little shoji, the four 4" x 6" photographs, the booklet, the er. . . "certificate of authenticity", and the packaging itself. I doubt the booklet is worth mentioning, but it's likely to be the most interesting aspect of the collection (photos and mini-poster are simply icing, and probably not worth paying even five bucks for). These bonus items are all just gimmicks. Particularly the certificate of authenticity: what is authentic here? is the little shoji an authentic little japanese shoji? are the dvds authentic dvds? Ridiculous.

The films themselves are excellent, but you don't need me to tell you that. If you haven't seen them you should (though I find it strange that anyone not having seen these films would consider buying an expensive collector's edition of them).

In conclusion: don't waste your money on this product. It has been manufactured with no care for the films themselves, and it is simply an attempt to seduce fans of the films with the words "limited edition", "masterworks edition", and "kurosawa collection". Buy the dvds separately, and save your money.

P.S. ....

it said that this box is an "amazon exclusive". well i have seen this box (and purchased it) with everything that it has in it at stores that sell it for $50. so i dont see whats so great about this supposed amazon exclusive. the set is fun to have, nothing special, but something that a Kurosawa fan would enjoy. and for those looking for Ran on its lonesome, there was a Ran masterworks edition put out in 2003 by Wellspring. Its easily found for $25 and it is a very good transfer.

Once again, creative packaging results in damaged DVDs (remember Columbia's Hot Fives and Hot Sevens set?). All 3 of the DVDs included in this Kurosawa set arrived floating around in the box, covered with scratches, cloudy abrasion marks, and what appeared to be threads of glue. I have no doubt they will have problems with playback. When I tried to put the discs back on their spindles, they came right off. The spindles simply don't hold them. The threads of glue appear in other parts of the packaging as well. I can't recommend this version. Save money and wait until these titles come out in normal DVD cases.

At first glance, it looks like the "Kurosawa DVD Collection" has been bundled together with odds and ends. One documentary, and two of Kurosawa's lesser-known -- but excellent -- films.

At first glance, it's hard to see why they were packaged together. But soon it becomes clear why: The two films are poignant stories from Kurosawa's twilight years, while the documentary explores his lifetime. In a way, it's almost a memorial to the Grandaddy of modern cinema.

"Ran" is a Japanese adaptation of Shakespeare's "King Lear." Elderly Lord Hidetora decides to retire, handing over the three portions of his kingdom to his three sons Taro, Jiro, and Saburo. The two elder ones like this idea, but the youngest does not. Fighting breaks out among the sons, who have paid little attention to their father's calm philosophies -- with tragic results for the aged warlord.

"Madadayo" was the last film directed by Kurosawa, although other films have been made of his writing. Like "Ran," it studies the present life of an old man -- in this case, German professor Hyakken Uchida (Tatsuo Matsumura), who has decided to retire and become a writer. However, he doesn't get the peace and quiet he deserves: he loses everything in the second world war.

So his students, who care deeply about him, build a cottage for him, and reunite every year to celebrate his birthday. Life goes on, changing around the old man, as he grows older and loses his beloved pet cat. Will he die eventually? "Madadayo!" ("I'm not ready yet!")

Both of these films show Kurosawa in his final years, still a magnificent director with an eye for the poignant. Both films study old men contemplating their lives; Hidetora tries unsuccessfully to pass a torch to an unworthy younger generation, while Uchida lives in peace and quiet, telling stories, jokes and philosophy to the younger people.

Neither film is autobiographical, and neither man is truly Kurosawa. But they do seem to embody parts of his personality, as he approached his own end.

If that isn't illuminating enough, then the "Kurosawa" documentary should shed a little light. This insightful, intelligent study shows us the chronological events of Kurosawa's life, peppered with his artistic work. While no documentary can give a full picture (some of Kurosawa's best films are neglected here), it does give us a fuller picture of Kurosawa as a man and as a filmmaker.

There are insightful interviews with people who collaborated with Kurosawa during his lifetime, examinations of past art, and comparisons to the American counterparts of his movies. For example, the spaghetti westerns that influenced and were influenced by him.

Amazon's "Kurosawa DVD Collection" is a rewarding, bittersweet look at the lifetime and late films of this masterful director. Definitely worth getting.