Product Details

• Actors: Ryô Ikebe, Mariko Kaga, Takashi Fujiki, Chisako Hara, Eijirô Tôno
• Directors: Masahiro Shinoda
• Writers: Masahiro Shinoda, Masaru Baba, Shintarô Ishihara
• Producers: Masao Shirai, Shigeru Iwatsuki
• Format: Anamorphic, Black & White, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Homevision
• DVD Release Date: November 18, 2003
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000CG8I4
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #158,581 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Pale Flower" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pale Flower - yakuza poetry, September 26, 2004

By 

ZombieTongue (Bay Area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pale Flower (DVD)

This is an absolutely beautiful yakuza film by Masahiro Shinoda. It is much deeper and thought-provoking than typical yakuza b-movies, which glorify violence and the gangster lifestyle. However, this is not a b-movie, but more of a poetic and artistic yakuza noir. It was films like this, and the famous yakuza films by Kinji Fukasaku - such as the 'Battles without Honor' series, and 'Graveyard of Honor' - that redefined the yakuza genre into morality plays that were highly critical of the criminal aspects of Japanese society. Thus, the film is not action-packed, but much slower in pace, which actually makes it much stronger.
This edition, released by Home Vision Entertainment, has a good transfer and picture quality, and the film also boasts a very good score. The music is especially powerful near the end of the film. Overall, it is a must for anyone who likes yakuza films, film noir, or Japanese cinema.

5.0 out of 5 stars Pale Flower, December 24, 2011

By 

monty70 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pale Flower (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

Pale Flower tells the story of a lonely Yakuza who has just been paroled from a three year bit for murder. Upon his return from prison he meets a mysterious and beautiful young women who frequents the clandestine gambling rooms he spends evenings at. Their platonic relationship is the basis of the plot. The film looks outstanding on the new Criterion Blu-ray edition. The folks at Criterion have performed the usual extensive restoration work that they are famous for, giving this new High definition transfer a pristine presentation. (1080P) The brilliant score by composer Toru Takemitsu has never sounded better. (LPCM 1.0 Japanese audio) A selection of useful supplements round out this impressive new edition of this classic Yakuza film.

This is an easy recommendation.

4.0 out of 5 stars Hot Shots, December 2, 2011

By 

Paul - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pale Flower (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)

The shots of Tokyo that open up Pale Flower are fairly stunning. Pale Flower has great musical score and several nice set pieces set in the Japanese Underworld of the early sixties. I especially liked the horse racing sequence where the droll Yakuza bosses play chess with other people's lives brief though it is. Get out your checklist: Yakuza/Gangster/ Amor Fou/ Stark Cinematography. If those are on your sheet you probably will enjoy Pale Flower.

The extras are a little scant for a Criterion release (hence the deduction of a star) but the transfer and restoration are quite pristine.