See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

16 used & new from $13.80

See All Buying Options

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Share with Friends

See larger image

Share your own customer images

Maborosi (1997)

Starring: Makiko Esumi, Takashi Nait� Director: Hirokazu Koreeda Rating: Unrated Format: DVD

3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (35 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.

5 new from $39.85 11 used from $13.80

Also Available in:	List Price:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
VHS Tape			10 used & new from $2.45

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Summer Blockbuster Sale: For a limited time, get big budget films for low budget prices. Save big on hit films. Hurry, offer ends soon. Shop now.
Save up to 57% on Pixar Classics: Exhilarated by Up? Get all your Pixar favorites now and save up to 57% off. See details.

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	69% buy the item featured on this page: Maborosi 3.8 out of 5 stars (35)
	13% buy Nobody Knows 4.4 out of 5 stars (50) $13.99
	8% buy After Life 4.4 out of 5 stars (69)
	5% buy The Taste of Tea 4.5 out of 5 stars (8) $22.49

Explore similar items

Product Details

Actors: Makiko Esumi, Takashi Nait�, Tadanobu Asano, Gohki Kashiyama, Naomi Watanabe
Directors: Hirokazu Koreeda
Writers: Teru Miyamoto, Yoshihisa Ogita
Producers: Naoe Gozu, Yutaka Shigenobu
Format: Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Number of discs: 1
Rating: Unrated
Studio: New Yorker Video
DVD Release Date: November 21, 2000
Run Time: 110 minutes

Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (35 customer reviews)

ASIN: B00004WIE5
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #51,598 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

For more information about "Maborosi" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Hirokazu Kore-eda's haunting, graceful Japanese film features a concentrated and powerfully reserved performance by Makiko Esumi as Yumiko, a young woman whose life is defined by the death and disappearance of her loved ones. As a child, she witnessed her grandmother's walking away from her family; as an adult, she must face the fact that her husband has committed suicide.

Impeccably lit and framed, this self-consciously classical first feature blends characteristics of two of the great Japanese masters: a sensitive portrait of a woman's suffering is reminiscent of Mikio Naruse and a serene, minimalist style is suggestive of Yasujiro Ozu. At times, Kore-eda seems to be trudging too dutifully in the path of his illustrious predecessors, and there is little in the film that could be qualified as original. Yet Maborosi remains convincing in its subtle, sustained moods and the quiet confidence of its approach. --Dave Kehr

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

After Life

DVD ~ Arata

4.4 out of 5 stars (69)

Nobody Knows

DVD ~ Y�ya Yagira

4.4 out of 5 stars (50) $13.99

Hana: The Tale of a Reluctant Samurai

DVD ~ Yoshio Harada

3.7 out of 5 stars (6) $13.49

Shall We Dance?

DVD ~ K�ji Yakusho

4.8 out of 5 stars (187) $11.49

Ugetsu - Criterion Collection

DVD ~ Masayuki Mori

4.8 out of 5 stars (50) $31.99

› Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

japanese cinema(4)

asian cinema(3)

japan(3)

asian film(2)

hirokazu koreeda(2)

independent film(2)

art-house cinema(1)

dvd(1)

families(1)

grief(1)

japanese film(1)

See all 16 tags...

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Customer Reviews

35 Reviews

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

Average Customer Review

3.8 out of 5 stars (35 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Follow the Light, June 18, 2004

By	Daitokuji31 (Black Glass) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

If one is familiar with Kore-eda's later film _After Life_ one already knows that death and memory play key parts in his films. After creating stellar documentaries concerning such subjects as AIDS and what it is like for a Korean man passing himself off as Japanese for decades, Kore-eda created _Maborosi_ a film that takes a close look at the greif caused by losing a loved one.

The film starts off by showing a young girl named Yumiko trying to convince her grandmother to return home, however, the grandmother is determined to return home to die. Yumiko is unable to prevent her grandmother from leaving and this weighs on her young mind. Warp twelve or so years later and Yumiko is married to her childhood friend Ikuo and is the mother of a three year old son. Yumiko and Ikuo are far from well off, they live in a very small apartment with incredibly thin walls, but they seem to be decently happy. Well, at least Yumiko seems happy. After her husband brings home his bike and leaves with an umbrella, the next thing we learn is that he was killed walking on the train tracks. A suspected suicide.

Time passes and Yumiko's mother arranges her a marriage with a widower who lives in Kanazawa. Unlike her small apartment, Yumiko and her son move into a large old house with her new husband, his father, and his daughter. Ikuo gets along beautifully with his step-grandfather and step-sister and while it seems Yumiko likes her husband well enough, the shadow of Ikuo is always preasant.

This is a gorgeous film. Kore-eda does a wonderful job depicting the living conditions of a lower working class family and goes on to show ramshackle, but lovely older homes by the sea. Yumiko's husband's home looks incredibly shabby on the outside, but the polished hardwood floors and traditional furniture are extraordinary. Kore-eda also pays close attention to nature by showing the natural beauty of the region.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love Japanese culture, you'll love this film, December 30, 2003

By	R. Wingate (Windermere, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Maborosi (Maboroshi no Hikari) is a beautiful film. It's simply one of the best movies in my Japanese collection (which isn't small). Not that having lived for several years in the rural area where much of the movie is set biases my opinion.

The imagery and music are wonderful. The story is contemplative and haunting. Esumi Makiko is beautiful. The acting is as natural as the Japanese countryside. Even after many viewings, this movie holds up -- I wish I could find more like this one.