Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara – Criterion Collection — dvd box set review
Before embarking on this set of reviews, I must admit, Kobo Abe is my favorite author. Haruki Murakami may have introduced me to the world of Japanese surrealist literature, with his outstanding effort, The Wind Up Bird Chronicle (it too, a personal favorite), but Kobo Abe is my drug of choice. Japan’s premier intellectual existential-surrealist, Kobo Abe’s works are inevitably tragic tales of loss and alienation, more often than not featuring a protagonist firmly grounded in a scientific discipline and confronted with the profoundly illogical. They’re eerie, thought provoking works; all elegantly paced and evidencing true mastery of the storytelling art.
So you can imagine my excitement at being able to review a set of not one, but three films based on the works of Kobo Abe. Make that three films by Hiroshi Teshigahara (whom, I might add, shares my birth day), Japan’s visual surrealist extraordinaire. Artist, director, cinematographer, his films employ traditional Japanese cinematographic conventions, with a healthy dash of Cocteau and Emersonian philosophy, the environmental landscapes being just a much characters as the humans that inhabit them.
My first reaction is to exclaim, “Quit reading this review. Go buy this set now!” But to do so would deny Criterion’s wonderful DVD set the treatment I’ve given previous collections, including their Rebel Samurai Collection, and Panik House’s own Pinky Violence Collection. And, really, what a nice collection it is. As with their Antoine Doinel Box set, each disc in the Teshigahara collection is housed in its own slim, paper digipack case, which in turn is stored in a thicker collection box, whose cover art features an large embossed image of a fingerprint, fully keeping with the sense of mystery found in each film.
So, like those, this review will be a bit of an event. I will review each film in the set individually (in order of spine number), updating the article with their individual reviews. You can click into the article for the film review, as well as a full rundown and review of the special features included on its disc. Lastly, I will update this article with the review of the special features disc, as well as a final verdict on the set. Enjoy!
Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara hits DVD July 10th, 2007.
The Films:
The Supplements:
The extras disc included with the set features a documentary on the history of collaborations between Abe and Teshigahara. The piece features a number of film scholars, as well as architect Arata Isozaki, who go on to discuss Abe an Teshigahara’s early relationship and history as founding members of the Century Club, through their collaborative efforts, which incidentally opened the door for contemporary novel to film translations, and ultimately to their roles following their last film collaboration, The Ruined Map. The material presented is definitely interesting, and a legitimate documentar — as far from EPK fluff as one can get.
And then there are the short films, each about 20 to 30 minutes in length:
Hokusai, Teshigahara’s first film, focuses on the work and life of famous wood-block artist Katsushika Hokusai (you know, the guy responsible for those iconic waves pictures). The film analyzes his prints in closeup, and where applicable providing narration, from Japanese kabuki performance to historical quotes, to illustrate the goings on in the various scenes. Definitely watch this one before heading to the SF Asian Art Museum.
Ikebana focuses on Teshigahara’s Sogetsu School, a “center for modern sculpture and pottery”. Being that the documentary was made before Teshigahara retired from film to return to the sogetsu school, the documentary features the work of his father, the grand master Sofu Teshigahara. If you’ve ever had any interest in Ikebana, this is one to watch.
Tokyo 1958 focuses on Japanese life in 1958. The piece is narrated in French and English, and covers all things from Japanese infrastructure and cultural curiosities to fads, including makeup and exercise. It has a number of inventive special effects, from paintings come to life to sudden transitions from black and white to color.
Ako (aka: White Morning) is a short film focusing a “night in the life of a young girl and her rowdy friends”. The film stands out as the one fictional entry in the short film set, and features a freer Teshigahara in terms of visual style. It’s fun and funky, very French new-wave, and definitely worth a watch. It’s worth noting, the girl who stars will be later seen as the scarred woman in The Face of Another.
All in all these extras constitute another two and a half hours of material, hardly a mere supplement.
Lastly, the set features a 62 page book, featuring four essays and an interview with Teshigahara by Max Tessier, from the book Le ceinema Japonaise au present: 1959-1984. Now, I personally haven’t had time to read the material presented here, but it looks substantial.
All in all, Thee Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara is an absolutely killer set from Criterion. Three wonderful films, a disc of genuinely worthwhile supplements, stellar audio and visual quality, and a sizable book of essays. What more could you want? An absolute must buy for the Japanese film enthusiast.
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