The Taisho Trilogy (1980-1991) (Limited Edition)

[Oscar Rothman]

NEW UK/US TITLE: Seijun Suzuki's The Taisho Trilogy (Zigeunerweisen / Kagero-za / Yumeji) (Dual Format Blu-ray & DVD) Limited Edition
Presented together on Blu-ray for the first time outside of Japan, the films in the Taisho Trilogy are considered Suzuki’s masterpieces in his homeland.
Pre-order your copy via Arrow: http://www.arrowfilms.co.uk/shop/ind...product_id=954
North American pre-orders links should be live soon!
Release Dates: 5/6 June
HAUNTING, HYPNOTIC, FLAMBOYANT, EROTIC, BIZARRE… SUZUKI!
After over a decade in the wilderness following his firing from Nikkatsu for Branded to Kill (1967), maverick director Seijun Suzuki returned with a vengeance with his critically-praised tryptic of cryptic supernatural dramas set during the liberal enlightenment of Japan’s Taisho Era (1912-26).
In the multiple Japanese Academy Award-winning Zigeunerweisen (1980), two intellectuals and former colleagues from military academy involve their wives in a series of dangerous sexual games. In Kageroza (1981), a playwright is drawn like a moth to a flame to a mysterious beauty who might be a ghost, while Yumeji (1991) imagines the real-life painter-poet Takehisa Yumeji’s encounter with a beautiful widow with a dark past.
Presented together on Blu-ray for the first time outside of Japan, the films in the Taisho Trilogy are considered Suzuki’s masterpieces in his homeland. Presenting a dramatic turn from more his familiar tales of cops, gangsters and unruly youth, these surrealistic psychological puzzles drip with a lush exoticism, distinctively capturing the pandemonium of a bygone age of decadence and excess, when Western ideas, fashions, technologies and art fused into everyday aspect of Japanese life.
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS
•High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
•Original stereo audio (uncompressed on the Blu-ray)
•Optional English subtitles
•New introductions to each film by critic Tony Rayns
•Making-of featurette
•Vintage interview with Seijun Suzuki
•More to be announced…
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring writing on the films by critic Jasper Sharp and more.

https://www.facebook.com/ArrowAcadem...type=3&theater

[xxnomad]

very cool. love it when i've never heard of the titles.

[Jr7936]

according to the arrow shop, it's also a limited set

[themp3000]

On the short list for best release this year, no doubt. June can't get here soon enough.

[DukeTogo84]

Good news. I never bought the Kino DVD's as I remember reading that the picture quality left a lot to be desired and that the aspect ratio was incorrect? Don't remember the exact details, but will be checking these out.

[javi92]

This is from the Arrow Academy line, right?

Never mind, I see now in the UK thread that it is.

[robocopfan]

Yes They are. Guess that means they are good? Never heard of these films but I am curious.

[Life Without Death]

Anyone have any idea why Arrow US releases take so long to show up on Amazon. It seems to happen especially if a release is both UK and US.

[ticktock60]

Box art

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by ticktock60

Box art

Does it mention the aspect ratio anywhere?

[senseabove]

Disc, case, and book art as well, from their Facebook page:

[Nielsb90]

I think that looks absolutely fantastic.

What can I expect from these films? I've seen Youth of the Beast, Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill but I've heard these are different? What (Japanese) movies would you compare them to?

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by duketogo84

Does it mention the aspect ratio anywhere?

Somebody commented on the Facebook post asking, and they replied with:
Zigeunerweisen - 1.37:1
Kageroza - 1.37:1
Yumeji - 1.66:1

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by Nielsb90

I think that looks absolutely fantastic.

What can I expect from these films? I've seen Youth of the Beast, Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill but I've heard these are different? What (Japanese) movies would you compare them to?

Take the outlandish, over-the-top visual style of his earlier films, and apply them to proto-Lynchian plots full of shifting identities, possible ghosts, convoluted timelines, and a similar penchant for digging into semi-recent social constructs and their ramifications (Taisho-era old-traditions-meet-modern-life Japan, in this case, as opposed to Leave-It-To-Beaver 50s America).

[Telstar]

Originally Posted by senseabove

Take the outlandish, over-the-top visual style of his earlier films...

I've only seen the trilogy via the old KimStim dvds, but I never found the visuals nearly as interesting or original as the earlier films.

[Feiereisel]

Originally Posted by senseabove

take the outlandish, over-the-top visual style of his earlier films, and apply them to proto-lynchian plots full of shifting identities, possible ghosts, convoluted timelines, and a similar penchant for digging into semi-recent social constructs and their ramifications (taisho-era old-traditions-meet-modern-life japan, in this case, as opposed to leave-it-to-beaver 50s america).

Sold!

[javi92]

Looks like a fantastic release. Can't wait for mine the land on the doorstep.

[Rui]

looks beautiful.

[painiac]

i'm curious because i love Suzuki's work, but these seem like a real arty departure. the limited nature has me fidgeting about it

[Telstar]

Originally Posted by painiac

i'm curious because i love Suzuki's work, but these seem like a real arty departure. the limited nature has me fidgeting about it

I like these films for what they are but your fear of fidgeting might be well warranted. Even at their most cerebral Suzuki's earlier stuff is almost always a whole lot of fun, but these are definitely more along the lines of arty head scratchers.