Part of the BFI's Yasujiro Ozu collection, this 2-disc DVD set focuses on his crime films. These rare, silent works mix the excitement of American and European thrillers with compositions that served as a forerunner to Ozu's renowned, mature, post-war style.
All films are presented here with newly commissioned scores by Ed Hughes.
In Walk Cheerfully (Hogaraka ni ayume), Kenji 'the Knife' Koyama, leader of a gang of hooligans, falls for the virtuous Yasue. Will he go straight to win her heart or carry on his life of petty crime? Reminiscent of Sternberg's Underworld with its expressionist lighting, Walk Cheerfully combines international cinematic influences with Ozu's own comic touches.
That Night's Wife(Sono yo no tsuma) follows young father Shuji as he turns to crime to pay his daughter's medical bills. Enter Detective Kagawa for a tense night-time stand-off with Shuji's wife, Mayumi. That Night's Wife demonstrates Ozu's masterly handling of drama as the film reaches its emotional climax.
In Dragnet Girl (Hijosen no onna), sweet-faced Tokiko (played by Tanaka Kinuyo [Equinox Flower]) is an ordinary typist, but come nightfall she's a fun-loving gangster's moll. When her boyfriend strays, Tokiko is forced to reassess her life. Hugely popular when it was released, Ozu's Dragnet Girl remains one of his most enduring silent films
Extras
A Straightforward Boy (1929, 13 mins): a kidnapped boy gets the better of the baddies in this surviving fragment of the film, directed by Ozu, which shot Tomio Aoki, its young star, to fame
Ozu: Emotion and Poetry (2012, 10 mins): extract from Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns' 2010 lecture
Fully illustrated booklet with newly commissioned essays
Additional Information
More Information
SKU
5035673009512
Catalogue Number
BFIVD951
Subtitle
Ozu, Yasujiro
Product contents
2 discs
Year
1930, 1933
Director
Ozu, Yasujiro
Format
DVD
Publisher(s)
BFI
Countries
Japan
Colour
Black & White
Sound
All films are presented with newly commissioned scores by Ed Hughes
