This year marks the 120th anniversary of Japanese filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu’s birth. From his early silent films to his final features in the 1960s, Ozu perfected a style that stripped away unnecessary plot mechanics and camera movement. In doing so, he produced a cinema whose surface simplicity belies character studies of depth, warmth and on occasion, humour.
This new set features three newly restored films, all presented on Blu-ray in the UK for the first time:
Dragnet Girl (1933, 101 mins)
Sweet-faced Tokiko is an ordinary typist by day, but come nightfall she’s a fun-loving gangster’s moll. When herboyfriend 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. Featuring a score by Ed Hughes.
Record of a Tenement Gentleman (1947, 71 mins)
Kohei, a boy who has been abandoned by his father, develops a relationship with a widow, Tane. Although she initiallyresists the child, the pair begin to develop a bond amid the turbulence of post-war Tokyo.
A Hen in the Wind (1948, 84 mins)
In a Japan recently devastated by war, a devoted, near-destitute mother turns to prostitution to pay for her son’smedical care after he falls dangerously ill.
Extras
All three films newly restored and presented in High Definition
New audio commentary on Dragnet Girl by Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns
New audio commentary on Record of a Tenement Gentleman by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp
New audio commentary on A Hen in the Wind by film critic Adrian Martin
**FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet with essays on the films by Bryony Dixon, Tony Rayns and Jonathan Rosenbaum and notes on his score for Dragnet Girl by Ed Hughes
