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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka 'Higanbana' or 'Equinox Flower')
Yasujiro Ozu's first colour film, Equinox Flower is a deft comedy that takes an ironic glance at the decline of paternal authority. Shin Saburi plays Wataru Hirayama, an old-fashioned father whose outwardly liberal views on marriage are severely tested when his daughter tells him she wants a love-match. Outwitted and outflanked by his wily female relatives Hirayama stubbornly refuses to admit defeat. The director s playful use of colour, poetry and arch humour combine to make this tale of old versus new at once deeply moving and razor-sharp. *** Another close examination of family life, Ozu's first, gorgeous colour film is presented from the viewpoint of the younger generation. Focusing on a modern young woman (Fujiko Yamamoto) who wishes to choose her husband over her father's objections, Ozu opens an age-old discussion on respect for the beliefs and values of elders and the tensions spawned by youthful rebellion. As the father is slowly won over, the entire family is subjected to Ozu's gentle irony and loving detail. The colour enhances the tone and mood of the film and showcases Yamamoto's famous beauty. The film begins and ends ironically on the railway - first with a warning sign 'strong winds expected', finally with a train gliding into a blissful autumn afternoon, all parties reconciled. |
Posters
Theatrical Release: September 7th, 1958
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Panorama Entertainment - Region 3 - NTSC vs. Tartan (Ozu Volume 3) - Region 2 - PAL vs. BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
1) Panorama - Region 3 - NTSC - LEFT2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE3) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - RIGHT |
DVD Box Cover |
Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best... |
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Distribution | Panorama Entertainment (HK) - Region 3 - NTSC |
Tartan Region 2 - PAL |
BFI Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:57:24 | 1:53:05 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:57:34.250 |
Video | 1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.66 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.51 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 44,031,829,529 bytesFeature: 25,260,834,816 bytesVideo Bitrate: 24.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate: Panorama |
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Bitrate: Tartan |
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Bitrate: Blu-ray |
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Audio | Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0) | 2.0 Dolby Digital Japanese Mono | LPCM Audio Japanese 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit |
Subtitles | English, Chinese, None | English, None | English, None |
Features |
Release Information: Edition Details: • Director
Filmography |
Release Information: Studio: Tartan Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
• Liner notes by Doug Cummings Chapters 16 |
Release Information: Studio: BFI.
1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 44,031,829,529 bytesFeature: 25,260,834,816 bytesVideo Bitrate: 24.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Standard Definition and High Definition presentations of Equinox Flower and There Was a Father (DVD & Blu-ray)• Fully illustrated booklet features newly commissioned sleevenote essays by Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns
Blu-ray Release Date: January 17th, 2011 Standard Blu-ray case Chapters 12 |
Comments: |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were obtained directly from the Blu-ray disc. ADDITION: BFI Region 'B' Blu-ray January 11'': The BFI Blu-ray transfer looks very good. It advances extensively over both DVDs. This was Ozu's first color film and this marks one of the major improvements. Skin tones tell a lot between the Tartan and the 1080P BFI rendering. The BFI has stronger blues and shows more information in the frame. Contrast is superior as well on the hi-def visuals. There is some very consistent grain visible and while not a perfect image - it is, by far, the best we have seen digitally. I was very impressed with the appearance as it was far beyond my expectations. Audio is lossless and another improvement and the optional subtitle translations seem excellent. My Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'B'-locked. T he disc includes another Ozu masterpiece, There Was a Father , in 1080P (compared HERE) as well the package contains standard definition versions of both films on a separate DVD and a fully illustrated booklet featuring newly commissioned sleevenote essays by Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns.I'm so very glad to own these Ozu films on Blu-ray. When we reviewed the Panorama DVD many years ago - who would have ever thought we would be able to see it so dramatically improved in comfort of our own home theater. Strongly recommended! ***
ON THE TARTAN: Comparing: The Tartan is far less green than the Panorama (which may not be a good thing) but it does look better - superior in both contrast and detail. The big bonus is that the subtitles are vastly better than the Panorama. The Tartan is the definitive version at present. ON THE PANORAMA: This is the 'Ozu Yasujiro: 100th Anniversary Collection 8 - Equinox Flower'. Nothing particularly new from Panorama - I do think this may be one of the best image quality DVDs of the set so far. It's damn fine. Still the slight green filter, but very sharp and colors look grand. Same troubles over subtitles - either spelling, grammar or slightly awkward - but it is fairly infrequent. Same extras as in others - text Director Bio' and 'Filmography' screens. I hope the upcoming Tartan Boxset (Box # 3)release equals or eclipses the visual and I am sure they will better the subtitles. Audio was soft (almost faint) and had a few hiss', but otherwise acceptable. Great film value - here's hoping Criterion does it with all the trimmings. Colleagues may think this rating is generous, but at least they were first released with English subs - out of |
Menus
1) Panorama - Region 3 - NTSC - LEFT2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT |
BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample
1) Panorama - Region 3 - NTSC - TOP2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE3) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Panorama - Region 3 - NTSC - TOP2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE3) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Panorama - Region 3 - NTSC - TOP2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE3) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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DVD Box Cover |
Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best... |
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Distribution | Panorama Entertainment (HK) - Region 3 - NTSC |
Tartan Region 2 - PAL |
BFI Region 'B' - Blu-ray |