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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(a
ka 'Дерсу Узала' or "Dersu Uzala") 5A few months after his notorious suicide attempt,
Japanese filmmaker
Akira Kurosawa was regenerated by the notion of
helming the first Russian/Japanese co-production. Co-scripted and
directed by
Kurosawa, Dersu Uzala is the story of an elderly
guide and Goldi hunter (Maxim Munzuk), who, at the turn of the century,
agrees to shepherd a Russian explorer (Yuri Solomin) and a troop of
soldiers through the most treacherous passages of the Far East. The
guide has been "one" with the land almost from birth, and is thus able
to save his party from perishing. Four years in the making, Dersu Uzala
won the 1976 Best Foreign Film Oscar and restored the flagging Akira
Kurosawa to the top ranks of the Japanese film industry. *** Dersu Uzala is told through the eyes of a
Russian topographer, Captain Arseniev (Yuri Solomin), who leads a
military expedition in 1902 to map the Ussuri region of Siberia, near
the border of China. One night, their camp is stumbled upon by a squat,
comical hunter, Dersu Uzala (Maksim Munzuk), a superstitious
member of the Goldi people, a vestige of the region's more primitive
inhabitants. At first, the soldiers scoff at Dersu's peculiar habits:
conversing with a crackling fire, reading footprints in uncanny detail,
insisting they leave a store of supplies behind when they depart from a
vacant shack (so the next inhabitant will have food and fire). *** Dersu Uzala is the
enthralling tale of an eccentric Mongolian frontiersman (Maxim Munzuk)
who is taken on as a guide by a Soviet surveying crew. While the
soldiers at first perceive Dersu as a naive and comical relic of an
uncivilized age, he quickly proves himself otherwise with displays of
ingenuity and bravery unmatched by any member of the inexperienced
mapping team, on more than one occasion becoming their unlikely saviour.
An amazing true story based on the memoir by Russian explorer Vladimir
Arsenyev. |
Posters
Release Date: July 1975 (Moscow Film Festival)
Image Entertainment NTSC Region 0 vs. Spectrum Region 3 (3 Discs) vs. Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
NOTE: R3 details and screen caps courtesy of Kevin Parent
Box Covers |
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BONUS CAPTURES: | |||
Distribution | Image
Entertainment - Kino Region 0 NTSC |
Spectrum
- 3 Discs
Region 3/6 encoded |
Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 2:23:30 min | 2:15:30 / American Version - 2:21min | 2:21:45.708 |
Video | Original
Aspect Ratio, 2.35:1 Letterboxed WideScreen Average Bitrate: 6.43 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s |
2.20:1
widescreen Anamorphic versions on Disc 1 + 2 , a
2.35:1
Letterboxed WideScreen version on
Disc 3. Average Bitrate: 6.33 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
2.35 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 49,200,854,952 bytes bytesFeature: 42,458,861,568 bytes Video Bitrate: 29.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
Audio | Russian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) |
Russian Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1 |
DTS-HD Master Audio Russian
3583 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3583 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz /
1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio English
3919 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3919 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz /
1509 kbps / 24-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -31dB |
Subtitles | English or none | Korean, Russian, English or none | English or none |
Features |
Edition Details:
• All Regions
________________________ |
Disc 1: Movie (original version), part one
Special features:
Disc 2: Movie, part two
(same audio and subtitle options)
Special Features
Length of movie (Part 1 - Disc 1 ): 1 hour, 7.5
minutes
Length of movie (Part 2 - Disc 2 ): 1 hour, 8 minutes _____________________________
Disc 3: American Version of the Film - Widescreen 2.35:1
(no special features)
Length of movie: 2 hours, 21 minutes
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Release Information: Studio: Imprint
2.35 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 49,200,854,952 bytes bytesFeature: 42,458,861,568 bytes Video Bitrate: 29.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: • NEW Audio commentary by Japanese film expert Stuart Galbraith IVNEW Mapping Kurosawa: A History of Dersu Uzala – with film writer and historian Michael Brooke (23:16) NEW Sound of the Taiga – video essay by music historian David Schecter on the score (17:59) Actor Yuri Solomin on writer Vladimir Arseniev (3:54) Actor Yuri Solomin on director Akira Kurosawa (9:05) Actor Yuri Solomin discusses the film (6:56) Making the Film – short documentary (5:02) Archive footage of the real Vladimir Arseniev (0:53) US Trailer (2:26)r
Transparent Blu-ray Case inside slipcase (see below) Chapters 28 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
Imprint have transferred Akira Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala
to Blu-ray. This was the director's
only non-Japanese-language film and his only 70mm film. It
NOTE: We have added 38 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
On their
Blu-ray,
Imprint offer the choice of a lossy Dolby 5.1 surround track (24-bit) in the
original Russian language or a surround English DUB. It did have a 70 mm
6-Track in the Russian print with it being reduced to 35mm and mono in the
West. Dersu Uzala
has a subtle score credited to Isaac Schwarts, a prominent Soviet and
Russian composer of Jewish descent. It suits the Russian Far East wilderness
environment of Dersu Uzala. There is not a lot of music in the film
(about 1/2 hour). There are some notable separations involving the weather
(howling wind, birds animals, rivers etc.) and it sounds quite effective in
the lossless. Imprint offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE
Blu-ray.
The Imprint
Blu-ray
offers a new commentary by Japanese film
expert Stuart Galbraith IV (author of
The Japanese Filmography:
A Complete Reference to 209 Filmmakers and the over 1250 Films Released in
the United States, 1900 Through 1994.) He talks about the film's
origins, including historical background on its real-life counterparts, the
production and release putting it all in to historical, cultural and
industrial context. We also here from Jonathan C. Slat a biologist who
explored much of the same territory covered in the film and who translated
the first unabridged version of Vladimir Arsenev's writings. Also in the
commentary we hear from Sergey Glebov who is a historian of the Russian
Empire / USSR specializing in political, intellectual and cultural history
at both Smith and Amherst Colleges. Stuart also talks with Barbara Boyle,
the attorney who represented Roger Corman's New World Films to discuss
Dersu Uzala's acquisition and release in the United States. It's quite a
full commentary for the two hour 20-minute film. So much is covered. Great
job Stuart! We also get Michael Brooke's new 23-minute Mapping Kurosawa:
A History of Dersu Uzala – and he likewise documents much of the film's
history and the fact that Kurosawa had long known of Arsenyev's book and had
planned to make a film version very early in his career, Kurosawa's
attempted suicide etc. It is another excellent piece by Michael full of
factual details. Imprint also include Sound of the Taiga – an
18-minute video essay by music historian David Schecter discussing Isaac
Schwarts' score, how it co-ordinates with the film, a history of the
composer's career as well as Kurosawa's other film music. There are three
separate video pieces with actor Yuri Solomin discussing writer Arsenev,
director Akira Kurosawa and
Dersu Uzala.
Lastly are a short 'Making the Film' piece, archive footage of the real
Vladimir Arsenev and a US Trailer.
Dersu Uzala
is based on a 1923 memoir by Russian explorer Vladimir Arsenev. The
title refers to the
name of a native trapper.
It shows a deep friendship of two men from totally different
backgrounds.
Dersu Uzala
was filmed over two years in the far reaches of Siberia and won the Best
Foreign-Language Film Oscar in 1976.
It's a masterpiece and it's very gratifying to see a label fearlessly
tackle the prevalent issue of the ineffectual film stock and boldly put
it on a stacked
Blu-ray
with commentary, video essay and much more. This should garner some
votes in our year-end poll for the film if not the image. For Kurosawa
fans, and beyond, though this is a must-own. Thanks for the effort
Imprint!
***
Look at the clipping in the white snow ( captures #3, #4) in the Korean Disc 1 image (bottom pictures)! They nuked all detail in their effort to make the snow appear more white. For shame.
I would buy the Image disc although the Spectrum has better extras, it has correct aspect ratio, colors and framing to my eye. Unfortunately all image discs are video-sourced.
Note: The Spectrum Disc One has an extremely bad shimmering problem.
|
Package - Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Recommended Reading for Japanese Film Fans (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
The Japan Journals : 1947-2004, by Donald Richie |
The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film by Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp |
Kon Ichikawa (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs) by James Quandt, Cinematheque Ontario |
Shohei Imamura (Cinematheque
Ontario Monographs, No. 1) by James Quandt |
Eros Plus Massacre: An
Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema
(Midland Book, Mb 469) by David Desser |
The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Ritchie |
Ozu by Donald Ritchie |
A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie |
Check out more in "The Library"
Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample - Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
1) Image Entertainment - Kino TOP LEFT 2) Spectrum Disc 3 TOP RIGHT 3) Spectrum - Disc 1 MIDDLE 4) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Image Entertainment - Kino TOP LEFT 2) Spectrum Disc 3 TOP RIGHT 3) Spectrum - Disc 1 MIDDLE 4) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Image Entertainment - Kino TOP LEFT 2) Spectrum Disc 3 TOP RIGHT 3) Spectrum - Disc 1 MIDDLE 4) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Image Entertainment - Kino TOP LEFT 2) Spectrum Disc 3 TOP RIGHT 3) Spectrum - Disc 1 MIDDLE 4) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Image Entertainment - Kino TOP LEFT 2) Spectrum Disc 3 TOP RIGHT 3) Spectrum - Disc 1 MIDDLE 4) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE
Box Covers |
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BONUS CAPTURES: |
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Distribution | Image
Entertainment - Kino Region 0 NTSC |
Spectrum
- 3 Discs
Region 3/6 encoded |
Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Alternate Version |
NOTE: there is also another DVD version of
this film from RusCiCo, The Russian Cinema Council:
Click to access
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Audio: Russian, English, French
Subtitles: Russian, English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portugese, Japanese, Herbew, Swedish, Chinese, Arabic Special Features:
NOTE: the first two discs are exactly the same as the Korean, except added subtitles. |
DVD Release Date:
May 23, 2002 Keep Case Chapters: 27 |
DVD Release Date:
September 3, 2002 Keep Case Disc 1 + 2 - 22 Chapters: Disc 3 - 10 Chapters |