Madadayo Blu-ray Tatsuo Matsumura Kurosawa

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

We have started a Patreon page with the hopes that some of our followers would be willing to donate to keep DVDBeaver alive. We are a small niche, so your generosity is vital to our existence.

To those that are unfamiliar, Patreon is a secure/verified third-party service where users can agree to a monthly donation via credit card or PayPal by clicking the button below.

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Madadayo" or "Not Yet")

U.S. 1993

It seems only fitting that Akira Kurosawa’s last film (which he wrote and directed) be an homage to teaching. After all, he inspired many of today’s respected directors and is taught in film schools internationally. Madadayo is a sweetly overlong portrayal of an interconnected community whose center is a beloved professor.

Excerpt from FilmCritic.com located HERE

Poster

Theatrical Release Date: September 12th, 1993

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Fox / Lorber - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Jesnet - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Thanks to Gregory for the Fox /Lorber Screen Captures

1) Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Fox / Lorber Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Jesnet - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - RIGHT

DVD Box Covers	Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best...		*Available in the Jesnet Box with four films on Blu-ray directed by Akira Kurosawa; "Rashomon," "Ran," "Madadayo," and "The Quiet Duel* (Shizukanaru Ketto)**
Distribution	Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC	Fox / Lorber Region 1 - NTSC	Jesnet Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	2:14:05	2:13:56	2:14:13.445
Video	1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.38 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.82 NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	Disc Size: 38,899,775,648 bytes Feature Size: 36,895,660,032 bytes Total Bitrate: 36.65 Mbps Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Mei Ah
Bitrate: Fox Lorber
Bitrate: Blu-ray
Audio	Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)	Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)	LPCM Audio Japanese 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Subtitles	English, Traditional Chinese, Simplifies Chinese and none	English, and none	Japanese, and none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Mei Ah Laser Company Theatrical Release Date: July 11, 1957 Aspect Ratio(s): Widescreen letterbox - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Synopsis • Color, Widescreen • Cast and Crew text screens • Widescreen letterbox format DVD Release Date: 1999 Keep Case Chapters 9	Release Information: Studio: Fox Lorber Aspect Ratio(s): Widescreen letterbox - 1.85:1 Discographic Information: DVD Encoding: Region 1 Available Audio Tracks: Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) Available subtitles: English Edition Details: • Color • Theatrical trailer • Filmographies for Akira Kurosawa, Tatsuo Matsumura, Kyoko Kagawa, and Hisashi Igawa • Akira Kurosawa's storyboard illustrations • Widescreen letterbox format DVD Release Date: March 13th, 2001 Keep Case Chapters 16	Release Information: Studio: Jesnet Disc Size: 38,899,775,648 bytes Feature Size: 36,895,660,032 bytes Total Bitrate: 36.65 Mbps Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Edition Details: • none Blu-ray Release Date: February 6th, 2009 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 39

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were obtained directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION Jesnet Blu-ray Feb 2009: I really don't have a lot to say here. This only comes in the Jesnet Box with four other films on Blu-ray - also directed by Akira Kurosawa; "Rashomon," "Ran," "Madadayo," and "The Quiet Duel (Shizukanaru Ketto)" It includes 34-page booklet with photos (Japanese text only). It couldn't help but improve visually over the DVDs. It shows the authentic greenish haze that many Japanese films embody. The ridiculous boosting of the DVDs is accentuated by the relative clarity of the 1080P, dual-layered, transfer which also shows more information in the frame. I'm not crazy about exposing the rounded corners though and it's not especially detailed. The image is flat and lifeless. I suspect an impediment but reviewing the others in the box should shed some light. For now - beware - this doesn't look good folks.

The Linear audio seemed crisp, tight and clear. There are, unfortunately, no English subtitles (only Japanese) and I can find no extra features on this disc.

This may be my favorite Kurosawa film and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even without subs. So, we know it can look far superior - we only need an English-friendly hi-def edition and I'll die a happy man. Criterion, where are you now?

***

ON THE DVDs: First of all, neither of these editions is worthy to grovel at the feet of Kurosawa or this perfect film. A shameful state of affairs when there is no decent DVD representation for one of the greatest directors-of-all-time's last film. I think the Mei Ah is slightly better in image quality, but it also has contrast boosting, teeming with edge enhancement, lack of decent extras and terrible sub-titles... ARGHHHH... this really bothers me.

The only reason I am going with one hazy image over the other is the skin tones that are way too red in the Fox / Lorber. Don't buy either copy, but find some way to see this masterpiece film.

- Gary W. Tooze

DVD Menu
(Mei Ah R0 - NTSC-Left vs. Fox / Lorber R1 - NTSC-Right)

Screen Captures

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

1) Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Fox / Lorber Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Jesnet - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Fox / Lorber Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Jesnet - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Fox / Lorber Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Jesnet - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Fox / Lorber Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Jesnet - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Fox / Lorber Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Jesnet - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Fox / Lorber Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Jesnet - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

More Blu-ray grabs!

Recommended Reading for Kurosawa Fans (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film by Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp	Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema (Midland Book, Mb 469) by David Desser	Akira Kurosawa and Intertextual Cinema by James Goodwin	Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema (Asia-Pacific.) by Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto	The Warrior's Camera by Stephen Prince	The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Ritchie	The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune by Stuart Galbraith IV	Something Like an Autobiography by Akira Kurosawa	A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie

Check out more in "The Library"

DVD Box Covers

Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best...

Available in the Jesnet Box with four films on Blu-ray directed by Akira Kurosawa; "Rashomon," "Ran," "Madadayo," and "The Quiet Duel (Shizukanaru Ketto)

Distribution

Mei Ah

Region 0 - NTSC

Fox / Lorber
Region 1 - NTSC

Jesnet
Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Hit Counter

Report Card:

Image:	Blu-ray
Sound:	Blu-ray
Extras:	Fox / Lorber
Menu:	-