Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru BFI Region 2- PAL vs. Mei Ah Region 0 NTSC vs Criterion Region 1 NTSC Ikiru Criterion DVD BFI Akira Kurosawa Ikiru Criterion DVD BFI Akira Kurosawa Ikiru Criterion DVD BFI Akira Kurosawa Ikiru Criterion DVD BFI Akira Kurosawa Ikiru Criterion DVD BFI Akira Kurosawa Ikiru Criterion DVD BFI Akira Kurosawa Ikiru Criterion DVD BFI Akira Kurosawa Ikiru Criterion DVD BFI Akira Kurosawa Ikiru Criterion DVD BFI Akira Kurosawa Ikiru Criterion DVD BFI Akira Kurosawa Ikiru Criterion DVD BFI Akira Kurosawa Ikiru Criterion DVD BFI Akira Kurosawa

(aka "Doomed", "Living" or "To Live")

Japan 1952

Considered by some to be Akira Kurosawa’s greatest achievement, Ikiru presents the director at his most compassionate—affirming life through an exploration of a man’s death. Takashi Shimura portrays Kanji Watanabe, an aging bureaucrat with stomach cancer forced to strip the veneer off his existence and find meaning in his final days. Told in two parts, Ikiru offers Watanabe’s quest in the present, and then through a series of flashbacks. The result is a multifaceted look at a life through a prism of perspectives, resulting in a full portrait of a man who lacked understanding from others in life. out of

Poster

Theatrical Release: October 9th, 1952 - Japan

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DVD Comparison:

BFI - Region 2- PAL vs. Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Criterion (2 Disc) - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Mikkel Svendstrup of DVDsnak for the BFI screen captures!

(BFI - Region 2- PAL LEFT vs. Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
(click titles for DVDBeaver reviews) Criterion (without the extras) also available in The Essential Art House - 50 Years of Janus Films - a 50-disc celebration of international films collected under the auspices of the groundbreaking theatrical distributor. It contains Alexander Nevsky (1938), Ashes And Diamonds (1958), L'avventura (1960), Ballad Of A Soldier (1959), Beauty And The Beast (1946), Black Orpheus (1959), Brief Encounter (1945), The Fallen Idol (1948), Fires On The Plain (1959), Fists In The Pocket (1965), Floating Weeds (1959), Forbidden Games (1952), The 400 Blows (1959), Grand Illusion (1937), Häxan (1922), Ikiru (1952), The Importance Of Being Earnest (1952), Ivan The Terrible, Part II (1958), Le Jour Se Lève (1939), Jules And Jim (1962), Kind Hearts And Coronets (1949), Knife In The Water (1962), The Lady Vanishes (1938), The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp (1943), Loves Of A Blonde (1965), M (1931), M. Hulot's Holiday (1953), Miss Julie (1951), Pandora's Box (1929), Pépé Le Moko (1937), Il Posto (1961), Pygmalion (1938), Rashomon (1950), Richard III (1955), The Rules Of The Game (1939), Seven Samurai (1954), The Seventh Seal (1957), The Spirit Of The Beehive (1973), La Strada (1954), Summertime (1955), The Third Man (1949), The 39 Steps (1935), Ugetsu (1953), Umberto D. (1952), The Virgin Spring (1960), Viridiana (1961), The Wages Of Fear (1953), The White Sheik (1952), Wild Strawberries (1957), Three Documentaries By Saul J. Turell plus the hardcover, full color 240-page book.
Distribution	BFI Region 2 - PAL	Mei Ah (Hong Kong) Region 0 - NTSC	Criterion Collection - Spine #221 Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	2:17:00 (4% PAL speedup)	1:19:09 + 1:03:39 = 2:22:48	2:22:50
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.84 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.33 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.94 NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: BFI
Bitrate: Mei Ah .
Bitrate: Criterion
Audio	Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles	English (non-removable - player generated)	English, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified) and none	English, and none
Features	Release Information: Studio: BFI Video Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Filmed introduction by Alex Cox • Biography of Akira Kurosawa • Biography of Takashi Shimura DVD Release Date: October 6th, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 20	Release Information: Studio: Mei Ah / Ocean Shores Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Cast Information • Text Screens on Akira Kurosawa DVD Release Date: July 1, 1999 Keep Case Chapters 9	Release Information: Studio: Criterion / Home Vision Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • New high-definition digital transfer, with restored image and sound • Audio commentary by Stephen Prince, author of The Warrior’s Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa • A Message from Akira Kurosawa (2000): a 90-minute documentary produced by Kurosawa productions and featuring interviews with the director on the set of his later films • A 41-minute documentary on Ikiru from the series, Akira Kurosawa: To Create is Beautiful, including interviews with Akira Kurosawa, writer Hideo Oguni, actor Takashi Shimura, and many others • Original theatrical trailer • New and improved English subtitle translation • Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition DVD Release Date: January 6th, 2004 Keep Case Chapters 25

Comments:

ADDITION (January 2004) - BFI Release

The BFI release is very good and only slightly (very slightly) inferior to the Criterion in image quality. In many instances it looks almost identical. Where Criterion takes the cake is the Extras. Unfortunately The BFI has non-removable (but player genrated) subs, but that wouldn't alter me trading up unless I was dieing for the Criterion Features. BFI has done a solid job and I like their subs which are clear and seem different, but accurate. The Alex Cox intro is excellent!

The Criterion is obviously superior in every area. I was moderately happy with the Mei Ah version for the past few years - it allowed me to view the film in a not-too-deplorable state. The biggest failing of the Mei Ah disc are the subtitles. Apparently the Japanese dialogue was translated into Chinese, then the Chinese translated into English - so there are flaws. Also the spelling is poor and the image is cropped. The Mei Ah is a DVD 10 - two sides/one layer.

The Criterion is full of Extras that I have only skimmed through at this time. There is a commentary and a whole seconds disc to peruse. I almost always say when I see a upper-echelon Criterion DVD (higher priced) that this is the best the film will ever look, but I am a shade hesitant in this case. There are some visible damage spots on the Criterion image. I see similar markings on the Mei Ah meaning the existing print is flawed. I will say that this is the best this film has looked since it was shown theatrically. Great contrast is Criterion's hallmark, this DVD is no exception. Wonderful subs. I did notice some flickering brightness throughout the film which can be distracting. The audio is only sub-par as well but regardless this DVD is a must-own for film fans around the world. out of

- Gary W. Tooze

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

Tokyo Story

by Yasujiro Ozu, Kogo Noda, Donald Richie, Eric Klestadt

Ozu by Donald Ritchie

A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie

Check out more in "The Library"

DVD Menus

(BFI - Region 2- PAL LEFT vs. Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

Subtitle Sample