Fighting Elegy Seijun Suzuki

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

(aka "Elegy to Violence" or "The Born Fighter" or "Kenka erejii")

Japan 1966

Violence as a release for repressed sexual desire is the main theme in this poker-faced comedy and brilliant fascist allegory about young Japanese males who find that a good rumble relieves the tension caused by a lack of masturbation in their lives. Gorgeously filmed in ‘Scope, this was Suzuki’s penultimate film for Nikkatsu Studio before being promptly fired for his work on “Branded to Kill.” Even if this lacks many of the visual stylings that have come to characterize Suzuki’s work, this film is proof positive that he is also a gifted comedic director and one of the defining filmmakers in Japanese cinema.

Adam Lemke

Theatrical Release: Japan 1966

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DVD Review: Criterion Collection - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Criterion Collection - Spine # 269 Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1.26.06
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
Audio	Monaural
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Collection Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • New, restored high-definition digital transfer • Original theatrical trailer • improved English subtitles • Essay by critic/historian Tony Rayns DVD Release Date: 01/11/05 Keep Case Chapters 18

Comments

Don’t let the lack of extras deter you from this release in the slightest, this disc is a must-own for anyone interested in Japanese cinema. Criterion has improved upon the somewhat mucky transfers of their earlier Suzuki releases and turned out a gorgeous transfer that despite some occasional print damage represents the apex for Suzuki on DVD.

The liner notes essay by Tony Rayns is indispensable, but the real gem here is the film, which I think you will see, speaks for itself.

- Adam Lemke

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Recommended Reading (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	Kon Ichikawa (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs) by James Quandt, Cinematheque Ontario	Shohei Imamura (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs, No. 1) by James Quandt	Silver Screen Samurai: The Best of Japan's Samurai Movie Posters by Na	The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Ritchie	The Yakuza Movie Book : A Guide to Japanese Gangster Films by Mark Schilling	Japanese Movie Posters: Yakuza, Monster, Pink, and Horror by Chuck Stephens, Tetsuya Masuda, Kairakutei Black	A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie