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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka 'Scandal' or 'Shubun - Sukyandaru')
Japan 1950
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Akira Kurosawa's Scandal — as relevant now as when made — is a pointed
attack on the rising power of the press and their practices in the
newly-Americanized postwar Japan of 1950. Kurosawa was outraged by the gutter
press' actions, where "personal privacy is never respected", and by how the
public's voyeuristic tendency to delve deeper into the lives of celebrities only
encouraged this disrespect. Stirred to broaden his film's scope, Kurosawa made
the film a study of personal honour, one which highlights the need for ordinary
individuals to speak out against injustice and corruption. On holiday in the snow-covered mountains, young painter Ichiro Aoye (Toshiro Mifune) has a chance meeting with the popular singer Miyako Saijo (Shirley Yamaguchi). After giving her a ride back to the hotel where they are both staying, Ichiro is photographed with Miyako by paparazzi. A magazine creates an exposé of their 'secret romance' based around this photograph, and the brooding Ichiro ignites a bitter and dirty libel case in order to restore their honor. Scandal stars many great Japanese actors of the time including Noriko Sengoku (Drunken Angel, Seven Samurai) and Takashi Shimura (Ikiru, Seven Samurai), who delivers one of his finest performances as the defense lawyer emotionally torn between right and wrong. Kurosawa's film stands as a fascinating one-man blast against the origins of press intrusion. |
Poster
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Theatrical Release: April 30th, 1950
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: DVD Review: Eureka - Region 2 - NTSC
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution | Eureka Video (Masters of Cinema # 15) - Region 2 - NTSC | |
| Runtime | 1:44:48 | |
| Video | 1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.96 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Audio | Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0) | |
| Subtitles | English, None | |
| Features |
Release Information: Edition Details: • Alex
Cox introduction (7:47) |
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| Comments: |
Another welcomed effort by Eureka's Master of Cinema gang. The image quality is not perfect but I trust it is the best transfer that they could obtain (from Toho?). There was frequent combing (see last capture) indicating that this is not a progressive transfer. It is a shade dark and a bit softer than some of their other efforts. Menus are excellent. Alex Cox is always interesting to hear and his comments in the introduction are a perfect way to start (or end) the film. Joan Mellen's liner notes are beautifully put together in a nice booklet with high-quality photos. It is appropriate that Scandal and The Idiot are brought to digital by a company that has some integrity and respect for what they produce. In recent years we have been forced to see Mei-Ah travesties of some of Kurosawa's work that was not on Criterion's schedule. |
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Recommended Reading for Kurosawa Fans (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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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"
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution | Eureka Video (Masters of Cinema # 15) - Region 2 - NTSC | |
Mail cheques, money orders, cash to: or CLICK PayPal logo to donate!
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Gary Tooze
Mississauga, Ontario, CANADA |
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Thank You!
