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

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (July 2024): Criterion have transferred Wim Wenders' Perfect Days to 4K UHD and Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "4K digital master, approved by director Wim Wenders". We aren't able to obtain 4K 2160P captures at the writing of this review and won't until till after the release date - a function of the encode. This is presently true of many 4K UHD transfers - sometimes we get lucky - not here. We will try to add them here when they are accessible. The 1080P should give you an idea of the rendering as it will be from the same sources. Criterion offer this is two formats - one with a 4K UHD disc of the film presented in HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features. The second is the Blu-ray which is also sold individually. There isn't much to say about the image quality as it is as pristine and perfect as you might imagine for a modern film production. It was shot on digital (Sony Venice 2, Sony Venice Rialto etc.) and the 4K UHD has an uptick in color depth and contrast balance but only larger systems will notice the slight disparity more.

NOTE: We have added 56 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a robust DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (24-bit) in the original Japanese language. There are some separations (in the park) but mostly the film, with sparse dialogue, is about the music - mostly on Hirayama's cassette tapes played in his van - of late 60's early 70's (mostly) American music (an important motif or Perfect Days.) We get The Animals' (plus a version by Maki Asakawa) "The House of the Rising Sun", The Velvet Underground "Pale Blue Eyes", Otis Redding "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", "Redondo Beach" by Patti Smith, The Rolling Stones "(Walkin' Thru The) Sleepy City", Lou Reed's "Perfect Day", Sachiko Kanenobu's "Aoi Sakana", The Kinks, Van Morrison concluding with Nina Simone's exceptionally emotional "Feeling Good". Wow - it sounds brilliant in the lossless. Criterion offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.

The Criterion Blu-ray offers new supplements. No commentary but we get a new 25-minute interview with Wenders talking about the evolution of the project, his intentions etc. It's quite revealing. There is also a 1/4 hour interview with actor Koji Yakusho as well as a 10-minute interview with producer Koji Yanai, founder of the Tokyo Toilet project. Criterion include the 9-minute short by Wenders, "some body comes into the light" from 2023 including a new 4-minute a new introduction by the director. Lastly is a trailer and the package has a liner notes essay by film critic Bilge Ebiri.

Perfect Days is a wonderful example of slow cinema following the peaceful life rhythms of Hirayama (Kōji Yakusho), a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Critics have described it as "Wim Wenders' lifetime masterpiece" and another; "With furious ease, Wenders succeeds in making a rather perfect film." It certainly evokes Ozu - the bicycles on the bridge, the bath houses, and the entire minimalist style of film realization. The lead character's name 'Hirayama' was also used in both Tokyo Story and An Autumn Afternoon. I was thrilled to see Perfect Days on Criterion 4K UHD and Blu-ray. The film is very much worth seeing and owning, imo. A keeper for sure.

Gary Tooze