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

ADDITION: Film Movement Classics Blu-ray (July 2025): Film Movement Classics has transferred Shohei Imamura's Warm Water Under a Red Bridge to Blu-ray. Back in 2004, we compared four DVDs of Warm Water Under a Red Bridge HERE and below. The new 1080P presentation preserves the film’s color palette with the vivid reds of the Nakanotsume Bridge, deep blues of the river, and verdant greens of Himi’s coastal landscapes rendered with depth and texture. The higher resolution shows more detail and the 1.78:1 (opened up) shows a shade more information in the frame. The visuals balance the wider shots of the Toyama scenery with intimate close-ups of Kōji Yakusho and Misa Shimizu. Contrast is well-balanced with rich blacks in Tokyo’s drab urban scenes and bright highlights in the sunlit village, free of artifacts. This transfer elevates the film’s magical realist aesthetic, making the visual contrast between urban alienation and rural vitality a feast for the eyes. The Blu-ray delivers a highly appealing and dramatically improved HD presentation.  

NOTE: We have added 74 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE.

On their Blu-ray, Film Movement Classics uses a linear PCM 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original Japanese language. The sound design for Warm Water Under a Red Bridge is immersive with natural sounds (lapping waves, rustling leaves, and gushing water) creating a sensory connection to the village. Sasano’s water releases are accompanied by exaggerated, almost comedic sound effects, reinforcing the film’s playful tone without undermining its emotional core. Shinichirō Ikebe is a frequent collaborator with Imamura, known for his work on films, like Black Rain. His scores also include Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha, Dreams, Rhapsody in August, and Madadayo,) blending traditional Japanese instruments, like the shakuhachi with modern orchestral elements. They are eclectic and buoyant, reflecting the film’s tonal diversity. Upbeat motifs accompany comedic moments, while lyrical strings underscore romantic scenes with a recurring flute melody evoking the river’s flow. The score’s restraint ensures it complements rather than overshadows the sound design, enhancing the film’s organic feel. The LPCM track delivers a clean and immersive soundscape, faithfully capturing the film’s naturalistic and whimsical aural elements. Film Movement Classics offers optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Film Movement Classics Blu-ray offers modest extras. “Messy and Juicy” is a 10-minute video essay by author and film curator Tom Vick (Asian Cinema: A Field Guide,) which explores Imamura’s fascination with primal instincts and marginalized communities, situating the film’s magical realism within his broader oeuvre and Japanese cinema’s traditions with clips highlighting the red bridge’s symbolism. There is a theatrical trailer for Warm Water Under a Red Bridge. The 16-page booklet, featuring essays by film scholar Hwang Kyunmin and critic Jessica Yeung (Tharlo: Short Story and Film Script by Pema Tseden,) is a highlight with Kyunmin analyzing the film’s ecological and feminist subtexts and Yeung contextualizing its reception at Cannes 2001 and its place in Imamura’s late career.

Shohei Imamura's Warm Water Under a Red Bridge is a distinctive and audacious work in the Japanese filmmaker’s oeuvre, blending magical realism, erotic comedy, and social critique to explore themes of desire, renewal, and the search for meaning in a modern, disenchanted world. Set against the picturesque backdrop of a coastal village in Himi (Toyama,) the film uses its whimsical premise and vibrant aesthetic to craft a poignant allegory of personal and communal rejuvenation. The story centers on Yosuke Sasano (Kōji Yakusho - Perfect Days, Cure, 13 Assassins,) a middle-aged Tokyo salaryman who loses his job and faces marital strife, leaving him adrift in a materialistic urban landscape. Following the death of Taro (a homeless philosopher friend,) Yosuke travels to a coastal village to find a golden Buddha statue hidden in a house near a red bridge, as per Taro’s dying wish. In the village, he meets Saeko Aizawa (Misa Shimizu - Dr. Akagi, The Eel, 47 Ronin,) a woman who releases torrents of warm water during sexual climax (a magical realist trait that enriches the local river) attracts fish and revitalizes the community. Saeko's condition (female ejaculation) serves as a metaphor for uninhibited femininity. The dynamic between Yosuke and Saeko drives the narrative, their romance evolving from curiosity to mutual dependence. It's a playful film that I am very pleased to finally own on Blu-ray. As a definitive edition of this quirky, life-affirming comedy, the release honors Imamura’s vision of desire and renewal, offering a visually and aurally immersive experience that invites viewers to revel in the absurd beauty of Warm Water Under a Red Bridge. Absolutely recommended! 

Gary Tooze