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Brimful with brooding psychological torment, Kokoro is vintage Kon Ichikawa (An Actor's Revenge, The Burmese Harp, Tokyo Olympiad). Based on a novel by celebrated Japanese author Natsume Soseki, the director foregrounds its themes of individual isolation and social estrangement, most notably in a central protagonist stricken by existential demons and stranded by changing times. Why does Nobuchi (Masayuki Mori) visit the grave of his old friend Kaji (Tatsuya Mihashi)? Why is he so secretive with his wife Shizu (Michiyo Aratama)? And how does Nobuchi's friendship with the young student Hioki (Shoji Yasui) for whom the older man acts as reluctant sensei relate to his time with Kaji? As the Meiji Era draws to a close with the emperor's death and the suicide of General Nogi, a fateful tale of tainted love, failed friendship, and redemptive honour unravels with tragic consequences. Though sometimes overlooked in the director's impressive oeuvre, Ichikawa's profoundly beautiful rendering of Soseki's novel is a considerable work of cinema in its own right. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Kokoro for home viewing in the UK for the very first time. -----SPECIAL EDITION including----- ---New high definition digital transfer ---New and improved optional English subtitles ---A lavish 48-page booklet with archival publicity stills, a newly written essay by Tony Rayns (critic and curator of East Asian cinemas), and an extended interview with Kon Ichikawa by Yuki Mori (The Films of Kon Ichikawa) on the "Beginnings" of the director's involvement in cinema
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: Japanese ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Subtitles ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Black & White, Booklet, Interactive Menu, Remastered, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Kon Ichikawa's rich adaptation of Natsume Soseki's classic novel depicts a complex relationship between a student and an older man he calls "sensei." The older man's relations with his wife seems curiously strained to the student. When the boy goes to the country to tend to his dying father, he learns that "sensei" committed suicide. A letter reveals that the older man never recovered from an incident that occurred during his student days. ...Kokoro ( The Heart )
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5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the greatest of all Japanese novels is turned into one of the greatest of Japanese films
5 Oct 2012
Format:DVD
Kon Ichikawa is a masterful director whose work is so eclectic that it is often overlooked in favour of his more famous and consistent colleagues Kurosawa and Ozu (who Ichikawa worked under). But that is a shame, because Ichikawa also directed some of the most exquisite films to ever come out of Japan. This is one of them. Based on Soseki Natsume's legendary novel of the same name, "Kokoro" (called 'The Heart' in English but it is not a perfect translation as the word 'kokoro' has a deeper meaning in Japanese in between heart, mind & soul), this is essentially a tragic story, yet it is so much more than just that. It encompasses themes of honour, duty, history, memory, friendship, love, Buddhism, and many others. Ichikawa rarely repeats the same shot and the film is visually interesting throughout. It is a pity that this film has had hardly any reviews as I consider it to be up there with Ichikawa's "The Burmese Harp" in terms of its impact. It should be more well-known. Kudos to Masters of Cinema for taking a risk and releasing the film with a great transfer on DVD. Too bad there aren't any video or audio extras to add some additional value for hesitant buyers, but I understand that they may not have had a budget for that in this case.
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