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Tokyo Sonata [Masters of Cinema] [DVD] [2008]
 
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Tokyo Sonata [Masters of Cinema] [DVD] [2008]

DVD ~ Kiyoshi Kurosawa
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Customers buy this item with Sunrise [Masters of Cinema] [Blu-ray] [1927] Blu-ray ~ George O'Brien

Tokyo Sonata [Masters of Cinema] [DVD] [2008] + Sunrise [Masters of Cinema] [Blu-ray] [1927]
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Product details

  • Directors: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
  • Format: PAL, Widescreen
  • Subtitles: English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 12
  • Studio: Eureka Entertainment Ltd
  • DVD Release Date: 22 Jun 2009
  • Run Time: 119 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B001R02A5A
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 12,386 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Product Description

The latest film from Kiyoshi Kurosawa the hugely acclaimed Japanese director famous for his groundbreaking, existential horror films such as Cure and Kairo [Pulse] set Cannes alight this year with a surprising change of pace to, that staple of Japanese cinema, the family drama. When Ryuhei Sasaki (played by Teruyuki Kagawa) is unceremoniously dumped from his safe company job, his family's happy, humdrum life is put at risk. Unwilling to accept the shame of unemployment, the loyal salaryman decides not to tell anyone, instead leaving home each morning in suit and tie with briefcase, spending his days searching for work and lining up for soup with the homeless. Outstanding performances; serene, elegant direction; and Kurosawa's trademark chills are evident as he ratchets up the unsettling atmosphere and the grim hopelessness of Sasaki's unemployment. In today s economically uncertain times, this highly topical film an eerie, poignant reflection on the mass uncertainty sweeping the world is widely regarded as Kurosawa s finest achievement and was the only Japanese film to receive an award at the Cannes Film Festival 2008 (Jury Prize winner of Un Certain Regard). Extras and Special Features to be announced

Synopsis

Best known in the United States for bizarre and unsettling horror films like PULSE and CURE, Kiyoshi Kurosawa ventures away from that category with TOKYO SONATA. Of course, Kurosawa is incapable of directing a straightforward picture, and TOKYO SONATA is no exception. Retaining the same masterful control over mood and atmosphere that he has displayed throughout his career, Kurosawa infuses this family drama with an underlying tension that permeates the film even during its most humorous moments.
The story concerns a Japanese businessman, husband, and father of two, who unexpectedly loses his job. Unable to break the news to his devoted wife, he dresses up every morning and pretends to go to work, instead wasting the days away with a former classmate who is also unemployed. Although they aren't aware of his contradictory behaviour, his family begins to disobey him nonetheless. His teenage son enlists in the Army in order to fight for the United States, while his adolescent son goes behind his back to take piano lessons. The longer his charade goes on, the less control he has as patriarch, creating an even deeper divide between him and his family.
With TOKYO SONATA, Kurosawa has produced one of his most original and accomplished works. Equal parts social commentary and situational comedy, Kurosawa's film also feels like a thriller, thanks to the exceptionally atmospheric work from cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa and composer Kazumasa Hashimoto.

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
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 (2)
3 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Quiet, slow moving, beautiful, like the sonata, 27 July 2009
By Ruth Ludlam "princess_zelda" (Bracknell, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
I am buying this because I saw it at the cinema a few months ago, and haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I've seen other films by this director, who until now specialized in suspenseful, eerie "horror" films (although they were more unsettling really). This film has some of the same atmosphere of oppression, as the main character loses his job, and with it, his hope and his semblance of a normal life. The parody of a life that he leads to try to pretend everything is ok, has moments of wonderful humour amidst the oppressive hopelessness, especially when he meets someone else in the same situation.

Slowly, Ryuhei's life and those of his family unravel and reach breaking point. And around them, others in a similar position give up and succumb to fate. But throughout the rather depressing main plot, it is the little things that offer relief - moments of humour, a tiny bit of hope, and piano lessons. Somehow, the characters carry on. And then, things take a bizarre twist, when a similarly hopeless thief turns up.

This reminds me of the director's earlier film "Kourei", which, whilst being a ghost story, somehow spends more time reflecting on the relationship of a quiet middle-aged couple, as they come to accept that the dreams of their youth will never now come true. In this film, the couple are the central figures, who must both separately go off and find themselves by undertaking a journey that takes them far beyond their normal life. And the director draws the film to a close with the youngest son playing the piano, we are finally able to hear him for ourselves, and it seems to underline the conclusion to the film.

I highly recommend this film. But it is very understated, there is very little high drama, and all the tension is under the surface, in a way that is very Japanese.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Slow-moving but beautiful film, 8 Aug 2009
By Ruth Ludlam "princess_zelda" (Bracknell, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
This review is from: Tokyo Sonata [Masters of Cinema] [Blu-ray] [2008] (Blu-ray)
I am buying this because I saw it at the cinema a few months ago, and haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I've seen other films by this director, who until now specialized in suspenseful, eerie "horror" films (although they were more unsettling really). This film has some of the same atmosphere of oppression, as the main character loses his job, and with it, his hope and his semblance of a normal life. The parody of a life that he leads to try to pretend everything is ok, has moments of wonderful humour amidst the oppressive hopelessness, especially when he meets someone else in the same situation.

Slowly, Ryuhei's life and those of his family unravel and reach breaking point. And around them, others in a similar position give up and succumb to fate. But throughout the rather depressing main plot, it is the little things that offer relief - moments of humour, a tiny bit of hope, and piano lessons. Somehow, the characters carry on. And then, things take a bizarre twist, when a similarly hopeless thief turns up.

This reminds me of the director's earlier film "Kourei", which, whilst being a ghost story, somehow spends more time reflecting on the relationship of a quiet middle-aged couple, as they come to accept that the dreams of their youth will never now come true. In this film, the couple are the central figures, who must both separately go off and find themselves by undertaking a journey that takes them far beyond their normal life. And the director draws the film to a close with the youngest son playing the piano, we are finally able to hear him for ourselves, and it seems to underline the conclusion to the film.

I highly recommend this film. But it is very understated, there is very little high drama, and all the tension is under the surface, in a way that is very Japanese.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Movie!, 5 July 2009
By A. CHIASSON "AlexC" (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Kiyoshi Kurosawa has succeeded as did Chaplin some seventy odd years earlier with Modern Times and De Sica with Bicycle Thieves some time later. What struck me was the stark realism of this film's portrayal of unemployment: the denial, the despair, the degradation, the long line-ups, the lying and the abuse. Also, the actors - especially the one who portrayed the youngest son - were all first rate. I encourage anyone interested in serious cinema to buy this product! MoC, you've done it again!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable
If I hadn't known this was a Kiyoshi Kurosawa film I don't think I would have guessed it.

Very enjoyable and it reflects the situation which many people unfortunately... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dorikin2010

5.0 out of 5 stars A slowly sinking ship
A film of such excellence that it is hard to put it into words.That if you do it will be erased.This is the
film as a form of music,using discordant layers and unsettling... Read more
Published 4 months ago by technoguy

4.0 out of 5 stars Good film worth watchng
This is a nice film, full of interesting observations, and a very strange change in direction half way through (but in a good way). Read more
Published 7 months ago by J. Myers

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