''HAUNTING, HYPNOTIC, FLAMBOYANT, EROTIC, BIZARRE... SUZUKI!'' After over a decade in the wilderness following his firing from Nikkatsu for Branded to Kill (1967), maverick director Seijun Suzuki returned with a vengeance with his critically-praised tryptic of cryptic supernatural dramas set during the liberal enlightenment of Japan s Taisho Era (1912-26).In the multiple Japanese Academy Award-winning Zigeunerweisen (1980), two intellectuals and former colleagues from military academy involve their wives in a series of dangerous sexual games. In Kageroza (1981), a playwright is drawn like a moth to a flame to a mysterious beauty who might be a ghost, while Yumeji (1991) imagines the real-life painter-poet Takehisa Yumeji s encounter with a beautiful widow with a dark past.Presented together on Blu-ray for the first time outside of Japan, the films in the Taisho Trilogy are considered Suzuki s masterpieces in his homeland. Presenting a dramatic turn from more his familiar tales of cops, gangsters and unruly youth, these surrealistic psychological puzzles drip with a lush exoticism, distinctively capturing the pandemonium of a bygone age of decadence and excess, when Western ideas, fashions, technologies and art fused into everyday aspect of Japanese life.LIMITED EDITION CONTENTSHigh Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentationsOriginal stereo audio (uncompressed on the Blu-ray)Optional English subtitlesNew introductions to each film by critic Tony RaynsMaking-of featuretteVintage interview with Seijun SuzukiMore to be announced... FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring writing on the films by critic Jasper Sharp and more.
C**K
Zigeunerweisen is arguably the best Japanese film of the 80s and seems to grow ...
Incredible films. Zigeunerweisen is arguably the best Japanese film of the 80s and seems to grow in depth and mystery every time I watch it. Beautiful transfer and packaging. My only complaint is the inclusion of DVDs.
I**E
A gem
Just watched one of the films, weird but interesting, considering the date of its release, really ahead of the time. A gem in Japanese film history
T**N
Artful films with striking visuals, but often confusing...
“The Taisho Trilogy” gets its name from the historical period under Emperor Taisho in which all three films in this collection are set — a 14-year span from 1912 to 1926 when Western influences rocked Japan’s traditional social, cultural and political institutions. Regarded as a period of decadence, it also established a growth in the arts. The films’ visual style features the clash of then modern technology and Western fashion existing side by side with geishas and kimonos.The films were made by director Seijun Suzuki, best known for the 1967 Yakuza movie, “Branded to Kill,” a film that got him fired but influenced Quentin Tarantino, Jim Jarmusch and others who dealt with both violence and controversy on screen.In the first film of the trilogy, “Zigeunwrweisen” (1980), Suzuki focuses on two childhood friends — one a serious academic, the other a bohemian vagabond — intellectuals and former colleagues from military academy who involve their wives in a series of dangerous sexual games. In “Kageroza” (1981), a playwright is captivated and drawn to a mysterious beauty who might be a ghost.“Yumeji” (1991), deals with real-life painter-poet Takehisa Yumeji (1884 - 1934), an artist during the Taisho period. The film deals with obsession. When Takehisa sees a beautiful woman, he is mesmerized and spends the rest of the film in pursuit of this vision who turns out to be a widow looking for her dead husband. His obsession leads him down a path of despair and debauchery.Though visually striking, the films are often confusing because Suzuki doesn’t rely on traditional narrative. There are surreal images, ambiguity and symbols whose function isn’t clear, leaving the viewer perplexed. It is often difficult to differentiate between reality and fantasy.The 6-disc unrated Limited Edition Blu-ray + DVD box set contains the trilogy, on Blu-ray for the first time in North America. Bonus materials include new introductions to each film by film critic Tony Rayns; making-of featurette; vintage interview with Seijun Suzuki; Tony Rayns discussing “The Taisho Trilogy;” trailers; and a 60-page book featuring background on the films.
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