Special Features
- Bonus: five documentaries by Shohei Imamura
- All made during a pivotal time in the filmmaker's career from 1967 to 1975 and never before released in the US, these films explore related themes of disappearance and return, and some of the unhealed wounds of the war years
- Karayuki-san, the Making of a Prostitue (75', color, 1975)
- Outlaw-Matsu Comes Home (48', color, 1973)
- The Pirates of Bubuan (46', color, 1972)
- In Search of the Unreturned Soldiers in Malaysia (45', color, 1971)
- In Search of the Unreturned Soldiers in Thailand (50', color, 1971)
- 12-page booklet with an original essay on Imamura's documentary work by Japanese critic Tadao Sato
Synopsis
Includes:
A Man Vanishes (1967)
The Pirates of Bubuan (1972)
Outlaw-Matsui Returns Home (1973)
Karayuki-chan, the Making of a Prostitute (1975)
A Man Vanishes
One of the giants of Japanese cinema, Shohei Imamura (1926-2006),helmed this unique, stylistically groundbreaking picture that erodes the barriers between truth and invention, fact and myth. Initially, we're handed a seemingly straightforward documentary - an investigation into one of many missing persons ases that populate Japan every year. An on-camera commentator informs us that Tadashi, a Japanese businessman, has vanished into thin air and, for all he knows, "may be hiding in a hole somewhere." From there, Imamura and his crew begin to systematically interview those with a connection to Tadashi, including his fiancée, Yoshie. As the movie rolls forward, however, numerous uncertainties come to light - regarding their relationship, Tadashi's business per se, his relationship with his sister-in-law, and much more - until finally, even the motivations and the honesty of the director himself are thrown into doubt. A Man Vanishes suffered from unrectifiable technical issues in post-production, that kept lengthy portions of the audio out of synch with the image, and that have lingered until the present day. Despite this fact, it is considered a classic of world cinema, and received critical raves on both sides of the Atlantis during its UK reissue in 2011 and its U.S. reissue the following year. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
The Pirates of Bubuan
No synopsis available.
Outlaw-Matsui Returns Home
No synopsis available.
Karayuki-chan, the Making of a Prostitute
No synopsis available.