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Double Suicide - Criterion Collection
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]
THE STRAIGHT DOPE:
The Criterion Collection's coverage of Japanese cinema is skewed towards epic samurai films and even the exceptions are mostly from Akira Kurosawa. Their recent release of Masahiro Shinoda's unusual Double Suicide (1969), however, shows a veering off the beaten path. Drawn from a story traditionally told in bunraku puppet theater, Double Suicide contains a combination of stagey theatrical storytelling and cinematic imagery. The cinematography deserves immediate praise as it is absolutely beautiful. It is crisp black and white with silky textures and high contrast. Each frame seems perfectly composed, as if each shot were its own self-contained artwork. The editing brings the sequences together so that it does not feel disjointed and flows quite nicely. The story itself is very simple and is one that can be seen throughout literary history: A man falls in love with a woman and ends up falling so deep into his obsession that he loses everything else. The characters here, an unsuccessful paper merchant and a prostitute, could really be any of history's tragic figures, forced into societal roles that they did not choose, from Shakespeare to Edith Wharton to West Side Story. The story is paced quietly and deliberately with sudden outbreaks of emotion, which are all the more affecting given the quiet that they disrupt. I should also mention the sets. Created out of painted paper and wood columns they would not look out of place in a puppet drama. The juxtaposition of live humans over these sets makes for an unusual atmosphere. Paul Schrader was probably thinking of this film when he designed the lyrical poetry sequences of Mishima. VIDEO:
Criterion has clearly put some work into making this film look good. After some initial dirt and damage the print proves to be quite beautiful. It is full frame. AUDIO:
The audio is mono and is very minimalist. While it is probably true to the original intent of the filmmaker, audiophiles will not find anything to get excited about. EXTRAS:
No extras are included with this release. It's too bad that no puppet theater information could have been included or even a puppet version of this same story. FINAL THOUGHTS:
Fans of Japanese cinema should definitely take a look at Double Suicide. It is an original and affecting film.
The Criterion Collection's coverage of Japanese cinema is skewed towards epic samurai films and even the exceptions are mostly from Akira Kurosawa. Their recent release of Masahiro Shinoda's unusual Double Suicide (1969), however, shows a veering off the beaten path. Drawn from a story traditionally told in bunraku puppet theater, Double Suicide contains a combination of stagey theatrical storytelling and cinematic imagery. The cinematography deserves immediate praise as it is absolutely beautiful. It is crisp black and white with silky textures and high contrast. Each frame seems perfectly composed, as if each shot were its own self-contained artwork. The editing brings the sequences together so that it does not feel disjointed and flows quite nicely. The story itself is very simple and is one that can be seen throughout literary history: A man falls in love with a woman and ends up falling so deep into his obsession that he loses everything else. The characters here, an unsuccessful paper merchant and a prostitute, could really be any of history's tragic figures, forced into societal roles that they did not choose, from Shakespeare to Edith Wharton to West Side Story. The story is paced quietly and deliberately with sudden outbreaks of emotion, which are all the more affecting given the quiet that they disrupt. I should also mention the sets. Created out of painted paper and wood columns they would not look out of place in a puppet drama. The juxtaposition of live humans over these sets makes for an unusual atmosphere. Paul Schrader was probably thinking of this film when he designed the lyrical poetry sequences of Mishima. VIDEO:
Criterion has clearly put some work into making this film look good. After some initial dirt and damage the print proves to be quite beautiful. It is full frame. AUDIO:
The audio is mono and is very minimalist. While it is probably true to the original intent of the filmmaker, audiophiles will not find anything to get excited about. EXTRAS:
No extras are included with this release. It's too bad that no puppet theater information could have been included or even a puppet version of this same story. FINAL THOUGHTS:
Fans of Japanese cinema should definitely take a look at Double Suicide. It is an original and affecting film.
Gil Jawetz is a graphic designer, video director, and t-shirt designer. He lives in Brooklyn.
E-mail Gil at [email protected]
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