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Arrow Films
Drawn from the pen of one of Japan's foremost writers of the 20th century, Junichiro Tanizaki (A Fool's Love, The Makioka Sisters), Irezumi is a stylish tale of lust, betrayal and revenge directed by Yasuzo Masumura (Giants and Toys, Blind Beast).
Masumura's muse Ayako Wakao (The Blue Sky Maiden, Red Angel) stars as Otsuya, the daughter of a rich merchant, who is tempted by her lover, Shinsuke, a lowly employee of her father's, to elope. During their flight, Otsuya's beauty attracts the gaze of Seikichi, a mysterious master tattooist who sees her pristine white skin as the perfect canvas for his art. The image of the large demonic spider that he emblazons across Otsuya's back marks her as the property of another man, radically altering her relationships with all around her as her personality transforms under its influence.
Available for the first time outside of Japan in a new 4K restoration, Irezumi sports some of Japanese cinema's most respected talent of its day both in front of and behind the camera. The bewitching cinematography by Kazuo Miyagawa (Rashomon, Ugetsu) captures the sensual atmosphere of the period setting, while the script by Kaneto Shindo (Onibaba, Kuroneko) lends a modern twist to this feverish meditation on obsession and the act of creation.
Special Features
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation from a new 4K scan
- Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio
- Optional English subtitles
- Brand new audio commentary by Japanese cinema scholar David Desser
- Newly filmed introduction by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns
- Out of the Darkness, a brand new visual essay by Asian cinema scholar Daisuke Miyao
- Original Trailer
- Image Gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
- Arrow Video
- 86 mins approx
- 15
- 2.35:1
- Japanese
- 1
- Arrow Video
- Yasuzô Masumura
- Ayako Wakao
- Akio Hasegawa
- Gaku Yamamoto
English
- 1966
- B
Irezumi Blu-ray
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Arrow Films
Drawn from the pen of one of Japan's foremost writers of the 20th century, Junichiro Tanizaki (A Fool's Love, The Makioka Sisters), Irezumi is a stylish tale of lust, betrayal and revenge directed by Yasuzo Masumura (Giants and Toys, Blind Beast).
Masumura's muse Ayako Wakao (The Blue Sky Maiden, Red Angel) stars as Otsuya, the daughter of a rich merchant, who is tempted by her lover, Shinsuke, a lowly employee of her father's, to elope. During their flight, Otsuya's beauty attracts the gaze of Seikichi, a mysterious master tattooist who sees her pristine white skin as the perfect canvas for his art. The image of the large demonic spider that he emblazons across Otsuya's back marks her as the property of another man, radically altering her relationships with all around her as her personality transforms under its influence.
Available for the first time outside of Japan in a new 4K restoration, Irezumi sports some of Japanese cinema's most respected talent of its day both in front of and behind the camera. The bewitching cinematography by Kazuo Miyagawa (Rashomon, Ugetsu) captures the sensual atmosphere of the period setting, while the script by Kaneto Shindo (Onibaba, Kuroneko) lends a modern twist to this feverish meditation on obsession and the act of creation.
Special Features
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation from a new 4K scan
- Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio
- Optional English subtitles
- Brand new audio commentary by Japanese cinema scholar David Desser
- Newly filmed introduction by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns
- Out of the Darkness, a brand new visual essay by Asian cinema scholar Daisuke Miyao
- Original Trailer
- Image Gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
- Arrow Video
- 86 mins approx
- 15
- 2.35:1
- Japanese
- 1
- Arrow Video
- Yasuzô Masumura
- Ayako Wakao
- Akio Hasegawa
- Gaku Yamamoto
English
- 1966
- B
Customer Reviews
Top Customer Reviews
Where reviews refer to foods or cosmetic products, results may vary from person to person. Customer reviews are independent and do not represent the views of The Hut Group.
Hidden Gem
Very happy to have found this lesser known Masumura movie. Crisp transfer, vibrant colors, and a beautiful production. The story is dark, disturbing, and still very much effective. Highly recommend for fans of classic japanese movies.
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Great performance by Ayako Wakao and gorgeously photographed
Arrow did a great job. Flaws would possibly be a casting or two and how believable the fighting was
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Masumura on Blu-Ray
Another good discovery made through an Arrow release and its emphasis on the always excellent Japanese cinema (as well on the never ending quality of Italian cinema which brought me to Arrow in the first place), this time on Masumura who is one of the Japanese greats (Black Test Car, The Black Report, Irezumi, Red Angel, Giants and Toys etc…). Here, on Irezumi, the tragic tale of the doomed artist in historical horror mood told in romanesque sequentiality with outstanding feverish colors and a well-deserved restoration. Intense and psychologically violent and as usual without any sort of vanishing point or narrative compensation. Beware.
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