The Makioka Sisters Blu-ray/DVD (Criterion)
RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2011
This lyrical adaptation of the beloved Japanese novel by Junichiro Tanizaki was a late-career triumph for world-class director Kon Ichikawa. Revolving around the changing of the seasons, The Makioka Sisters (Sasame-yuki) follows the lives of four sisters who have taken on their family’s kimono manufacturing business, over the course of a number of years leading up to the Pacific War. The two oldest have been married for some time, but according to tradition, the rebellious youngest sister cannot wed until the third, conservative and terribly shy, finds a husband. This graceful study of a family at a turning point in history is a poignant evocation of changing times and fading customs, shot in rich, vivid colors.
Features: New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition), Original theatrical trailer, New and improved English subtitle translation, PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Audie Bock.
