SEIJUN SUZUKI: THE EARLY YEARS VOL. 2 REVIEWED
“Seijun Suzuki: The Early Years Vol. 2” is a collection of crime thrillers, Japanese westerns and a rough riff on The Wages of Fear. These movies have never been on home video outside of Japan, so this is fresh viewing for me. Ultimately, my take is that while I enjoy Suzuki…these are the kinds of films that are going to take time to soak in appreciation juices. I’m a big fan of the borderless action concept that allows sweeping action to bust out of the frame. It’s just that I wanted to see more masters try it other than Suzuki.
The run times on the box seem off, but that doesn’t bother me. That being said, I get why it’s a Limited Edition. While I’d like to see more people get a chance to see this release, not everyone is going to hang with an older Japanese director. Too often, Asian cinema tastes are decided for the international market by the most appealing. Dive deeper, people. Dive deep!
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Audio commentary by critic and author Jasper Sharp on Smashing the 0-Line
- Tony Rayns on the Crime and Action Movies – the critic and historian discusses the background to the films, their place within Suzuki’s career and the talent involved with them
- Trailers
- Stills gallery
- Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
- 60-page illustrated collector’s book featuring new writing by Jasper Sharp
- Limited Edition Dual Format Collection
A/V STATS
- 2.35:1 1080p transfer
- LPCM 1.0
