Product Description

Many films have drawn from classic Japanese theatrical forms, but none with such shocking cinematic effect as director Masahiro Shinoda's Double Suicide. In this striking adaptation of a bunraku puppet play (featuring the music of famed composer Toru Takemitsu), a paper merchant sacrifices family, fortune, and ultimately life for his erotic obsession with a prostitute. Criterion is proud to present Double Suicide in a stunning digital transfer, with a new and improved English subtitle translation.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #75968 in DVD
• Brand: IWASHITA,SHIMA
• Released on: 2001-01-30
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: Japanese
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: Japanese
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .40 pounds
• Running time: 105 minutes

Customer Reviews

Absolutely beautiful...
With the barrage of bad summer films it pleased me to no end to view Criterion's issue of Masahiro Shinoda's Double Suicide. For many years I have been attracted to the well-known image of the two dead lovers lying side by side but had not actually seen the film. Prior to viewing the DVD I rented the early VHS release. The transfer was dull and murky. It's as if the video format was intent on hiding the beauty of this film. Criterion's DVD is like a shining light in a dark void. The disc is absolutely beautiful. Toichiro Narushima's stark photography is crisp and sharp. One can even see the faces behind the kurango's sheer black veils. The clear soundtrack does justice to Toru Takemitsu's haunting score. The English subtitles are enhanced and easy to read. The disc does not come with any extras (which explains my 4 star rating instead of 5). But it does come with an informative essay by Claire Johnston. She confirmed my thoughts about many of the films details and filled in what I did not know. It's rare that one sees a film as inventive and beautiful as Double Suicide. I urge all interested film lovers to seek out this DVD.

Post modern classical Japanese puppet theater
Masahiro Shinoda's "Double Suicide" is one of several cinematic adaptations of famed Japanese playwright Chikamatsu's classic Bunraku puppet play "Shinju Ten no Amijima (Double Suicide at Amijima.)" Bunraku is one of three traditional Japanese theater styles, and includes black clothed puppeteers onstage manipulating their miniature charges. The story is the struggle between ninjo and giri, personal feelings and social duty. This struggle is the dominant theme of Japanese theater, bringing to life the oft-quoted expression "the nail that sticks up must be hammered down." To act from personal emotions is devastating.

Shinoda combines classical theater with stunning modern film techniques and cinematography. The nod to the origin of the story is found in the black clad puppeteers who hover in the background. It is a most excellent film in every way. It is all the more exceptional for its essential "japaneseness," far more so than Kurosawa's westernized films. The artificialness of Japanese theater is also captured well, as opposed to the attempted naturalness of western theater.

I do agree that this Criterion Collection DVD is beautiful, but sadly lacking for extras. In many other films the lack of extras would not be so important, but "Double Suicide" is a film that craves exploration. A filmed sample of the original Bunraku production, for example. Some background on
Chikamatsu. Those not familiar with Bunraku might not understand the dark, background puppeteers or be confused by the artful melodrama.

Still, even with such a barebones production, and excellent film and and an excellent DVD.

Stunning
A number of reviewers of Criterion discs have commented that it's too bad that some of their discs have lots of extras while some (such as Double Suicide) have none.

My response is to judge the film on its own merits. If it weren't for Criterion, I probably never would have heard of this film, and I certainly never would have seen such a luminous transfer. The film is beautiful and strange, and warrants multiple viewings.

Critics of the lack of extras should also note that the more "bare-bones" Criterion discs are priced less than the fully-packed ones.

I think Criterion did a really great job with this wonderful film.