Gate Of Hell Blu-Ray Review (Masters Of Cinema Release)

Gate of Hell was the first Japanese colour film to released internationally. It was awarded the Palme D’or at the 1954 Cannes film festival, arguably the most prestigious award in film history. It was directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa who made quite a few films in his native Japan but it seems like all of his films bar Gate of Hell are currently unavailable in English speaking regions. He actually started in Silent film not unlike the notable Japanese filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu.

The film’s story is about a simple as you can possibly get. It tells the story of the samurai warrior Moritō who prevents an attempted coup. A lady in the court disguises herself as the lord’s wife and this allows the royal family to escape. The lord offers Moritō any wish he wants. He asks to marry the women who disguised herself as the lord’s wife, however it’s revealed that she is already married. Moritō refuses to withdraw this request and this setting in motion starts a series chain of events that can end up no way but tragic.

Martin Scorsese a couple years ago released to lists of which included 20 films and he split them up in 2 categories. The first list was colour English speaking films and the other was international. Gate of Hell was on the international list and understandably, the use was colour is almost hallucinatory, the yellows, greens, purples, blues almost literally jump out of the screen at you. In some ways the film is almost only worth watching for the use of colour, the plot is so simple but that’s not a criticism, just an observation. The colour technology used was Eastman colour, which at the time was very new and radical.

Jean Cocteau the great French filmmaker, poet, artist and writer wrote a preface for the French release said something along the lines of “the greatest use of colour ever in film”. This may be a slight over statement but you can clearly see what he meant. The film has been lovingly remastered by the always wonderful Eureka Entertainment as a part of their Masters of cinema range, it’s has no extras except a booklet but the film speaks for itself.

Ian Schultz

★★★★½

Rating: PG
DVD/BD Release Date: 03 December 2012 (UK)
Director: Teinosuke Kinugasa
Cast: Machiko Kyô, Kazuo Hasegawa , Isao Yamagata 
Buy: GATE OF HELL [JIGOKUMON] (Masters of Cinema) (DVD & BLU-RAY DUAL FORMAT) [1953]

Eureka Taking Us To GATES OF HELL In Masters Of Cinema

GATE OF HELL [JIGOKUMON] will be released in DUAL FORMAT (BLU-RAY &DVD) &DVD editions as part of the Masters of Cinema Series on 3 December 2012.

Eureka Entertainment have announced that they will be releasing a stunning new HD restoration of GATE OF HELL [JIGOKUMON] in a Dual Format (Blu-ray + DVD) & DVD edition, available for home viewing for the first time in the UK from 3 December 2012.  From the director of A Page of Madness [Kurutta ippeji, 1926], this long-awaited reissue of a Japanese classic was the winner of the prestigious Grand Prix at Cannes and two Oscars (for Best Foreign Language Film and Costume Design), and named by Martin Scorsese as one of the ten most beautiful colour films ever made.

“It is hard to convey in simple language the moving qualities of this lovely film” – New York Times

Synopsis: One of the key works of the early 1950s wave of Japanese films to first reach foreign markets, director Kinugasa's sumptuous period drama astonished audiences with its dramatic force and spectacular colour cinematography.

During feudal unrest in the 12th century, samurai warrior Moritō (Kazuo Hasegawa) manages to thwart a palace rebellion and save the life of the empress, using loyal subject Lady Kesa (Machiko Kyō) as a decoy. When Moritō is offered anything he should desire as reward, he requests Kesa's hand in marriage. Informed that she is already married to a fellow samurai (Isao Yamagata), he refuses to withdraw his request, setting in motion a tragic chain of events.

Three decades after the director's iconic A Page of Madness, Kinugasa's striking tale of feudal intrigue, political machinations, and erotic obsession won the Grand Prix at Cannes, two Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Costume Design, and has since been named by Martin Scorsese as one of the ten greatest colour achievements in world cinema. Gate of Hell's blazing palette is proudly presented afresh by The Masters of Cinema Series in a magnificent new restoration, available for the very first time for home viewing in the UK, released in a Dual Format (DVD & Blu-ray) & DVD edition on 3 December 2012.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Beautifully restored high-definition master presented in the film's original aspect ratio, in 1080p on the Blu-ray

• Newly translated optional English subtitles

• Illustrated booklet featuring the words of Kinugasa, rare archival imagery, and more

• Further details to be announced nearer the release date!

 Buy/Pre-order:[JIGOKUMON] DVD [1953] / DVD (& BLU-RAY DUAL FORMAT)