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The Human Condition Trilogy (人間の條件, Ningen no jōken) (1959-1961) (Blu Ray) (The Criterion Collection) (English Subtitles) (US Version)

The Human Condition Trilogy (人間の條件, Ningen no jōken) (1959-1961) (Blu Ray) (The Criterion Collection) (English Subtitles) (US Version)

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The Human Condition Trilogy (人間の條件, Ningen no jōken) (1959-1961) (Blu Ray) (The Criterion Collection) (English Subtitles) (US Version)

Video
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1

Audio


Japanese: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)


Subtitles

English


Discs
Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BD-50)

Packaging
Inner print
Booklet

Playback
2K Blu-ray: Region A

Masaki Kobayashi’s landmark epic about one man’s struggle to retain his humanity in an inhumane world

Now on Blu-ray

This mammoth humanist drama by Masaki Kobayashi is one of the most staggering achievements of Japanese cinema.

Originally filmed and released in three installments of two parts each, the nine-and-a-half-hour The Human Condition, adapted from Junpei Gomikawa’s six-volume novel, tells of the journey of the well-intentioned yet naive Kaji—played by the Japanese superstar Tatsuya Nakadai—from labor camp supervisor to Imperial Army soldier to Soviet prisoner of war.

Constantly trying to rise above a corrupt system, Kaji time and again finds his morals to be an impediment rather than an advantage.

A raw indictment of Japan’s wartime mentality as well as a personal existential tragedy, Kobayashi’s riveting, gorgeously filmed epic is novelistic cinema at its best.

Blu-ray Special Edition Features

  • High-definition digital restoration
  • Archival interview with director Masaki Kobayashi, conducted by filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda
  • Interview with actor Tatsuya Nakadai
  • Appreciation of Kobayashi from 2009 featuring Shinoda

Description

This mammoth humanist drama by Masaki Kobayashi is one of the most staggering achievements of Japanese cinema. Originally filmed and released in three installments of two parts each, the nine-and-a-half-hour The Human Condition, adapted from Junpei Gomikawa’s six-volume novel, tells of the journey of the well-intentioned yet naive Kaji—played by the Japanese superstar Tatsuya Nakadai—from labor camp supervisor to Imperial Army soldier to Soviet prisoner of war. Constantly trying to rise above a corrupt system, Kaji time and again finds his morals to be an impediment rather than an advantage. A raw indictment of Japan’s wartime mentality as well as a personal existential tragedy, Kobayashi’s riveting, gorgeously filmed epic is novelistic cinema at its best. THREE-BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES • High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural (Parts 1–4) and 4.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio (Parts 5 and 6) soundtracks • Excerpt from a 1993 Directors Guild of Japan interview with director Masaki Kobayashi, conducted by filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda • Interview from 2009 with actor Tatsuya Nakadai • Appreciation of Kobayashi and The Human Condition from 2009 featuring Shinoda • Trailers • PLUS: An essay by critic Philip Kemp

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