"Actor: Ryu"

• Tokyo Story (Blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (15/06/2020) from £14.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The poet of family life Derek Malcolm A constant fixture in critic's polls, Yasujiro Ozu's most enduring masterpiece, Tokyo Story, is a beautifully nuanced exploration of filial duty, expectation and regret. From the simple tale of an elderly husband and wife's visit to Tokyo to see their grownup children, Ozu draws a compelling contrast between the measured dignity of age and the hurried insensitivity of a younger generation. The BFI is proud to release a brand new 4K restoration of this classic film, for audiences old and new to discover. Special Features: New 4K restoration Extras TBC ***FIRST PRESSING ONLY*** Fully illustrated booklet including an essay by Professor Joan Mellen and a biography of Yasujiro Ozu by Tony Rayns

• War Of The Arrows | DVD | (07/05/2012) from £5.99   |  Saving you £12.00 (200.33%)   |  RRP £17.99

  A non-stop action-gem that hits the bull's-eye with style, War of the Arrows is groundbreaking entertainment that brings archery to new cinematic heights.Orphaned as a child, Nam Yi overcame tragic loss to become the most accomplished hunter and archer of his generation. When his beloved Korea comes under attack from Chinese imperial forces, he returns from the forest to discover that his sister, and only living relative, has been taken into slavery by Manchu invaders. Now faced with the most daunting challenge of his life, he must fight to re-unite his family and prove his courage against the greatest archers history has ever known.Winner of 11 prestigious international film awards, War of the Arrows delivers nonstop action and excitement in a unique heart-pounding adventure that always shoots to thrill.

• Equinox Flower / There Was a F | Blu Ray | (17/01/2011) from £17.62   |  Saving you £2.37 (13.45%)   |  RRP £19.99

  From acclaimed Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu (Tokyo Story) comes this much loved family comedy. Shin Saburi plays Wataru Hirayama an old-fashioned father whose outwardly liberal views on marriage are severely tested when his daughter tells him she wants a love match. Outwitted and outflanked by his wily female relatives Hirayama stubbornly refuses to admit defeat. The director's playful use of colour poetry and arch humour combine to make this tale of old versus new at once deeply moving and razor-sharp. Also contains full length feature There Was a Father Ozu's powerful war-time drama as an extra.

• Ran (Digitally Restored) | Blu Ray | (02/05/2016) from £54.99   |  Saving you £-32.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £22.99

  One of the most important and influential film makers in cinematic history, Akira Kursawa directed 30 films in a career spanning 57 years. His final masterpiece, RAN has been beautifully restored in 4k for the first time. A reimagining of Shakespeare's King Lear set in feudal Japan, Ran tells the story of Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsya Nakadai Yojimbo, Kagemusha) an aging warlord who, after spending his life consolidating his empire, decides to abdicate and divide his Kingdom amongst his three sons Taro (Akira Terao - Letter from the Mountain, Dreams), Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu The Man in White, Red Shadow: Akakage) and Saburo (Daisuke Ryu - Tono monogatari, Gojo reisenki: Gojoe). When Saburo voices concerns about the wisdom of his father's plan, claiming that treachery within the family will be inevitable, Hidetora mistakes these comments for a threat and when his servant Tango comes to Saburo's defense, he banishes both of them. This allows Taro and Jiro to take charge, unopposed, leading to a brutal and bloody struggle for the absolute power of the warlord.

• Late Spring | Blu Ray | (21/06/2010) from £14.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (33.36%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Tokyo Story director Yasujiro Ozu's hugely influential and award-winning masterpiece Late Spring is a tender meditation on family politics sacrifice and the status quo. Noriko (Setsuko Hara) and her father Professor Somiya (Chishu Ryu) live together in perfect harmony but old certainties are put at risk when an interfering aunt raises the question of marriage. Introducing Ozu's popular Noriko character Late Spring poignantly examines the gradual compromise between modernity and tradition and is now available for the first time on Blu-ray from the BFI.

• Tokyo Story (DVD) | DVD | (12/09/2016) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• RAN - MOVIE | DVD | (07/04/2016) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Tokyo Story (Blu-ray + DVD) | Blu Ray | (19/07/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The film that made Ozu's reputation in the west (it was also a big hit in Japan) is plotted a little more schematically than most of his masterpieces but is nonetheless one of his most emotionally piercing films.

• Ran (Digitally Restored) | DVD | (02/05/2016) from £11.99   |  Saving you £8.00 (80.08%)   |  RRP £17.99

  One of the most important and influential film makers in cinematic history, Akira Kursawa directed 30 films in a career spanning 57 years. His final masterpiece, RAN has been beautifully restored in 4k for the first time. A reimagining of Shakespeare's King Lear set in feudal Japan, Ran tells the story of Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsya Nakadai Yojimbo, Kagemusha) an aging warlord who, after spending his life consolidating his empire, decides to abdicate and divide his Kingdom amongst his three sons Taro (Akira Terao - Letter from the Mountain, Dreams), Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu The Man in White, Red Shadow: Akakage) and Saburo (Daisuke Ryu - Tono monogatari, Gojo reisenki: Gojoe). When Saburo voices concerns about the wisdom of his father's plan, claiming that treachery within the family will be inevitable, Hidetora mistakes these comments for a threat and when his servant Tango comes to Saburo's defense, he banishes both of them. This allows Taro and Jiro to take charge, unopposed, leading to a brutal and bloody struggle for the absolute power of the warlord.

• Kagemusha (1980) (Criterion Collection) UK Only | Blu Ray | (08/03/2021) from £16.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  When a warlord dies, a peasant thief is called upon to impersonate him, and then finds himself haunted by his spirit as well as his own ambitions. With his late colour masterpiece Kagemusha, Akira Kurosawa returned to the samurai film and to a primary theme of his careerthe play between illusion and reality. Sumptuously reconstructing the splendour of feudal Japan and the pageantry of war, Kurosawa creates a historical epic that is also a meditation on the nature of power. Special Features: Restored high-definition digital transfer with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack Audio commentary featuring Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince (The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa) Lucas, Coppola, and Kurosawa (19 minutes, 2005), in which directors George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola discuss Kurosawa and their roles as executive producers of Kagemusha A 41-minute documentary on the making of Kagemusha, part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create Image: Kurosawa's Continuity, a new video piece that reconstructs Kagemusha through Kurosawa's paintings and sketches A series of Suntory Whiskey commercials made on the set of Kagemusha A gallery of storyboards painted by Kurosawa and images of their realization on-screen Theatrical trailers and teasers Optional English subtitle translation PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by scholar Peter Grilli and and interview with Kurosawa by renowned critic Tony Rayns

• Good Morning | Blu Ray | (17/01/2011) from £15.99   |  Saving you £4.00 (25.02%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A bright Tokyo suburb buzzing with gossip and intrigue is the backdrop to world renowned Japanese director's Yasujir Ozu's outstanding comedy Good Morning. Disillusioned with the seemingly meaningless chatter of the adult world two brothers take a vow of silence when their parents refuse to buy them a television set. With its dexterously woven plot built on mishaps and misunderstandings Good Morning pokes fun at the silliness of everyday adult communication whilst gently acknowledging its fundamental necessity. Available on Blu-ray for the first time. Also contains full length feature I Was Born But... Ozu's superb early comedy as an extra.

• War Of The Arrows | Blu Ray | (07/05/2012) from £9.99   |  Saving you £17.00 (212.77%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A non-stop action-gem that hits the bull's-eye with style, War of the Arrows is groundbreaking entertainment that brings archery to new cinematic heights.Orphaned as a child, Nam Yi overcame tragic loss to become the most accomplished hunter and archer of his generation. When his beloved Korea comes under attack from Chinese imperial forces, he returns from the forest to discover that his sister, and only living relative, has been taken into slavery by Manchu invaders. Now faced with the most daunting challenge of his life, he must fight to re-unite his family and prove his courage against the greatest archers history has ever known.Winner of 11 prestigious international film awards, War of the Arrows delivers nonstop action and excitement in a unique heart-pounding adventure that always shoots to thrill.

• The Human Condition | Blu Ray | (23/07/2018) from £16.39   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  One of the towering masterpieces of Japanese and world cinema, this three-part war epic has rarely been seen in the UK, at least partly because of its dauntingly gargantuan nine hour length. Director Masaki Kobayashi (Harakiri) was attracted to Junpei Gomikawa s source novel because he recognised himself in the character of the protagonist Kaji, an ardent pacifist who came of age during the aggressively militaristic 1930s and 40s. In part one, No Greater Love, Kaji is relocated to a mine-supervising job in Manchuria, where he is horrified by the use of forced labour. Part two, Road to Eternity, sees him conscripted into the Japanese army and forced to fight in the name of an aggressively imperialist cause. Part three, A Soldier s Prayer, deals with the consequences of Japan s defeat, not least for Kaji himself. Throughout, Kobayashi unflinchingly examines the psychological toll of appallingly complex decisions, where being morally right risks outcomes ranging from ostracism to savage beating to death. As Kaji, Tatsuya Nakadai (Sanjuro) is in virtually every scene, providing a rock-solid emotional anchor and a necessary one in Japan, where the film was hugely controversial for being openly critical of the nation s conduct during WWII. But it s this willingness to confront national taboos head-on that makes it such a lastingly powerful experience. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation Original Japanese mono soundtrack Optional English subtitles Introduction to the film by critic Philip Kemp Selected-scene commentary by Philip Kemp Theatrical trailers Reversible sleeve featuring two choices of artwork by maarko phntm

• Roaring Currents | Blu Ray | (06/07/2015) from £9.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (125.16%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Disgraced Admiral Yi is reinstated to lead a crippled Korean naval force against an impending Japanese invasion by sea. Having already suffered devastating losses Yi only has twelve ships to command against over three hundred Japanese vessels. Facing insurmountable odds Yi embarks with his men on a suicidal mission to stall the Japanese in their pursuit of Korean shores accepting their fate of almost certain death.

• The Ginger Tree | DVD | (25/04/2016) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  In 1903, under the gathering storm clouds of the Russo-Japanese War, a young Scotswoman is trapped in a loveless marriage far away from home. Adapted by Oscar-winning Dangerous Liaisons writer Christopher Hampton from Oswald Wynd's novel, The Ginger Tree is a lavish mini-series set in England, Japan and Taiwan. In 1903, Mary MacKenzie (Samantha Bond) joins her aloof diplomat fiancé in Manchuria. She marries him and finds herself in a war zone. Disenchanted with her husband, she finds herself drawn to a Japanese aristocrat, Count Kentaro (Daisuke Ryû). She scandalously becomes pregnant with his child and chooses to travel with her lover to Japan. Little does she know that Count Kentaro is already married, making Mary no more than a ˜concubine'. Even worse, she is mortified to ind she will not be allowed to keep her child. So begins Mary's forty-year saga, during which she strives to carve out a place for herself in Japanese society. Throughout the ordeal, she faces a constant cultural cold shoulder, both as a woman and as a Westerner.

• Ozu - The Melodrama Collection (2 DVD set) | DVD | (18/06/2012) from £16.99   |  Saving you £13.00 (76.52%)   |  RRP £29.99

  The BFI presents three films by Japanese master director Yasujiro Ozu. Melodrama is not a word usually associated with Ozu's quietly poetic oeuvre but his post-war Early Spring (1956) and Tokyo Twilight (1957) combine darker elements with his idiosyncratic style to create powerful dramas. Also available for the first time on DVD in the UK is Ozu's rare silent Woman of Tokyo (1933), a tragic tale of misunderstood sacrifice. Extra features: Newly commissioned score for Woman of Tokyo by Ed Hughes Comprehensive booklet with newly commissioned essays and extensive film credits

• Early Summer | Blu Ray | (19/07/2010) from £8.99   |  Saving you £11.00 (122.36%)   |  RRP £19.99

  When family friends and colleagues pressure Noriko - played with enigmatic brilliance by Setsuko Hara (Tokyo Story Late Spring) - to marry they provoke a surprising decision with wide-reaching consequences. Available for the first time on Blu-ray Yasujiro Ozu's Early Summer is wonderfully poised ensemble work which presents the intricacies and contradictions of three generations who have lived through the end of an era and are looking towards the new.

• An Autumn Afternoon | Blu Ray | (23/05/2011) from £8.99   |  Saving you £11.00 (122.36%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Yasujiro Ozu's captivating final film An Autumn Afternoon displays the master director's skills at their consummate best. Ozu regular Chishu Ryu (Tokyo Story) plays Shuhei Hirayama a concerned father eager to find a husband for his faithful daughter Michiko (Shima Iwashita) before she sees out her days caring for him. A cast of colourful characters weave seamlessly in and out of the story highlighting themes of loneliness and fear for the future with deep poignancy and ironic humour. Ozu's rarely-seen post-war film A Hen in the Wind (1948) is also included here. In a Japan recently devastated by WWII a devoted but near destitute mother waits for her husband's demobilisation. When her son falls seriously ill she turns to prostitution to pay his hospital bills.

• Roaring Currents | DVD | (06/07/2015) from £8.95   |  Saving you £7.04 (78.66%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Disgraced Admiral Yi is reinstated to lead a crippled Korean naval force against an impending Japanese invasion by sea. Having already suffered devastating losses Yi only has twelve ships to command against over three hundred Japanese vessels. Facing insurmountable odds Yi embarks with his men on a suicidal mission to stall the Japanese in their pursuit of Korean shores accepting their fate of almost certain death.

• Ran | DVD | (20/11/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Akira Kurosawa's brilliantly conceived retelling of Shakespeare's 'King Lear' magically mixes Japanese history Shakespeare's plot and Kurosawa's own feelings about loyalty in this epic masterpiece. Set in 16th century Japan an aging ruler Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai) announces his intention to divide his land equally among his three sons. This decision to step down unleashes a power struggle between the three when Hidetora falls prey to the false flattery bestowed upon him by the two older sons and banishes the youngest when he speaks the truth. The ruthless betrayal ultimately drives Hidetora insane destroying his entire family and kingdom. Deep human emotion and outstanding acting combine to create one of the most acclaimed foreign films of all time.