"Actor: Toshiyuki Ichimura"

• BAKUMATSU TAIYÔ-DEN (Masters of Cinema) (Blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (22/04/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Voted one of the top five Japanese films ever made in a critic's poll by Japan's leading cinema publication Kinema Junp, yet barely known in the West, Yz Kawashima's richly funny multi-levelled portrait of Japanese society Bakumatsu taiy-den [A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era] is a glorious rediscovery. When man-about-town Saheiji (the beloved comedian Frankie Sakai) finds himself unable to pay for a bill at a brothel, he is forced to remain there to work off his debt. However he finds his wit and resourcefulness enable him to turn this situation to his advantage, as he interacts with a whole range of characters, from rivalling courtesans to political activists. Co-scripted by Shhei Imamura (Vengeance Is Mine), it sharply and comically demonstrates the constants of human nature just as it delineates the tumultuous political times (the 1860s, leading up to the Meiji Restoration) in which they lived. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this classic in a new high-definition restoration. Special Features: Gorgeous new Nikkatsu restoration of the film in its original aspect ratio, presented in 1080p HD on the Blu-ray New and improved English subtitles A booklet including Shhei Imamura's tribute to Yuzo Kawashima, and more

• BAKUMATSU TAIYÔ-DEN (Masters of Cinema) (DVD) | DVD | (22/04/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Voted one of the top five Japanese films ever made in a critic's poll by Japan's leading cinema publication Kinema Junp, yet barely known in the West, Yz Kawashima's richly funny multi-levelled portrait of Japanese society Bakumatsu taiy-den [A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era] is a glorious rediscovery. When man-about-town Saheiji (the beloved comedian Frankie Sakai) finds himself unable to pay for a bill at a brothel, he is forced to remain there to work off his debt. However he finds his wit and resourcefulness enable him to turn this situation to his advantage, as he interacts with a whole range of characters, from rivalling courtesans to political activists. Co-scripted by Shhei Imamura (Vengeance Is Mine), it sharply and comically demonstrates the constants of human nature just as it delineates the tumultuous political times (the 1860s, leading up to the Meiji Restoration) in which they lived. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this classic in a new high-definition restoration. Special Features: Gorgeous new Nikkatsu restoration of the film in its original aspect ratio New and improved English subtitles A booklet including Shhei Imamura's tribute to Yuzo Kawashima, and more