The Crucified Lovers (1954)
近松物語
Drama, Romance • 1h 40m
Overview
When the wife of a 17th century Kyoto scroll-maker is falsely accused of having an affair with his best employee, the pair flee the city and find themselves falling for one another.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast: Kazuo Hasegawa, Kyōko Kagawa, Eitarō Shindō, Eitarō Ozawa, Yōko Minamida, Haruo Tanaka, Chieko Naniwa, Ichirō Sugai, Tatsuya Ishiguro, Hiroshi Mizuno, Hisao Toake, Ikkei Tamaki, Kimiko Tachibana, Keiko Koyanagi, Sayako Nakagami, Kanae Kobayashi, Shiro Miura, Nobuko Tanei, Sōji Shibata, Satoshi Mikami, Satoshi Shinohara, Tadashi Iwata, Ichirō Amano, Kōichi Katsuragi, Shinobu Araki, Ryōnosuke Azuma, Saburo Date, Jun Fujikawa, Takaji Fukui, Sumao Ishihara, Masayoshi Kikuno, Midori Komatsu, Reiko Kongō, Tokio Oki, Hachiro Okuni, Shirō Osaki, Kiyoshi Takikawa, Fumihiko Yokoyama
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Director: Bill Forsyth
The UK Blu-ray is a marginally better encode than the Criterion, with better preseveration of detail: https://caps-a-holic.com/c_list.php?c=5302
The Criterion Blu-ray presents the original mono mix. Most other Blu-rays and DVDs are remixed either to stereo or 5.1 surround, with loss of detail and very little actual separation.
Director: Bill Forsyth
The UK Blu-ray is a marginally better encode than the Criterion, with better preseveration of detail: https://caps-a-holic.com/c_list.php?c=5302
The Criterion Blu-ray presents the original mono mix. Most other Blu-rays and DVDs are remixed either to stereo or 5.1 surround, with loss of detail and very little actual separation.
Director: Federico Fellini
2022 Paramount Blu-ray
2014 Criterion Blu-ray is from the same master and has only slightly worse compression. JP/DE/FR releases all have incorrect levels. Caps
2022 Paramount Blu-ray
All Blu-ray releases are from the same mastering, superior to the one on older DVD releases which is sourced from a higher generation source. They all sound about the same, with the exception of Criterion, which sounds worse due to extraneous filtering.
Paramount's disc also includes a contemporary English dub, previously unreleased on home video.
Director: Federico Fellini
2022 Paramount Blu-ray
2014 Criterion Blu-ray is from the same master and has only slightly worse compression. JP/DE/FR releases all have incorrect levels. Caps
2022 Paramount Blu-ray
All Blu-ray releases are from the same mastering, superior to the one on older DVD releases which is sourced from a higher generation source. They all sound about the same, with the exception of Criterion, which sounds worse due to extraneous filtering.
Paramount's disc also includes a contemporary English dub, previously unreleased on home video.
Director: Katsuhiro Otomo
Japan 4K Blu-ray beats the other 4Ks and includes English subtitles
Dynit IT Blu-ray
All 4K releases are upscales of the same master with a substantial amount of DNR.
1988 Pioneer JP LaserDisc for the original 1988 home video audio
2001 Dynit IT Blu-ray for the 2001 remix
2009 Bandai Visual JP Blu-ray / 2011 MHE UK Blu-ray for the Hypersonic remix
1992 Criterion US LaserDisc for the 1988 Streamline English dub
2013 FUNimation US Blu-ray the 2001 Animaze English dub
Due to budgetary constraints, the original theatrical mix was mono. It was replaced with Dolby Surround for all subsequent releases and was never re-released.
LaserDisc is the best souning version of the original home video mix, as all later releases attentuate bass significantly and lower dynamic range. Comparison
The Japanese audio was remixed in 5.1 twice, first time in 2001 for the DVD release, and second time in 2009 for the BD release ("Hypersonic" remix). While the 2001 remix remains mostly faithful to the 1988 mix, the 2009 Hypersonic remix is highly revisionistic. However, its fidelity is outstanding, and despite many changes made, it's a worthwhile alternative experience for fans of the film. The 4K release includes the Hypersonic mix, but with a tonne of unnecessary noise reduction and unbalanced levels.
Comparison between mixes, list of changes between mixes
Director: Katsuhiro Otomo
Japan 4K Blu-ray beats the other 4Ks and includes English subtitles
Dynit IT Blu-ray
All 4K releases are upscales of the same master with a substantial amount of DNR.
1988 Pioneer JP LaserDisc for the original 1988 home video audio
2001 Dynit IT Blu-ray for the 2001 remix
2009 Bandai Visual JP Blu-ray / 2011 MHE UK Blu-ray for the Hypersonic remix
1992 Criterion US LaserDisc for the 1988 Streamline English dub
2013 FUNimation US Blu-ray the 2001 Animaze English dub
Due to budgetary constraints, the original theatrical mix was mono. It was replaced with Dolby Surround for all subsequent releases and was never re-released.
LaserDisc is the best souning version of the original home video mix, as all later releases attentuate bass significantly and lower dynamic range. Comparison
The Japanese audio was remixed in 5.1 twice, first time in 2001 for the DVD release, and second time in 2009 for the BD release ("Hypersonic" remix). While the 2001 remix remains mostly faithful to the 1988 mix, the 2009 Hypersonic remix is highly revisionistic. However, its fidelity is outstanding, and despite many changes made, it's a worthwhile alternative experience for fans of the film. The 4K release includes the Hypersonic mix, but with a tonne of unnecessary noise reduction and unbalanced levels.
Comparison between mixes, list of changes between mixes
Director: Bertrand Tavernier
Tamasa Diffusion FR 4K Blu-ray
Criterion Blu-ray
Includes the original matrixed Dolby Stereo mix and an alternate 5.1 mix. The original mix is a lot more balanced overall, but the 5.1 greatly expands the soundstage and makes the live music much more immersive. Review
French 4K only inclues the original stereo.
French 4K doesn't include English subtitles for the French lines spoken in the film.
Director: Bertrand Tavernier
Tamasa Diffusion FR 4K Blu-ray
Criterion Blu-ray
Includes the original matrixed Dolby Stereo mix and an alternate 5.1 mix. The original mix is a lot more balanced overall, but the 5.1 greatly expands the soundstage and makes the live music much more immersive. Review
French 4K only inclues the original stereo.
French 4K doesn't include English subtitles for the French lines spoken in the film.
Director: Arthur Penn
Criterion 4K Blu-ray. caps by BR user Donald McDonald. The encode looks absolutely spotless even in the highlights and without Dolby Vision filling anything in.
Criterion 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray
Criterion is entirely unfiltered and sounds significantly more detailed than previous tracks, see Blah-ray.
Director: Arthur Penn
Criterion 4K Blu-ray. caps by BR user Donald McDonald. The encode looks absolutely spotless even in the highlights and without Dolby Vision filling anything in.
Criterion 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray
Criterion is entirely unfiltered and sounds significantly more detailed than previous tracks, see Blah-ray.
Director: Robert Clouse
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray, but compression is not very good. The two cuts are (by mistake?) separate videos on one disc.
Also see review
Director: Robert Clouse
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray, but compression is not very good. The two cuts are (by mistake?) separate videos on one disc.
Also see review
Director: Lo Wei
Director: Lo Wei
Director: Martin Scorsese
2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook
2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook fixes duplicate shot seen on the previous Columbia Classics release and has better encoding
Original mono mix: 1990 Criterion LaserDisc/1991 Columbia LaserDisc
The 4K Blu-ray mono is only minimally worse (see blah-ray).
5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray
Director: Martin Scorsese
2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook
2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook fixes duplicate shot seen on the previous Columbia Classics release and has better encoding
Original mono mix: 1990 Criterion LaserDisc/1991 Columbia LaserDisc
The 4K Blu-ray mono is only minimally worse (see blah-ray).
5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray
Director: John Waters
Criterion 4K is in director's preferred aspect ratio of 1.66:1.
Director: John Waters
Criterion 4K is in director's preferred aspect ratio of 1.66:1.
More Drama on Blu-ray
Director: Tom Hooper
Director: Tom Hooper
Director: Andrei Konchalovsky
2021 Kino Lorber Blu-ray
2021 Kino Lorber Blu-ray, the Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has poor encoding and auto cleanup issues
Twilight Time has an isolated score
Director: Andrei Konchalovsky
2021 Kino Lorber Blu-ray
2021 Kino Lorber Blu-ray, the Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has poor encoding and auto cleanup issues
Twilight Time has an isolated score
Director: Oliver Stone
A improved Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray teased by Oliver Stone
MGM Blu-ray, better than 2022 Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray due to poor encode and heavy DNR (review)
Director: Oliver Stone
A improved Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray teased by Oliver Stone
MGM Blu-ray, better than 2022 Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray due to poor encode and heavy DNR (review)
Director: Peter Jackson
Director: Peter Jackson
Director: Craig Brewer
Old Paramount Blu-ray better than new 4K Blu-ray: smeary grain/detail, poor contrast
4K Blu-ray and New Blu-ray has lossless TrueHD, Old Blu-ray just has lossy Dolby Digital
Director: Craig Brewer
Old Paramount Blu-ray better than new 4K Blu-ray: smeary grain/detail, poor contrast
4K Blu-ray and New Blu-ray has lossless TrueHD, Old Blu-ray just has lossy Dolby Digital
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Canada Blu-ray or Netherlands Blu-ray? better than Constantin Germany 4K Blu-ray
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Canada Blu-ray or Netherlands Blu-ray? better than Constantin Germany 4K Blu-ray
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