Die Details zu drei am 23. Februar 2009 kommenden DVDs des britischen Labels Masters of Cinema sind bekannt geworden:

23. Februar 2009
#67: “Kokoro” [J 1955, Kon Ichikawa]

Brimful with brooding psychological torment, Kokoro is vintage Kon Ichikawa (An Actor’s Revenge, The Burmese Harp, Tokyo Olympiad). Based on a novel by celebrated Japanese author Natsume Soseki, the director foregrounds its themes of individual isolation and social estrangement, most notably in a central protagonist stricken by existential demons and stranded by changing times.

Why does Nobuchi (Masayuki Mori) visit the grave of his old friend Kaji (Tatsuya Mihashi)? Why is he so secretive with his wife Shizu (Michiyo Aratama)? And how does Nobuchi’s friendship with the young student Hioki (Shoji Yasui) – for whom the older man acts as reluctant sensei – relate to his time with Kaji? As the Meiji Era draws to a close with the emperor’s death and the suicide of General Nogi, a fateful tale of tainted love, failed friendship, and redemptive honour unravels with tragic consequences.

Though sometimes overlooked in the director’s impressive oeuvre, Ichikawa’s profoundly beautiful rendering of Soseki’s novel is a considerable work of cinema in its own right. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Kokoro for home viewing in the UK for the very first time.

- 48-page booklet with archival publicity stills
- A newly written essay by Tony Rayns
- Extended interview with Kon Ichikawa by Yuki Mori

 
23. Februar 2009
#69: “Taiheiyo hitori-botchi / Alone Across the Pacific” [J 1963, Kon Ichikawa]

A powerful hymn to the human spirit, Alone Across the Pacific – by renowned Japanese director Kon Ichikawa (An Actor’s Revenge, The Burmese Harp, Tokyo Olympiad) – tells the extraordinary real-life story of one man’s obsessive quest to break free from the strictures of society.

In 1962, Kenichi Horie (Yujiro Ishihara) embarks on a heroic attempt to sail single-handed across the Pacific Ocean. Leaving Osaka in an ill-prepared vessel – The Mermaid – the young adventurer must overcome the most savage of seas, the psychological torment of cabin fever, and his mental and physical breaking point, if he is ever to reach the fabled destination of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

Using Horie’s best-selling logbook as his source, Ichikawa portrays the epic struggle of man against nature. ‘Scope cinematography – with Horie isolated in the oceanic expanse of the frame – and a score by celebrated composer Toru Takemitsu, add to the drama of a film for which Ichikawa received a Golden Globe nomination, among other accolades. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Alone Across the Pacific for home viewing in the UK for the very first time.

- Original Japanese Trailer
- Two teaser trailers
- Lavish 24-page booklet featuring a colour reproduction of the original Japanese poster, archival publicity stills and an essay by Brent Kliewer (Santa Fe Professor)
 
23. Februar 2009
#70: “Der Teufel und Daniel Webster [aka: Alles was Geld kaufen kann] / The Devil and Daniel Webster [aka: All That Money Can Buy]” [USA 1941, William Dieterle]

A morality tale for the ages, émigré Hollywood director William Dieterle’s The Devil and Daniel Webster (aka All That Money Can Buy) combines European expressionism with quintessential Americana. Based on a short story by celebrated author Stephen Vincent Benét, it offers a study in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, in which patriotism is cast in dramatic conflict with servitude to greed and materialism.

Echoing the German legend of Faust, down-on-his-luck farmer Jabez Stone (James Craig) makes an existential pact with the devil – seven years of prosperity in return for his soul. When the devil incarnate Mr. Scratch (Walter Huston) comes a-calling, Stone begins to have second thoughts, enlisting famed orator and folk hero Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold) to fight what becomes, for each of them, a case of life and death.

The Devil and Daniel Webster was widely lauded on its release – Bernard Hermann’s score won an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture, while Huston was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role – and is still regarded as an American classic. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Dieterle’s film for the very first time on home video in the UK.

- The Director’s Cut
- 60 page booklet with archival publicity still
- An essay by professor Tony Williams
- An article by director William Dieterle
- Short story in it’s entirety
 
“The Devil and Daniel Webster” ist bereits vor ein paar Jahren als “Director’s Cut” in den USA bei Criterion erschienen und bietet im Bereich des Bonusmaterials gegenüber der Masters of Cinema-Ausgabe einiges mehr:

- Audio commentary by film historian Bruce Eder and Bernard Herrmann biographer Steven C. Smith
- Reading of Stephen Vincent Benét’s short story “The Devil and Daniel Webster” by acclaimed actor/director Alec Baldwin
- Comparison between The Devil and Daniel Webster and the earlier preview version of the film, Here Is a Man
- The Columbia Workshop’s radio dramatizations of Stephen Vincent Benét’s short stories “The Devil and Daniel Webster” and “Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent,” both featuring music by Bernard Herrmann
- The music of The Devil and Daniel Webster, presented in an interactive essay by Christopher Husted of Bernard Herrmann’s estate
- Gallery of behind-the-scenes photos and promotional materials
- New essay by author Tom Piazza and a reprinted article by Benét