Akira Kurosawa’s Movies on DVD

This page is primarily catering for the English speaking audience. However, in the case of non-English DVD editions that might be of interest also to the English speaking audience, those releases are mentioned, as well.

The arrangement of the page is chronological, starting with Kurosawa’s earliest movies and progressing to his last ones. The current availability is quite good, but there are still a few films that would need a proper release.

Index:
Sanshiro Sugata (1943)
The Most Beautiful (1944)
They Who Step on the Tiger’s Tail (1945)
Sanshiro Sugata II (1945)
No Regrets for Our Youth (1946)
One Wonderful Sunday (1947)
Drunken Angel (1948)
The Quiet Duel (1949)
Stray Dog (1949)
Scandal (1950)
Rashomon (1950)
The Idiot (1951)
Ikiru (1952)
Seven Samurai (1954)
Record of a Living Being (1955)
Throne of Blood (1957)
The Lower Depths (1957)
The Hidden Fortress (1958)
The Bad Sleep Well (1960)
Yojimbo (1961)
Sanjuro (1962)
High and Low (1963)
Red Beard (1965)
Dodesukaden (1970)
Dersu Uzala (1975)
Kagemusha (1980)
Ran (1985)
Dreams (1990)
Rhapsody in August (1991)
Madadayo (1993)

Sanshiro Sugata (Sugata Sanshiro, 1943)

The only apparently decent DVD version of Sanshiro Sugata is currently an Australian one, released by Madman Entertainment (formerly AV Channel), which comes with 12 minutes of deleted scenes.

Outside of Australia the DVD’s availability is generally quite poor, but you may check out Amazon.com, which sometimes has copies available in the Market Place. Note, however, that in order to play Australian DVDs, your player has to be able to display Region 4 discs.

If Amazon doesn’t do it for you, you can of course always head straight to Madman’s website and order it there. Note that the prices are in Australian dollars, and that you still need a DVD player capable of playing Region 4 to play these.

Another option is to try the older VHS release, which you can usually purchase cheaply second hand at Amazon.com.

The Most Beautiful (Ichiban utsukushiku, 1944)

The only DVD version of The Most Beautiful currently available to the English speaking audiences is the one by Mei Ah, the Chinese company that is generally known for its poor-quality releases. Although I have not personally seen this edition, based on the other Mei Ah releases you should expect subtitles that are translated into English via Chinese, and a transfer that is taken from an old videotape.

This DVD is generally available second hand at Amazon.com. It should be region free, and therefore play on all DVD players.

They Who Step on the Tiger’s Tail (Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi, 1945)

Again, the only DVD version of They Who Step on the Tiger’s Tail available to the English speaking audiences is the Mei Ah one. Just like with The Most Beautiful, you should expect subtitles that are translated into English via Chinese, and a transfer that is taken from an old videotape.

This DVD is generally available second hand at Amazon.com. It should be region free, and therefore play on all DVD players.

Sanshiro Sugata Part Two (Zoku Sugata Sanshiro, 1945)

Released in May 2007, the Australian Madman (formerly AV Channel) release of Sanshiro Sugata Part Two ought to be the one to beat the competition. Although I haven’t personally seen it, considering that the competition basically consists of a Mei Ah edition of the movie and nothing else, there is very little doubt in my mind as to which Sugata to choose.

Getting the Madman release will of course prove somewhat more difficult if you don’t happen to live in the Antipodes. The easiest way is probably to go to Madman’s website and order it there.

No Regrets for Our Youth (Waga seishun ni kuinashi, 1946)

There is just one real English language friendly release of No Regrets for Our Youth, and it is from Criterion’s Region 1 Postwar Kurosawa box set, which was released as part of the Eclipse series of low-budget releases. The film and sound quality is fairly good, although it must be noted that the Eclipse series films, being budget releases, are not digitally restored nor do they come with any real DVD extras.

The box set is also quite nicely priced, as with the price of two normal Criterion releases you get five movies, with the other titles being Scandal, Record of a Living Being, One Wonderful Sunday and The Idiot. The box set can purchased from Amazon.com.

I would recommend the box set also for those living in other regions (although note, that you need a Region 1 capable player for that). Although there is also the region-free Chinese Mei Ah release, I would avoid it at all costs due to the terrible subtitles and poor picture quality.

One Wonderful Sunday (Subarashiki nichiyobi, 1947)

The only decent English language friendly release of One Wonderful Sunday is currently from Criterion’s Region 1 Postwar Kurosawa box set, which was released as part of the Eclipse series of low-budget releases. The quality of the release is fairly good, although it must be noted that the Eclipse series films, being budget releases, are not digitally restored nor do they come with any real DVD extras.

The box set, however, is quite nicely priced, as with the price of two normal Criterion releases you get five movies, with the other titles being Scandal, Record of a Living Being, No Regrets for Our Youth and The Idiot. The box set can purchased from Amazon.com.

I would recommend the box set also for those living in other regions (although note, that you need a Region 1 capable player for that). Although there is also the region-free Chinese Mei Ah release, I would avoid it at all costs due to the terrible subtitles and poor picture quality.

Drunken Angel (Yoidore tenshi, 1948)

The best release of Drunken Angel currently available is the 2007 Criterion edition, which is digitally restored and comes with a half an hour documentary and a commentary by Donald Richie. The picture and sound quality is very good, and I doubt any release will surpass this one any time soon. This Region 1 (North America) release can be bought from Amazon.com.

Meanwhile, the best Region 2 release of Drunken Angel in English appears to be the one by the British Film Institute, which they put out in 2005. I have not had the privilege of actually seeing this release, but BFI releases in general are relatively good, although not necessarily quite as marvellous as one might hope. The DVD comes with a 12-page booklet with notes by film historian Philip Kemp, and includes two other short articles as well. This BFI DVD is available at Amazon.co.uk. It is region 2 only, so you will need to have a multi-region DVD player in case you wish to watch the DVD outside of Europe and Japan.

Those who need a Region 4 release, take a look at the Madman release, which ought to be more or less on the same level as the BFI disc, although I have no actual confirmation of this at the time of writing.

The Quiet Duel (Shizukanaru ketto, 1949)

Released in 2006, this BCI/Ronin Entertainment DVD comes with a trailer, interviews, a short documentary, as well as liner notes by Stuart Galbraith IV. The release is not remastered, but is said to be of fairly good quality both in terms of audio and video.

This DVD is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import. It is a region 1 DVD, so those outside of North America need a multi-region DVD player to play it.

For Region 2, there is the Yume Pictures release, which is the same transfer as the R1 Ronin Entertainment release mentioned above, but lacks the extras. Note that instead of the more standard translation of the title, the DVD is called The Silent Duel. It is available from Amazon.co.uk.

For those in need of a Region 4 release, there is the Australian Madman release, but it is said to be visibly inferior to the Ronin transfer.

Stray Dog (Nora inu, 1949)

Also Stray Dog has attracted a Criterion Collection treatment. This quality release comes with an audio commentary by Stephen Prince, as well as half an hour long documentary on the making of the film, plus a booklet quoting from Kurosawa’s autobiography. The quality of the restored video and audio is good, as always, although not quite comparable to Criterion’s best efforts.

Stray Dog is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import. It is a region 1 DVD, so those outside of North America need a multi-region DVD player to display it.

Those preferring a region 2 release may consider the considerably less interesting (at least in terms of extras) BFI release, available at Amazon.co.uk.

For Region 4, there is the Madman release.

Scandal (Shubun, 1950)

Scandal has been released in Region 2 as part of the British Eureka/Masters of Cinema series. The restored video transfer is said to be of generally acceptable quality, while the audio is not excellent, but serves its purpose. The DVD comes with a seven-minute long introduction by Alex Cox, as well as a booklet and a gallery of images.

Scandal is available at Amazon.co.uk. It is a region 2 DVD, so those outside of Europe and Japan need a multi-region DVD player.

An alternative for those in Region 1 (North America) is the Postwar Kurosawa box set from Criterion’s Eclipse series. In addition to Scandal, the very reasonably priced set also comes with Record of a Living Being, No Regrets for Our Youth, One Wonderful Sunday and The Idiot. The quality of the release is fine, but note that the Eclipse series releases are not digitally restored in the way that normal Criterion releases are, and neither do they have any real extras on the discs. On the other hand, the price of the five films is almost that of a single movie. The box set can purchased from Amazon.com.

Those wanting a Region 4 release may again look towards Madman’s Easter Eye series.

Those preferring a region-free release may also consider a release by Boying. The picture and sound quality is not brilliant, but at least the subtitles are (almost) real English, and not something you get with Mei Ah. Both Amazon.com and Amazon.ca usually have the Boying release.

Rashomon (Rashomon, 1950)

Criterion has done an excellent job with Rashomon, providing a very good quality video and a somewhat less brilliant (but by no means horrible) audio. The release comes with numerous extras, including Donald Richie’s audio commentary, an introduction by Robert Altman, and excerpts from a Japanese documentary.

Rashomon is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import. It is a region 1 DVD, so those outside of North America need a multi-region DVD player to watch it.

Those preferring a pure region 2 release may consider the much poorer BFI edition, available at Amazon.co.uk.

For Region 4, check out the Madman release.

The Idiot (Hakuchi, 1951)

Like Scandal, The Idiot has been released in Region 2 as part of the British Eureka/Masters of Cinema series. The restored video transfer is somewhat better than with Scandal, which means that it is perfectly watchable. The DVD comes with a nine-minute long introduction by Alex Cox, as well as a booklet and a gallery of images.

The Eureka/Masters of Cinema Region 2 The Idiot is available at Amazon.co.uk. As it is a region 2 DVD, those outside of Europe and Japan need a multi-region DVD player to play it.

Criterion, meanwhile, offers The Idiot as part of the Region 1 Eclipse series box set Postwar Kurosawa. The quality is fine, but note that the Eclipse series releases do not undergo the same restoration treatment as normal Criterion movies, and neither are there any real extras on the discs. The price, however, is certainly right. The other films in the box set are Record of a Living Being, No Regrets for Our Youth, One Wonderful Sunday and Scandal, and the box set can purchased from Amazon.com.

For a Region 4 release, there is the Madman (Eastern Eye) release, which is also available at Amazon.com. Note, however, that Madman’s transfer is not quite as sharp as with the Masters of Cinema release, and one should therefore prefer the British release over the Australian one.

Ikiru (Ikiru, 1952)

Another quality release from the Criterion Collection. Their 2-disc Ikiru comes with a very good digitally remastered video, and almost hiss and crack-free audio. The extras include a commentary from Stephen Prince, the 90-minute long A Message from Akira Kurosawa interview documentary with Kurosawa, and the 41-minute long documentary on Ikiru from the Akira Kurosawa: To Create is Beautiful series.

Criterion’s Ikiru is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import. It is a region 1 DVD, so those outside of North America need a multi-region DVD player to display it.

Those preferring a region 2 release may consider the much less interesting and poorer quality BFI release, available at Amazon.co.uk.

For Region 4, try out the Madman release.

Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai, 1954)

It took them two tries to get it right, but it has been worth the wait. Criterion Collection’s 3-disc Seven Samurai is not only the best version of the film, it is the best Akira Kurosawa release currently out there. The picture quality is marvellous, the audio not any worse, and the discs are packed with extras, including two audio commentaries and more than four hours of documentaries and interviews.

Criterion’s Seven Samurai is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import. It is a region 1 DVD, so those outside of North America need a multi-region DVD player to view it.

Note that the DVD that you want to buy is the 3-disc one with the black cover, not the original (2-disc) release with the white cover.

For those who want to keep with region 2, BFI has a release but it is nothing to get too excited about. For Region 4, there is the Madman release, but again the Criterion really is the one you should get.

Record of a Living Being (Ikimono no kiroku, 1955)

The movie is also known in the English speaking world as I Live In Fear, which is what both the British Film Institute and Criterion have decided to use. Both are low-cost releases with very few or no extras (BFI has two essays included). As I have not been able to compare the two, I cannot say if the transfers differ in any significant way, but they probably don’t.

Two factors probably decide which one you want to go with. One is the region encoding: the Criterion release is Region 1, while the BFI release is Region 2. More significantly, however, the BFI release is a separately sold single disc, while the Criterion release is part of the Postwar Kurosawa box set that was release through the company’s Eclipse series and includes four other movies (The Idiot, No Regrets for Our Youth, One Wonderful Sunday and Scandal).

The British Film Institute DVD is available at Amazon.co.uk. It is region 2 only, so you will need to have a multi-region DVD player in case you wish to watch the DVD outside of Europe and Japan.

Criterion’s Eclipse series Postwar Kurosawa box set can meanwhile be purchased from Amazon.com.

There is also the Region 4 Madman release, which I know next to nothing about. Amazon.com carries the title through their Market Place sellers.

Throne of Blood (Kumonosu jo, 1957)

Once again it is the Criterion release of Throne of Blood that surpasses all the rest. Both the video and the audio quality is really good, and the DVD comes with an audio commentary by Michael Jeck, an essay by Stephen Prince, and two subtitle translations, one of them a work by Donald Richie based on Jacobean diction.

Throne of Blood is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import. It is a region 1 DVD, so those outside of North America need a multi-region DVD player to display it.

Those preferring a region 2 release may consider the considerably less interesting (at least in terms of extras) BFI release, available at Amazon.co.uk.

For Region 4, there is the standard and not all that exciting Madman release.

The Lower Depths (Donzoko, 1957)

To the best of my knowledge, Criterion is the only company to have issued Kurosawa’s The Lower Depths on DVD with English subtitles (if we don’t count pirated releases). Therefore, one is pretty much stuck with their disc set. This, however, is not a problem as the release is good, with very little to complain in terms of audio or video. Extras are also quite decent, including an audio commentary by Donald Richie, a 33-minute documentary from the It is Wonderful to Create series, plus an essay and cast biographies.

Another “extra” is that The Lower Depths is not alone. Instead, it is packaged together with Jean Renoir’s 1936 film The Lower Depths, which like Kurosawa’s movie is an adaptation of Gorky’s play. You therefore get two quality films with the price of just one Criterion release!

The Lower Depths is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import. Like Criterion releases in general, it is a region 1 DVD, so those outside of North America need a multi-region DVD player to watch it.

For region 4 there is the Madman release, which should be ok (I have not verified this yet, however).The DVD comes with an image gallery, as well as a commentary by the Monash University film historian and critic Freda Freiberg. Madman’s The Lower Depths is available directly from Madman’s website.

No region 2 releases of The Lower Depths currently exist with English subtitles.

The Hidden Fortress (Kakushi-toride no san-akunin, 1958)

As far as I know, the race for the title of “the best The Hidden Fortress DVD release in the English speaking world” is a tie between the Criterion release and the BFI one. The only reason why the BFI DVD is pictured here is because I personally greatly dislike the Criterion release’s cover. Apart from that, at least to the best of my knowledge, the two releases are identical. The video quality is much praised, and the audio quality is fine as well. The extras are not much, but you can watch an 8-minute interview with George Lucas about the film.

The Hidden Fortress is available at Amazon.com (the Criterion release), Amazon.ca (the Criterion release), as well as at Amazon.co.uk (the BFI release).

If you for some reason insist on the Criterion release but live in Europe, it is generally available also at Amazon.co.uk. The BFI release, meanwhile, can also be purchased at Amazon.com. Remember that these are region one and region two, respectively, so your player will need to be able to handle those regions if you choose to purchase them.

The Region 4 Madman release is greatly inferior due to its poor NTSC-to-PAL transfer.

The Bad Sleep Well (Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru, 1960)

Once again it is the Criterion release of the movie that one should go for when looking for The Bad Sleep Well. While the release is actually not quite comparable to some of Criterion’s other Kurosawa discs, the DVD still comes with an It is Wonderful to Create documentary, interviews, trailer and a booklet containing essays. The transfer in terms of both its audio and video qualities is perfectly fine, although not brilliant.

Criterion’s The Bad Sleep Well DVD is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import. Those buying the DVD outside of the US must keep in mind that a multi-regional player is needed to play the Region 1 disc.

Those in Europe and with no multi-region DVD player or no desire to purchase a Region 1 DVD may turn to the BFI release of The Bad Sleep Well. While it comes with no extras save for a small booklet, its sound and picture quality is not noticeably worse than that the Criterion disc’s. Be aware, however, that the image in the BFI release is slightly cropped. Amazon.co.uk stocks it, as usual.

For Region 4, there is again a Madman release. My knowledge of the disc is currently very limited, but based on their earlier items I expect the quality to be fine. The DVD comes with a commentary by Ross Gibson, who works as a Professor of Media Arts in the University of Technology, Sydney. The DVD is available from Madman’s website.

Yojimbo (Yojimbo, 1961)

Before January 2007 it was difficult to say which release of Yojimbo should be considered the best. The BFI print is rather poor but comes with what many have considered to be a rather good commentary by Philip Kemp. The Australian (Region 4) release by Eastern Eye, meanwhile, has much sharper picture and better audio.

Criterion’s first attempt was meanwhile really rather disappointing in many ways. But just like with Seven Samurai, they learnt from their mistakes, and a new print was released on January 23, 2007. Although I have not seen it yet, I can fairly confidently say that it is the one to own. With its newly restored digital transfer and good audio options it really beats the competition. Packed with the film also comes an episode of the now-standard It is Wonderful to Create documentary, a Stephen Prince commentary, a trailer and a teaser, as well as a booklet with an essay and further notes about the film.

Criterion’s Yojimbo is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import.

Note that Yojimbo is also available in one box together with its sequel Sanjuro, which Criterion re-released simultaneously and with similar updates. This double pack is again available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import.

Amazon.co.uk also has the inferior BFI release.

The Madman (Eastern Eye) release is meanwhile available for those who need a Region 4 release.

Sanjuro (Tsubaki Sanjuro, 1962)

As with Yojimbo, the question previously was which release — Criterion or BFI — was less of an insult for Sanjuro. In fact, the best release was probably Arte Video’s French disc (comes with BBC’s interview with Kurosawa from 1986), but alas it has no English subtitles. Criterion attempted to change all this with their re-issue, but some questions remain regarding which release one ought to go with.

The issue here is that while Criterion’s release is sharper and comes with better extras, it is cropped from the sides. The re-issue is better in this respect than what was the original Criterion release, but even now when comparing Criterion’s new effort with the BFI release one can easily see that it misses quite a lot of width. To see it for yourself, take a look at DVD Beaver’s Sanjuro screenshot comparison.

If one can live with the missing horizontal inches, the Criterion is otherwise an excellent release. Identical to the treatment received by Yojimbo, Sanjuro comes with a newly restored digital transfer and the option to play the soundtrack as it was originally intended. The DVD also includes an episode of the It is Wonderful to Create documentary, a Stephen Prince commentary, a trailer and a teaser, as well as a booklet with an essay and further notes about the film.

Criterion’s Sanjuro is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.uk as an import.

Note that it is also available in one box together with Yojimbo, which Criterion also decided to re-release. This double pack, as usual, is available at Amazon.com Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.uk as an import.

Amazon.co.uk also stocks the BFI release, which as said has more of the frame in it, but is in other respects inferior to the Criterion.

The Region 4 Madman release is said to have issues with its transfer, and should not be recommended.

High and Low (Tengoku to jigoku, 1963)

According to reviews, the British Film Institute release of High and Low is marginally better than any other release in the English speaking world, including the Criterion. One reason that is often stated for this is that it is presented in the 2.55:1 aspect ratio (the criterion, as well as the others, is 2.35:1). This, however, is not true according to BFI, and the ratio of the BFI High and Low is 2.35:1. I have yet to confirm this personally.

The BFI disc comes with more extras than the other releases, although it is nothing to get overly excited about: a six-page booklet, an old review, and some biographies.

The sound and picture quality do their duty, but are nothing like we have come to enjoy with Criterion’s recent works on Seven Samurai and other Kurosawa movies. Note also that the subtitles are not removable, although not burnt onto the print, either. Curiously enough, the print is NTSC and not PAL, as one would expect from a European release.

BFI’s High and Low is available at Amazon.co.uk, but is not carried by the North American Amazons. For those in North America who either don’t have a multi-region player or find it difficult to get hold of the BFI release, Amazon.com and Amazon.ca have the Criterion release, which is of somewhat lesser quality.

For Region 4, there is the Madman release, which I know practically nothing about.

Red Beard (Akahige, 1965)

Yet again it is the Criterion release of Red Beard that one should look for if hunting for the best release available in the English language. The image and sound are restored to the high standard that we have come to expect from Criterion (although the restoration work is not quite as stellar as with the likes of Seven Samurai), and the DVD also comes with Stephen Prince’s commentary, as well as the standard booklet with film notes by Donald Richie.

Criterion’s Red Beard is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import. Those buying the DVD outside of the US must keep in mind that a multi-regional player is needed to play the Region 1 disc.

If you are in Europe and have no multi-region DVD player or no desire to purchase a Region 1 DVD, you may turn to the BFI release of Red Beard. Note, however, that it comes with no extras save for a short and highly inaccurate introduction by Alex Cox, and the image quality is also slightly poorer. Amazon.co.uk stocks it, as usual.

As usual, also Madman’s Eastern Eye series includes Red Beard, but I know very little of this release.

Dodesukaden (Dodesukaden, 1970)

After years of unavailability on the DVD (for the English speaking world), Criterion finally stepped forward in 2009 and released Dodesukaden on DVD. Since it is the only version currently available with English subtitles, it is obviously the version to go with.

That is not to say that it isn’t a good release. Oh boy, it is! Just look at the review roundup. The only real piece of criticism is that the release comes with no commentary, which is rare for Criterion’s Kurosawa releases.

Criterion’s Dodesukaden is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import. Those buying the DVD outside of North America must keep in mind that a multi-regional player is needed to play the Region 1 disc.

Dersu Uzala (Dersu Uzala, 1975)

It is unfortunately a tough call regarding Dersu Uzala, as none of the releases are really all that good. The French R2 release is supposed to come with English subtitles, and might be better than the competition, but it is difficult to say as it is more or less unavailable.

The American Kino release pictured here is probably the way to go. Which doesn’t say much, I know. But its picture quality is somewhat better than what is found in the competing Region 2 Artificial Eye release.

For the Region 1 Kino release, see Amazon.com, Amazon.ca or Amazon.co.uk.

For Region 2, there is also the Artificial Eye release, which is available at Amazon.co.uk.

Note, finally, that there is also a Korean R3 release by Spectrum, which comes on either 2 or 3 DVDs and includes both the Russian and the International versions of the film (the 3 DVD version has both, while the 2 DVD version has only one). More information can be found at the DVD Beaver website. You can purchase the disc for example here.

Kagemusha (Kagemusha, 1980)

After the rather shaky availability of Dersu Uzala, it is good to be able to say that Kagemusha has a Criterion release. And as much as I hate to repeat myself, it is once again this Region 1 Criterion release of the film that is the clear overall winner. In fact, as far as I know it is the only full length DVD release of the movie that comes with English subtitles. The European and Australian releases by Fox are all the 17 minutes shorter “international” version of the film, rather than the original 179 minute Japanese cut.

The Criterion release also comes among other things with Stephen Prince’s commentary, a 40-minute “making of” documentary, and interviews with Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas who helped to finance the film.

Criterion’s Kagemusha is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import. If you don’t want a R1 DVD, then I think you better just wait until someone makes a proper non R1 release of this film with English subtitles.

Ran (Ran, 1985)

The question which release of Ran to go with partly depends on your tastes regarding colour palettes. While the Criterion R1 release is the most definitive English-friendly edition of the movie on DVD in terms of its extras, some prefer the R2 Optimum release because of its brighter colours. (There is also a Warner R2 release, which is basically the same as the Optimum release, but without removable subtitles.) To see an actual comparison of the prints, check out for example the DVD Times review of the Optimum release.

While the Optimum release comes with only Chris Maker’s documentary “A.K.” and a theatrical trailer, the Criterion release is packed with goodies, including an introduction by Sidney Lumet, Chris Maker’s “A.K.”, as well as two other documentaries, a Tatsuya Nakadai interview, and a 28-page booklet. Oh yes, and of course a commentary by Stephen Prince, as is customary with Criterion’s Kurosawa releases.

Ultimately, it is up to you which version to pick. Criterion’s Ran (pictured above) is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import.

The Optimum R2 release is available at Amazon.co.uk.

Dreams (Yume, 1990)

The good news is that the choice here is easy. The bad news is that it is not because of there being a great release of Dreams available, but rather because there is only one you can really go with. This is the Warner Home Video R1 release, which has no extras. The image is so-so, while the sound does its job.

Dreams is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import.

Rhapsody in August (Hachi-gatsu no kyoshikyoku, 1991)

MGM’s Region 1 release of Rhapsody in August is a decent enough DVD with good image and sound quality, although very little in terms of extras (only a trailer is included). It is currently the definite version of the film when it comes to releases with English subtitles — the UK release by Prism should be avoided at all costs, as it comes with a cropped aspect ratio.

MGM’s Rhapsody in August is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import. I really quite like the cover of this one.

Madadayo (Madadayo, 1993)

If you are in North America or Europe, the Region 1 release by Winstar is what you should probably go with, as it is quite decent, although far from being feature-packed. The extras are the trailer and some storyboards. Meanwhile, the image and sound are fine, although not exceptional.

For Region 2, there is the 2007 Yume Pictures release, which is pretty much the same as the Winstar release. Unfortunately, neither release is in its original 1.88:1 aspect ratio, but is letterboxed to 1.66:1.

Winstar’s Region 1 Madadayo is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, as well as at Amazon.co.uk as an import.

The Yume Pictures Region 2 release of Madadayo can meanwhile be purchased from Amazon.co.uk.

For Region 4, there is the equally fine Madman release, which calls itself Maadadayo and has excellent cover art.