DERSU UZALA (1975) - Andy's Imprint Blu-Ray Review

[AndyDursin]

8/10

The great Akira Kurosawa virtually never ventured outside Japan for his cinematic sojourns, making his 1975 epic DERSU UZALA (142 mins.) a picture to treasure. This rugged, Serbian-shot outdoor adventure offers a straightforward story of a Russian military officer (Yuri Solomon) who’s charged with surveying the Mongolian frontier shortly after the turn of the 20th century. To his aid comes a resourceful local guide (Maksim Munzuk), who not only saves his life, but represents an old, nature-based world slowly being eradicated by the rise of civilization.

“Dersu Uzala” is a film where nature dominates every inch of the frame: the widescreen lensing and outstanding sound design (more on that in a moment) capture a grandeur only filmmakers like Kurosawa could realize, even though what it’s conveying – the wind, rain, creak of the trees, beauty of a sunrise, the harshness of a snow storm – is something all around us in the natural world. Seldom has a movie made the conventional elements of the planet so exciting in cinematic terms, but “Dersu Uzala” has all of that. Tellingly, once the audience spends time in interior confines of “civilization” at the end, all of it goes away, and – like Dersu – we’re left with the quiet, empty space of nondescript living quarters he’s unceremoniously sentenced to after his eyesight fails him.

The picture, mostly a Russian funded production, would be the only time in Kurosawa’s career where Japan was not the focal point, and for that reason alone, “Dersu Uzala” – which won the 1976 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film – is a picture to especially cherish.

It’s also a movie that’s been notoriously difficult to find, and once more, in a quality presentation at that. Shot in 70mm, Roger Corman imported the film and released it through his New World Pictures, albeit only in 35mm prints that I assume were also mono. Both would severely compromise the beauty of the film’s scope cinematography as well as its intricate, outstanding sound design: its multi-channel stereo track envelops the listener with birds chirping, the flowing breeze and other elements that are as integral to the film’s appeal as its visuals.

Imprint’s premiere Blu-Ray release of “Dersu Uzala” was sourced from a Mosfilm restoration that does a good job conveying the movie’s 2.35 frame. The transfer may not be on the level of a 4K remaster, but it’s still quite acceptable and, apparently, vastly superior to the movie’s poor home video releases found around the rest of the globe. Even better is the sound: the original multi-channel audio from the 70mm prints, both its original Russian dialogue as well as its English dub, are contained in outstanding 5.1 DTS MA tracks. These are both tremendously active mixes, and since the dialogue was post-synced anyway, the English dub is more functional than you might expect.

Extra features, as always with Imprint’s releases, are in abundance here. A new commentary from Japanese cinema critic Stuart Galbraith IV offers ample information about the project’s history and Kurosawa’s tenuous standing in the Japanese film industry when it was made. Historian Michael Brooke provides additional information in a new interview, while David Schecter offers his perspective on the movie’s score in an audio essay. Archival interviews with Yuri Solomin are also on-hand here, along with vintage footage of his character – the real Vladimir Arseniev. Highly recommended!

[Paul MacLean]

The picture, mostly a Russian funded production, would be the only time in Kurosawa’s career where Japan was not the focal point, and for that reason alone, “Dersu Uzala” – which won the 1976 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film – is a picture to especially cherish.

I watched this a couple of years ago on Filmstruck. I admit I kind of forced myself to watch it, as it didn't look especially exciting (and I wondered if a film made in the USSR -- even one made by Kurosawa -- wouldn't be Soviet propaganda on some level). To say I was more than pleasantly surprised is an understatement!

Agreed on all points Andy -- one of Kurosawa's most unique films. However, the transfer I watched (which was Criterion's) wasn't very good. Glad to hear they've struck a new one.

If anyone is interested, MosFilm has a Youtube channel where they have uploaded a number of their films, which you can watch for free, and Dersu Uzala is among them (though it appears to be the old transfer).

[AndyDursin]

The transfer on the Blu-Ray definitely looks newer/better. The source actually might be the same but the compression and such are superior, there's less of that "instability" in some scenes.

It is not a new restoration though. But the best available transfer out there (and might ever be) at the moment.