There are significant flaws with the transfer of When A Woman Ascends The Stairs, and it is certainly not on a par with the quality we can normally expect from Criterion. The black-and-white tones are reasonably good, but lacking depth and tone. Part of this is due to the softness of the print, more evident in the early part of the film, with skin tones in particular appearing rather flat and smeary and the image lacking detail elsewhere in shadows and textures. This improves as the movie progresses, but remains less than perfect. The image is further compromised by frequent fluctuations and wavering throughout, the marks taking the appearance of soft water damage. It’s not overly troublesome, but frequent enough to be very distracting. It’s clear that Criterion have done the best they can with the source materials – the 2.35:1 image, transferred anamorphically can occasionally look very good indeed with good stability and nice tones – but it’s a pity that the problems are so frequent.

[re REPAST] "The image is a little soft, tending towards hazy, and tones are shades of grey rather than black and white – the print looking like it has been artificially brightened. It’s possible that this could also be the result of noise reduction or filters, with banding or posterisation occurring frequently throughout in backgrounds."

[re SOUND OF THE MOUNTAIN] "The same problems with an overall greyness of tone are there, as are the issues of banding, though both are much less noticeable here, with there being more outdoor scenes. The print however does show slightly more damage and less stability, the image wavering slightly at points. Noise reduction would appear to be an issue here as well, with one or two scenes showing wavering between foreground and background elements. There is also one transfer error in the master quite early in the film (around the 4-5 minute mark) where the image breaks up for a second."

[re FLOWING] "Flowing has the best transfer of the set with stronger contrasts and a better range of tones than the other two films, although it still remains slightly on the grey side. There are scarcely any real flaws – a few minor scratches can be seen occasionally at the end of reels, but largely the image is clear and stable throughout."

Although the 3 main features of this boxset are housed in individual (transparent) keep cases - see images above and below - they are not sold separately at this time and can only be obtained in MoC's Mikio Naruse, Vol. 1 Boxset. They have been progressively transferred in the NTSC standard, coded for Region 2 and have optional English subtitles.

Image: Firstly, where so many other companies would compromise the available transfer sources and detrimentally alter to suit marketability - I am so proud of Masters of Cinema that they do not succumb to this practice. I am referring to the NTSC standard in which the discs are transferred - which was obviously the only available source that MoC had access to. It wasn't cheaply manipulated for PAL-locked audiences where, perhaps, they might find stronger sales... but also destroy the integrity of the image (and audio). This commitment to art is virtually unheard of today. Bravo - you guys remain my heroes!

The overall image quality is consistent in all three film-to-DVD transfers. There is some minor contrast flickering and very minimal damage (light scratches) with Flowing tending to show the most at the very beginning of the presentation. I didn't know what to expect with this boxset but I am honestly very pleased with the outcome. It has far exceeded my expectations. The screen captures give a fair representation. These films look very acceptable folks. I feel honored to view Naruse' cinema looking this good. It borders on miraculous.