To Sleep So as to Dream – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1986
Director: Kaizô Hayashi
Writer: Kaizô Hayashi
Cast: Morio Agata, Kenji Endo, Fujiko Fukamizu

Release Date: March 21st, 2022 (UK), March 22nd, 2022 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes 21 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK) / $39.95 (USA)

"When private eye Uotsuka (Shiro Sano, Violent Cop, Shin Godzilla) and his sidekick Kobayashi are approached by an aged former actress, Madame Cherryblossom, to go in search of her kidnapped daughter Bellflower, their investigations lead them to the studios of the mysterious M. Pathe company. Here Uotsuka has a strange vision in which he comes face to face with the beautiful star of a 1915 chanbara film that appears to have no ending. From then on, things begin to get a little strange..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "The film was restored by Imagica Entertainment Media Services, Inc.

The original 16mm Kodak black and white camera negative reels were scanned in 2K on a DFT Scanity. The 2K grade and restoration were supervised by director Kaizo Hayashi and cinematographer Yuichi Nagata."

To Sleep So as to Dream comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.7 GB

Feature: 22.4 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. And though this is a solid transfer, It should be noted that the present-day moments look considerably stronger than the faux-silent film footage.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Japanese and English subtitles are included with this release. The audio sounds clear and balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (20 images-stills/posters/other promotional materials), theatrical trailer (2 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with Japanese intertitles, no subtitles), English language restored re-release trailer (2 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with Japanese intertitles with removable English subtitles), a selection of scenes from silent jidai-geki films from the Kyoto Toy Museum archives titled Fragments from Japan’s Lost Silent Heyday (2 minutes 40 seconds, no sound), a featurette titled The Restoration of To Sleep So as to Dream (4 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an exclusive benshi performance to the film within the film titled Midori Sawato Performs ‘The Eternal Mystery’ (6 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Midori Sawato who discusses early Japanese film culture and the art of the benshi silent film commentator titled Talking Silents: Benshi (18 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Shiro Sano titled How Many Eggs? (28 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival audio commentary with director Kaizo Hayashi and Shiro Sano in Japanese with removable English subtitles, an audio commentary with Japanese film experts Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp, reversible cover art and a twenty-eight page booklet with cast & crew information, The Miracle of To Sleep So as to Dream Kaizô Hayashi Director’s Statement, an essay titled To Film So as to Sleep written by Aaron Gerow, Kaizô Hayashi Filmography, About the Transfer and Production Credits.

Summary:

The narrative revolves around a private eye and his assistant who are hired to track a silent film star's missing daughter. And though the narrative is mostly told via intertitles, that said there are moments where the soundtrack uses sound. Some viewers might find the unpredictability of the sound design jarring. 

Without a doubt, To Sleep So as to Dream’s greatest asset is its beautiful cinematography, which is filled with striking imagery. The performances are in line with what one would expect from a silent film. Also, the overall aesthetic owes a lot to silent cinema. Ultimately, To Sleep So as to Dream is a unique cinema experience unlike anything else that I have ever come across.

Arrow Video gives To Sleep So as to Dream a definitive release, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer