Floating Clouds (1955) (Blu-ray) (UK Import)

During the war in French Indochina, a married Japanese man falls in love with a young typist, Yukiko, and promises to marry her after the war. Upon their return to Tokyo, their idyllic relationship crumbles, but they cannot keep away from one another. Despite finding nothing but conflict and instability, they helplessly return to each other repeatedly as they attempt to rebuild their lives from the ruins of World War II.

A classic of Japanese cinema described as a ‘masterpiece’ by Yasujiro Ozu, Floating Clouds is a melancholy meditation on the hopeless side of love. Through the lens of Yukiko and Tomioka’s tempestuous relationship, Mikio Naruse’s most acclaimed film quietly captures the devastation of a country in economic post-war ruin.

Extras

Newly restored and presented in High Definition
Newly recorded audio commentary by writer and film critic Adrian Martin
Mikio Naruse: Auteur as Salaryman (2016, 73 minutes, audio only): academic Catherine Russell, an expert in the cinema of Naruse, assesses the director’s career. Recorded at BFI Southbank
Interview with Japanese film expert Freda Freiberg (2007, 10 mins) Paul Willeman on Floating Clouds (2007, 7 mins)
Commentary on a scene (2007, 10 mins): Freda Freiberg provides a commentary on a key scene from the film
Illustrated booklet with new writing on the film by Catherine Russell, a previously published essay by Adrian Martin and credits