I like Akira Kurosawa’s films. A lot. So much that I have little doubt that I’ll likely own my own library of Kurosawa’s written and directed films (about 30 of ‘em, roughly) in the near future.
But not the too-near future, as the films are only really acceptable as released by the Criterion Collection…and each film as part of the Criterion Collection costs roughly $30 apiece.
Take Rashomon, for instance: Amazon’s price is 32 bucks. Kagemusha: $36. Even the ultimate classic Seven Samurai will set the discerning viewer back 30 bones. Kurosawa’s lesser known films don’t escape the heft, as Red Beard is a cool $36, although The Bad Sleep Well misses the bloat slightly at $27. And so on, and so forth.
But you can’t put a price on greatness.
Alright, maybe you can — especially if you belong to the Criterion Committee or whoever the heck makes these things. But let’s get something straight: I think these films are all worth the somewhat exhorbitant cost.
My complaint is largely about how Kurosawa fans must weep, as I will weep, when they’re confronted with the cost needed to collected together all of these classics. There’s one or two bundles out there, such as the 4 Samurai Classics collection, which lowers the cost of buying each DVD separately by about $20 total. But for everything else: hunker down, and pony up.
I know I will be. But yeesh!
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