Twenty-Four Eyes: The Criterion Collection (DVD)

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"Twenty-four Eyes" is also a proud melodrama and a shameless tearjerker, powered in no small part by Takamine´s ability to cry at the drop of a hat. Her character´s tendency to burst out in tears at the slightest provocation earns her the nickname "Miss Crybaby" from one group of students. There´s nothing cheap about the sentiment here. Watching these kids grow up from first graders to adults at just about the worst time in recent Japanese history to be making that transition is sometimes painful to watch. Fate doesn´t always reward good behavior or punish the bad. It just doesn´t care. As William Blake wrote, "Some are born to sweet delight. Some are born to endless night."

I cried a few times. You probably will too. That´s not the only reason that "Twenty-Four Eyes" is a good film, but it´s one perfectly valid one.

Video

The film is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The image is picture-boxed liked most recent Criterion full screen releases. This restored transfer is fairly clean though some scratches fro the source print are still visible, and the picture looks perhaps a tiny bit soft compared to this studio´s usual high standard. Aside from that very minor complaint, this looks great.

Audio

The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the Japanese audio.

Extras

This is as close to bare bones as a Criterion release gets these days. The only extras are a 19-minute interview with film historian Tadao Sato which provides more information about the director than about the film and Theatrical Teasers.

The insert booklet offers an essay by film scholar Audie Bock and an excerpt from a 1955 interview with Kinoshita that originally appeared in an issue of the magazine "Kinema junpo."

Film Value

"Twenty-Four Eyes" is perhaps the strongest example of a distinct sub-genre of cinema: the inspiring teacher film, popular both in fiction and non-fiction. The usual American variant of this film involves a gung-ho attitude and a fire-and-brimstone lead performance (Morgan Freeman in "Lean on Me" or Edward James Olmos in "Stand and Deliver"), though Ryan Gosling´s exceptionally subtle and nuances turn as a badly flawed but still inspiring teacher in the grossly underappreciated "Half Nelson" (2006) marks a fascinating departure from the formula.

By contrast, Hideko Takamine´s portrayal of Miss Oishi is quiet and assured, though she is no less devoted to her students than baseball bat-wielding Principal Joe Clarke. Oishi isn´t simply trying to get her gets to pass a test, but to provide them a steadying influence for life. It´s an approach that doesn´t lend build to a simple, distinct climax but provides more subtle and satisfying rewards.