Sakuran (Blu-ray Review)
Director
Mika NinagawaRelease Date(s)
2006 (March 24, 2026)Studio(s)
Asmik Ace Entertainment (88 Films)- Film/Program Grade: A
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: B+
Review
Truly successful photographers turned directors (we’re not talking cinematographers here) is somewhat rare. Anton Corbijn, Gordon Parks and Agnès Varda are a few Criterion level filmmakers who started out as shutterbugs. (Don’t correct me that Corbijn doesn’t have a Criterion spine number—he will). And the king is, of course, Stanley Kubrick whose work defines “every frame a picture”. But unbeknownst to me, there’s a new name that I’ll be chasing the cinematic works down for: Mika Ninagawa. This is an oversight I’m pretty excited to have rectified. Ms. Ninagawa started off in the 90s in Japan helping to usher in the so-called “Girly Photo” movement and with it helped shift Japan’s pop culture into the more girl-centric space we know today, away from the black and white salary man era. Flamboyant, colorful, super detailed, Ninagawa’s work went from teenage curiosity to esteemed gallery art show, on to her being one of Japan’s most sought-after fashion photogs with every brand and concept store fighting for her eye. She even helped style the 2020 Olympics in Japan. Of course, she took the usual route of the Gen X filmmaker starting as a video and commercial director and then she moved into her first theatrical film project, Sakuran.
Based on the Japanese manga from acclaimed artist Moyoco Anno, Sakuran takes place during the Edo period in the Yoshiwara district, a district known for its licensed brothels. Kiyoha (Anna Tsuchiya) is a firebrand who lives her own life and takes no guff from anyone. We see, over the course of the film, how she goes from a spirited little girl conscripted into the brothel by her mother, on through being the personal assistant to an Oiran (basically the highest level sex worker where they get to choose who she spends time with and when) and into becoming a “new girl” (a sex worker with no real agency) and on until Kiyoha becomes the house Oiran herself. Tsuchiya is a real powerhouse in this role—she’s remarkably beautiful and you really believe she is this anachronistic punk rock riot grrrl that may not have been historically accurate but feels authentic regardless. All of this takes a backseat to Ninagawa’s hyper saturated imagery. She is a true auteur and she turns light into a brush, pixels into paint and celluloid into canvas. Sakuran is a solid debut film and I’m just so surprised I’m only learning about this now.
Sakuran is presented as a 1080p transfer in 1:85:1 and it’s a gorgeous Blu-ray, a really nice clean, bright and colorful transfer. Audio has two choices, both fittingly Japanese—a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and a LPCM 2.0 stereo. Sound is full and the music pops (the score is a bit modern day jukebox, with anachronistic music choices that suit the film and its heroine well). English subtitles are also on board. The extras for this and its companion release, Ninagawa’s second film Helter Skelter reviewed here, are deep dives and I could have sounded a lot smarter than I am by regurgitating things I learned, but it was a lot of fun exploring Ninagawa’s history, how these films came to be, that I figure you should share in that pleasure as well, so I’ll just say—it’s packed with goodness, so if you’re curious, you’ll have a great time. There’s a well written essay in an image filled booklet inside the case written by Jasper Sharp and an audio commentary by critic Josh Slater-Williams. It’s an old school track that you can tell is written and read, but that just allows for there to be a lot of solid info. It explains a lot about the filmmakers, behind and in front of the camera, the history of the manga and music choices. It’s a very good listen. There’s also a video essay by writer and historian Amber T (who is featured on the commentary for Helter Skelter)—where she gives more background info about the film, filmmaker and story and runs about twenty-three minutes. Finally, there is a short stills gallery, teasers, trailers and a DVD release trailer. All in all, a good package.
- Todd Doogan