THE HUMAN CONDITION Criterion Review: Masaki Kobayashi’s Epic, Remastered

One of the most staggering films of the twentieth century and a defining achievement of Japanese cinema, Masaki Kobayashi‘s three-part, nine-hour epic The Human Condition remains a timeless staple of the medium as well as a deeply layered allegory for Japan’s wartime mentality. Based on Junpei Gomikawa‘s autobiographical novel of the same name, Kobayashi found resonance in Gomikawa‘s story and desired to be as faithful to it as possible while adapting it, even in the face of heavy scrutiny due to the subject matter and criticism of Japan’s actions during World War II.

The Human Condition follows Kaji (Tatsuya Nakadai), a conscientious objector and supervisor in a Manchurian prison camp whose moral compass and sympathy for the prisoners eventually results in arrest for collusion. Tracing these early moments before transitioning to Kaji’s time as a soldier and later a Soviet prisoner, Kobayashi‘s film is a sweeping, existential look at the human spirit against the endlessly haunting backdrop of war. Originally released as a trilogy between the years 1959 and 1961, Kobayashi‘s epic was universally acclaimed and went on to win a multitude of awards, establishing the director as a cinematic powerhouse before he went on to make Harakiri and Kwaidan in subsequent years.

As part of its June 2021 lineup, the Criterion Collection has prepared a new Blu-Ray edition of The Human Condition for release, a significant upgrade from the previously available DVD set the distributor released over a decade ago. While the original DVD set packaging was in a “digipack” style, this new edition arrives in a plastic case (though it’s still visibly wider than the majority of Criterion’s traditional releases). Inside, a leaflet can be found, which details the release and also includes a 2009 essay from film critic Philip Kemp titled “The Prisoner”.

Video: 4.5/5

For this new edition, The Human Condition is presented in the aspect ratio of 2:39;1 (a shift from its original aspect ratio of 2:35:1). As noted in the “About the Transfer” section of the leaflet, the high-definition digital restoration was undertaken by Shochiku Co., Ltd., at IMAGICA Lab in Tokyo, from 35mm prints made from the film’s 35mm original camera negative.

Compared with the 2009 Criterion DVD release, there’s obviously a huge leap in quality from one format to the next, but it truly cannot be understated just how incredible Kobayashi‘s film looks on Blu-Ray. The image is given more room to breathe (both metaphorically and physically), with the framing, in particular, being considerably fuller and more distinguished. Side-by-side, the Blu-Ray has an undeniably superior presentation but the cropping is just the cherry on top, with even more of the film being visible than it was before.

Even without the direct contrast to its predecessor, this edition is pretty spectacular on its own merit. Image density and clarity are next-level phenomenal and elevate the viewing experience to tremendous heights, solidifying Criterion’s edition as the irrefutable definitive home release of Kobayashi‘s epic.

Audio: 4.5/5

This edition of The Human Condition arrives with dual formatted audio, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack for Parts 1-4 and a 4.0 surround soundtrack for Parts 5 and 6. The monaural soundtracks for No Greater Love and Road to Eternity were remastered from a 35mm optical soundtrack print while the 4.0 surround soundtrack for A Soldier’s Prayer was remastered from the original 4-track stems using Avid’s Pro Tools and iZotope RX.

It was pretty much inevitable that Criterion’s latest release of Kobayashi‘s trilogy would pack a hefty punch in the audio department and unsurprisingly, it fully delivered upon those expectations. The new transfer offers a fresh lucidity to every scene and while dialogue is front-and-center, the atmosphere is additionally contingent on a wider soundscape. Naturally, it all sounds fantastic and offers much greater auditory stability than the DVD.

Special Features: 3/5

While Criterion is generally consistent with special features, it’s a bit disappointing that this release of The Human Condition has very little supplemental identity. Regarding what’s included, there are a handful of great additions, but what’s troubling is that all are direct ports from the 2009 DVD and that there’s nothing new for those who own that release. The film itself is split up over three discs (with two of the film’s six “parts” on each and constituting one film in the trilogy), and each supplemental pairing is given a spot on one of those discs. All descriptions below are taken directly from the discs themselves.

Disc One includes:

• Masaki Kobayashi: In this 1993 conversation, filmed for the Directors Guild of Japan at Tokyo’s Haiyuza Theatre, director Masaki Kobayashi talks to his fellow filmmaker and longtime admirer Masahiro Shinoda about The Human Condition.
• Trailer

Disc Two includes:

• Masahiro Shinoda: Made by the Criterion Collection in 2009, this program features filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda’s observations on The Human Condition and director Masaki Kobayashi.
• Trailer

Disc Three includes:

• Tatsuya Nakadai: In this 2009 interview by the Criterion Collection, actor Tatsuya Nakadai discusses his landmark role as Kaji in The Human Condition.
• Trailer

Overall Score: 4/5

For fans of Masaki Kobayashi‘s expansive body of work, Criterion’s latest edition of his monumental masterpiece The Human Condition offers a sizable technical improvement over the previously available DVD with a new high-definition transfer that boasts the strongest presentation of Kobayashi‘s magnum opus to date. While its supplemental features are lacking in quantity and variety, they remain solid inclusions (spread out over the three discs of this terrific release). Those looking for a substantial upgrade upon previously released versions of The Human Condition will certainly find that here while new viewers are bound to appreciate everything Kobayashi‘s towering masterwork has to offer at an even greater level. Highly recommended.

The Human Condition was released on June 8, courtesy of Criterion.