The Hidden Fortress (1958) UPDATED

[Brent_Reid]

Only Criterion's exclusive remastered reissue BD and DVD are actually 2.35:1. Their original DVD is nearer 2.30:1 and cropped on the right and left edges.

All other releases, with Toho's transfer, are approximately 2.40:1 and cropped on all four sides.

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

The Criterion reissue says 2.39:1 on the case, so it's now listed as that. With the "other releases", which can you confirm is 2.40:1 and cropped?

[Brent_Reid]

Apart from that on Criterion's original DVD and the odd international edit, there are basically two different transfers. As with most of Kurosawa's other major films, they're all from the same original source but Criterion did their own scan and clean-up, while others released Toho's transfer as is. So going by online spec and screenshots, and my own discs (BFI BD, DVD and a Korean DVD) the rest appear to be the same.

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

I noticed the Japanese specs were wrong so I went ahead and updated that one, but for the others using Toho's transfer, I know for a fact that the Mei Ah release didn't. It's very nitpicky, but we shouldn't put minor transfer info on each and every disc, as sites like the linked DVDBeaver and Capsaholic are more about that.

[Brent_Reid]

Fair enough. I forgot I also have a big Bo Ying Kurosawa DVD set, which uses Criterion's original transfers. Viz adding them here, I can't remember whether Criterion ever admitted to Bo Ying being a licensed distributor or not. Do you know?

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

As far as I know, they are unofficial Chinese editions.

[Brent_Reid]

Yeah, most likely. We'll leave it there then.