David and I are back with another episode of The Eclipse Viewer, the podcast dedicated to the Criterion Collection’s Eclipse Series of DVDs.

In this episode, we talk about Eclipse Series 15: Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu.

Hiroshi Shimizu was a prolific Japanese director who began his career in the 1920s. Sadly, today, many of his films are lost, and those that remain are overshadowed by the supremely talented likes of Ozu, Mizoguchi, and Naruse, though Shimizu was esteemed by them. After watching this set, I can see why.

The box contains four films: Japanese Girls at the Harbor (1933), the only silent film; Mr. Thank You (1936), which is my personal favorite; The Masseurs and a Woman (1938), which for my money has one of the best final shots out there; and Ornamental Hairpin (1941), which might have the best ending in general. All four films are compelling for a variety of reasons, and this is one of my favorite Eclipse Sets.

Please find the podcast, the shownotes, and plenty of links over at CriterionCast here.

In the next episode of The Eclipse Viewer, David and I will be discussing Eclipse Series 14: Rossellini’s History Films — Renaissance and Enlightenment, featuring The Age of the Medici (1973), Cartesius (1974), and Blaise Pascal (1972).

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