Viewed on DVD. Restoration = one (1) star. Talkies came late to Japan. This film was released in 1931 without a sound track. Being a silent film, though, is no big deal, because it is directed and performed as if it is a sound film. Acting is across-the-board outstanding especially the utterly charming performance delivered by Tokihiko Okada (Okada was doing "Cary Grant" before Cary Grant was doing Cary Grant!). Actors know how to address a camera that is only a few meters away unlike many silent movies where actors (mostly from the stage) often come across as caricatures of themselves, since they feel they need to project to the last row of the theater's balcony! Body language (obvious and subtle) is also a big factor in conveying actors' messages to the audience. Intertitles are a bit sparse. The piano score is outstanding. Restoration seems to be a work in progress. If a sufficient market emerges for this DVD (it is one in a package of three), perhaps there will be a new release that removes the constant distraction of deterioration. Bottom line: This is a captivating film that makes you want to watch it a number of times; so you may have a hard time refraining from running it only once in a sitting--I sure did! WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.
Review of Tokyo Chorus
