A man wakes in an asylum with no memory. Dr Wakabayashi helps him to recall his past in which he killed his bride on their wedding day. Part of his memory becomes linked to another doctor, Dr Masaki, and a manuscript, Dogra Magra. As the two doctors treat him, reality and fantasy become blurred and the patient becomes unsure of his identity or his doctors’ experiments. The final feature film by Toshio Matsumoto (Funeral Parade of Roses) is an adaptation of the celebrated novel by Kyusaku Yumeno, a period set gothic tale with a sense of dreamy dread that recalls Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cure and the locked room mystery of Shutter Island. A stunningly shot phantasmagoria by Tatsuo Suzuki (Pastoral: To Die in the Country), Dogra Magra is presented on Blu-ray for the first time outside of Japan.

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Video Quality

Dogra Magra comes to Blu-Ray courtesy of Radiance Films sourced from a pleasing HD master supervised by director of photography Tatsuo Suzuki and producer Shuji Shibata in the original 1.85:1. While we might be unsure of the elements used for this transfer, the strong results speak for themselves. There is no egregious damage to be observed in this presentation with only fleeting instances of lingering specks in the image. Any minor downturns are presumably source-related and not a major detriment. The transfer retains a consistent, natural grain structure that showcases the filmic look of the picture and brings out a fantastic world of detail in the background. Colors saturate the screen notably from filters to hues in the costumes and production design. Black levels are in fine shape with some appreciated depth to the image. Radiance Films always shows up for fans of Japanese cinema.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with an LPCM 2.0 mono track in the original Japanese (with optional English subtitles). The narrative is quite heavy on dialogue and all exchanges come through clearly without getting overwhelmed by environmental effects or the score. The music comes through favorably in tandem with the competing noises. The film features some bustling moments that wake things up a bit, but it is not particularly packed with action sequences. This track is presented with consistent fidelity and only fleeting signs of weakness that never last very long. This is good work from Radiance Films.

Special Features

The first pressing of the Radiance Films Blu-Ray of Dogra Magra includes a booklet featuring new writing by Hirofumi Sakamoto, president of the Postwar Japan Moving Image Archive, and author Jasper Sharp on screenwriter Atsushi Yamatoya plus an interview with producer Shuji Shibata and Matsumoto’s director’s statement. These provide a great examination of the film and the creatives behind it. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Director Toshio Matsumoto provides a commentary track recorded in 2003 that delves into the themes of the narrative, the production design, the structure of the film, questions within the film, and much more. This track does not explicitly answer some of the more challenging questions, but it may help you understand the film a bit more.

Toshio Matsumoto: A nearly 22-minute interview from 2003 with filmmaker Toshio Matsumoto who discusses his work with the studios, why he wanted to tackle this material, the challenges of bringing it to screen, the mosaic approach to the narrative, and more.

Dogra Magra Though The Eyes of Tatsuo Suzuki: A new nearly 14-minute visual essay from programmer and curator Julian Ross who focuses on the importance of the work of cinematographer Tatsuo Suzuki and how it unlocks the experience of Dogra Magra.

Instructions of Ahodara Sutra: A 16-minute behind-the-scenes piece that shows legendary street performer Hiroshi Sakano teaching how to properly perform the popular Japanese chant delivered by Dr. Masaki in the film.

Gallery: A collection of sketches by production designer Takeo Kimura that shows five sets and how they would be realized in the final film.

Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Dogra Magra is an ambitious adaptation from director Toshio Matsumoto that takes an “unfilmable” novel and turns it into a mind-bending journey you won’t soon shake. You would be forgiven if you feel a bit out to sea at times during your first viewing, but the unreliable narrator adds a layer of suspense that makes this all the more intriguing. The film gives itself time to breathe which it uses to cultivate more questions and conjure memorable visuals to complement the narrative dexterity of the piece. It is challenging in the most rewarding way. Radiance Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a worthwhile A/V presentation and a couple of wonderful special features. Fans of cryptic Japanese cinema should take note. Recommended

Dogra Magra will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on October 29, 2024.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Radiance Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.