Back in February, the British Film Institute teased us about a new Rashomon Blu-ray, then fell silent about the topic. Until today, that is, when the company announced that the new release, out on both Blu-ray and DVD, will be on sale from September 21, 2015.

This is the first time that Rashomon is available for European audiences on high definition home video format with English subtitles.

Exclusive special features include a newly-produced 34-minute location documentary and a feature-length audio commentary by Kurosawa expert Stuart Galbraith IV, the author of the leading and most detailed Akira Kurosawa biography in the English language. Also included is an extensive booklet with new writing and full credits. BFI has also decided to go with the the more phonetic spelling of the film’s title, titling it Rashômon.

The full details of the set are as follows:

Restored in High Definition

New audio commentary by Kurosawa expert Stuart Galbraith IV

Rashomon at 65 (Stuart Galbraith IV, 2015, 34 mins): documentary visiting some of Rashomon’s key locations, featuring interviews with former staff from the Daiei-Kyoto Studios

John Boorman on Rashomon (6 mins), introduction by director John Boorman (Deliverance, The Emerald Forest)

Illustrated booklet with a new essay by Stuart Galbraith IV and full credits

PCM 2.0 audio (48k/24-bit) for Blu-ray, Dolby Digital 2.0 audio (320 kbps) for DVD

Both the Blu-ray and the DVD are available for preorder from Amazon.co.uk.

Rashomon also happens to be theme of the Akira Kurosawa Film Club for the next half a year, so there is no better time to get BFI’s new release! For more information about our film club’s discussion of the film, check out this post.