The Yellow Handkerchief

Adapted from a series of columns by American journalist Pete Hamill, many people will think of the 2008 film starring a fledgling Eddie Redmayne when you mention the title, "The Yellow Handkerchief." However, these columns were originally adapted in 1977 by acclaimed Japanese director Y�ji Yamada.

The film follows three young souls as they embark on a road trip, with each participant's respective backstory revealed through carefully revealed flashbacks. It falls in line with many of the great road trip movies ("Easy Rider," "Y Tu Mam� Tambi�n"), and is beautifully executed in crafting a soulful story with truly poignant moments. In fact, the film was the first to receive a Best Picture award for the Japan Academy Prize.

Yamada is best known for his long-running film series, "Otoko wa Tsurai yo," as well as his Samurai Trilogy made up of "The Twilight Samurai," "The Hidden Blade" and "Love and Honor." Despite being born in Osaka, the filmmaker's upbringing primarily existed in China. As he grew from scriptwriter to assistant director to full-fledged filmmaker, Yamada evolved through a variety of genres. "The Yellow Handkerchief," specifically, is one of his more human dramas with profoundly moving content.

There are no bonus features on the limited-edition release of "The Yellow Handkerchief" from Twilight Time Movies, but this is still a worthy purchase for fans of rich drama and heartfelt character studies.

"The Yellow Handkerchief"
Blu-ray
$24.95
https://www.twilighttimemovies.com/yellow-handkerchief-the-shiawase-no-kiiroi-hankachi-blu-ray/