Shall We Dance? (1996) [DVD]

Much better than the American remake

Perfect condition. No issues playing disc. Would buy again from this seller.

This is one of my favorite foreign films of all time! It deals with a middle-age businessman Mr. Sugiyama (Koji Yakusho) who leads a workaholic and dull life. One day as he rides the subway back home, his eye is fixed on a lovely dancer Mai (Tamiyo Kusakari). This leads him to take up ballroom dancing just to meet her -- there he meets up with other interesting characters who take up dancing. Soon Mr. Sugiyama finds great fulfillment and friendship as he participates in the ballroom dancing competition along with his fellow dancers. Not only that, but Mr. Sugiyama finds that his personal and family life, the lives of the other dancers, his instructors and all concerned are transformed for the better as a result. (I don't want to give away anymore! You have to watch it for yourself.)Even though I'm definitely not a dancer, this movie made me want to dance. The viewer can fully identify with Mr. Sugiyama, who feels as though he has 2 left feet. (Also, ballroom dancing may not be a manly activity to get involved in.) The actor who steals the show in this movie is the one who plays Mr. Aoki (Naoto Takenaka) -- a ostracized colleague of Mr. Sugiyama who tries to get girls to dance with him through pretending to be the great Latin dancer Donnie Burns. Aoki's exaggerated facial expressions and body movements are hilarious! Tamiyo Kusakari does a great job of playing the lovely dancer Mai whose life is also transformed as she instructs these men and turns them from clumsy beginners to accomplished dancers.I loved this story because it deals with the theme of redemption and transformation. It also talks about the interdependency of our lives upon one another and how we can effect positive change upon each other. It talks about the importance of trusting one another and reconciling relationships. All these important themes are captured in a heartwarming and hilarious comedy. It is rare to find a movie these days that will make you smile and feel good about life after you watch it. This is one of them. It is such a great movie! Shall We Dance? Most Definitely!!(Note: This is the original movie (Japanese w/ English subtitles) which was remade recently in an American version featuring Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez. This version is superior to the remake in every way!)

There is little to add about a perfect Japanese gem like "Shall We Dance?"; except to say that along the way it manages to comment upon the rat-race (job), false-hopes, disappointment, failure, boredom, self-delusion, and the student/teacher relationship. The supporting cast and the lead actor are middle-aged. The lead businessman, Shohei Sugiyama (played to perfection by Koji Yakusho) is drawn to dance with false hopes and perseveres to achieve more than the attention of Mai, whose face enticed him from the start to the dance studio. His elusive hope,icily pretty and elegant, Mai (Tamiya Kusahari)lead dance-instructress is played with controlled detachment, maintaining a formal and emotional distance long enough to make you feel like the novice dancer, Shohei, waiting to come to life with her personal attention. What this film conveys is much larger than the trite plot summaries in the reviews. The script makes you feel the novice who changes over time, gaining confidence and regard. A subplot with Shohei's wife and daughter about to expose his private passion (dance)as equivalent infidelity only adds to the tension and merges into the denouement. The changes inside the colorful supporting characters unfold as the film moves toward a joyous finish with many other revelations. When you appear to be let down by the longing replaced with reality, the film moves upward still, achieving other delightful 'lessons' beyond the expected romance between the pining novice and his instructress. It cannot be stated enough that only in Japan, such painful personal honesties or effronteries by the actors are handled with careful delicacy and honesty, conveyed with such grace and politeness that makes it impossible to duplicate by other countries. In this gem, you have the dancing excitement of "Strictly Ballroom," coupled with the dreamy longing found in "Portrait of Jennie" of the late-40s, holding up the mirror to life.

I am fans of Richard Gere & Julia Roberts and though there acting is what you would expect in the westernized remake of "Shall We Dance" it lacks the original charm of the original Japanese film, it does not transfer thru in the same way even though they kept to the original story. This was a huge surprise hit in Japan back in 1996 coming in second that year only after a Godzilla film. So big that a westernized remake got made in 2004. I wish the original Japanese version would get re-released on DVD/Blu-Ray at a normal price as the out of print disc is commanding a premium now. Better yet why not re-release both versions in a two pack? I;ll watch both just prefer the original. I opted for a New VHS copy I found as it was a fraction of the out of print DVD cost. It was just fine, just not as good a format as disc. Anyway you watch it the original version is worth it. You can probably stream it but I prefer my own on demand physical library which is always available.

This is the original film. It is far better than the Lopez-Gere remake. Anyone who has taken dance lessons can relate to this film. Very entertaining.

Excelente producto es Region 1 por lo que muchos reproductores no lo leerán. Rapida entrega.

When I saw that the dvd was available on Amazon. I was very happy. I had heard that the film was great; much better than the American remake. My wife, who is Japanese was looking forward to being able to see a film that she had not seen in a long time ... and she still hasn't. This version has taken out 26 scenes that were in the original version which runs to 136 minutes; a full 22 minutes longer than the running time in the version supplied by Amazon (stated to be 114 minutes). Perhaps I am being unfair; but, I felt let down. I wanted to see the original cut, the one that won 14 Japanese Academy Awards when it was released, and this was not it. It would be nice if this kind of thing is made clear, then you know what to expect, but there was nothing to indicate that about 15 percent of the film had been cut, and the beginning had been radically altered.I am NOT saying don't buy it. I am not saying that it is bad, it is too good for that, and I am sure that there are many out there who would like it in this version. But, if you want the original 136 minute film, you will have to look elsewhere. The two stars are more my disappointment at the missing 15 percent, and the changed beginning.

Although, admittedly I haven't seen the recent American re-make and dispite not wishing to dis-credit it without having seen it, I can't believe it would be possible for Hollywood to render a more delicate and delightful story than this, the original Japanese version.As the synopsis of the story is freely available elsewhere, I won't explain, surfice to say, when I first went to see it the thought of a film about ballroom dancing didn't exactly enthrall me. I was interested in Japan and from previous Japanese films knew that they had the ability to appreciate human sensibilities and tell a story subtely, in a way that reflected the best taste of French cinema. In short, films with a sense of elegant charm.I was not dissapointed as, from start to finish, I was drawn into the worlds the characters inhabited and felt their full range of emotions with them, all done in an understated way, without the need to spell everything out for the audience.A very human story, with a perfectly judged balance of comedy entwined throughout. Re-watching the original still rewards, again and again.As I have said, I haven't seen the American re-make, nor do I want to after seeing this. I wouldn't want clumbsy feet to spoil the perfect grace.

This is charming and delightful and far better than the US remake with, why on earth, Richard Gere. I know that some people can't get beyond subtitles but if you can you will find a very good film though not quite classic or great in my opinion. I have still given it 5 stars because compared with the dross that normally gets bought it is still a cut above in terms of subtlety and craft.

A delightful film that was remade with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez under the same name. It appears most critics consider this original Japanese version superior, but in the cut DVD version that this is, I would disagree. Having said that it's still enjoyable to watch.