Samurais...in Color

The movie Gate of Hell was one of the first samurai movies to be made in color, and thanks to Criterion Collection, it is now available for release.  The plot:

A winner of Academy Awards for best foreign-language film and best costume design, Gate of Hell is a visually sumptuous, psychologically penetrating work from Teinosuke Kinugasa. In the midst of epic, violent intrigue in twelfth-century Japan, an imperial warrior falls for a lady-in-waiting; even after he discovers she is married, he goes to extreme lengths to win her love. Kinugasa’s film is an unforgettable, tragic story of obsession and unrequited passion that was an early triumph of color cinematography in Japan.

The visuals, as in color, is glorious, and while the plot leaves a little to be desired (read: doesn't stand out from the other samurai movies released in the same time period), the last fifteen minutes or so is what really ties it all together and in dramatic fashion.  There aren't any special features to speak of, but here, it isn't such a bad idea, as the movie speaks for itself.