One of the great Akira Kurosawa's most under-appreciated films, Dodes'ka-den (a title drawn from the onomatopoeic Japanese word used to describe the sounds made by a moving train, regularly spoken by one of the film's characters) is by turns tragic and transcendent, following the daily lives of a group of people barely scraping by in a slum on the outskirts of Tokyo. Yet as desperate as their circumstances are, each of them – the homeless father and son envisioning their dream house; the young woman abused by her uncle; the boy who imagines himself a trolley conductor – finds reasons to carry on. Kurosawa's unforgettable film was made at a tumultuous moment in his life. And all of his hopes, fears, and artistic passion are on fervent display in this, his gloriously shot first color film.

Dodes'ka-den has been announced for a US region 1 DVD relese by Criterion in March 2009 (exact date to be confirmed) at the SRP of $29.95. Sporting a new, restored high-definition 1.33:1 transfer, the disc will have the following special features:

• Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create, a 36-minute documentary created as part of the Toho Masterworks series, about the making of Dodes'ka-den, including interviews with director Akira Kurosawa, script supervisor Teruyo Nogami, actor Yoshitaka Zushi (who played Rokkuchan), and other members of the cast and crew;
• Theatrical trailer;
• New and improved English subtitle translation;
• A booklet featuring a new essay by film historian Stephen Prince and a new interview with Nogami.