Overview: Weary of the rigid codes of the underworld, gambler Tokijiro (Kinnosuke Nakamura, Goyokin) wanders Japan in search of freedom. But escape proves to be impossible when an obligation to a gang boss leaves him with no choice but to kill a man.

To atone for his crime, he vows to take care of his victim’s widow and young son. But the gang won’t rest until they’ve killed the entire family - including the man who stands in their way.

With this breathtakingly stylized film, Tai Kato broke all the conventions of the yakuza genre, fusing blood-spurting action with melodrama worthy of Japanese cinema’s greatest masters.

Blu-ray Verdict: The brilliant Kinnosuke Nakamura stars as Kutsukake Tokijiro, a wandering Yakuza traveling the countryside who bound by honor code kills a man in a duel as a favor to a clan who gave him shelter. With his last words, the man asks Tokijiro to take care of his wife and son, seeing them to safety with a distant family member.

What a film! Tai Kato’s direction is utterly superb, bringing together all the classic elements of the Ninkyo genre into a stunning, and beautifully shot piece of cinema that is both highly emotional and also delivers some fantastically choreographed (and extremely bloody, for its time) swordplay.

Kinnosuke Nakamura’s performance is truly excellent, bringing his highly charismatic screen presence and skill with a blade and meeting it with a deeply nuanced role where he gets to show off his range. I particularly loved his bond with the young boy and the genuine way they interacted.

But man, I would be remiss not to mention the beautiful Junko Ikeuchi who almost steals the show with her strong willed and completely believable performance as the widow. She really shines in a role that much like Nakamura’s pulls off a wide range of emotions that packs quite a punch by the end.

As you can tell, this film really knocked me for six, a tremendous Ninkyo that comes with the biggest possible recommend for genre fans. It’s a real treat to finally be exploring Kato’s work and I couldn’t be any more excited to dive deeper into this particular one, now it is out via Radiance Films and with a smorgasbord of lovely special features included.

Special Features:
High-Definition digital transfer
Uncompressed mono PCM audio
Interview with film critic Koushi Ueno about the film’s place in genre cinema history
A visual essay on star Kinnosuke Nakamura by Japanese cinema expert Robin Gatto
New and improved English subtitle translation
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by scholar Ivo Smits and a newly translated archival review

www.radiancefilms.co.uk