TATTOOED LIFE (1965)
Label: Radiance Films
Region Code: A,B
Duration: 86 Minutes 34 Seconds
Audio: Japanese PCM 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Seijun Suzuki
Cast: Hideki Takahashi, Masako Izumi, Hiroko Ito, Kayo Matsuo, Hôsei Komatsu, Seizaburô Kawazu
In the Seijun Suzuki (Branded To Kill) directed Tattooed Life (1965) Tetsuo (Hideki Takahashi, The Last Samurai) is a low-ranking yakuza assassin who is double-crossed by his own boss, who after a hit has arranged for Tetsuo to be killed, He is saved by his younger brother Kenji (Kotobuki Hananomoto, Black Snow), an aspiring artist with no connections to the Yakuza crime, who swoops in and kills Tetsuo's assailant. Knowing they are now marked for either death or incarceration the brothers attempt flee to Manchuria, but are waylaid in a port town after being scammed by crooked entrepreneur, the delightfully slippery Yamano Senkichi (Hôsei Komatsu, Lady Snowblood), who says he can book them passage to Manchuria but instead absconds with their cash. With no money the pair end up working for a company who are contracted to tunnel through a nearby mountain, looking to save up enough money to book their passage. While there they try to lay low but unwisely get involved with the bosses wife and her sister, and find themselves targets of a Yakuza rival gang looking to muscle-in on the upstart tunneling operation run by the non-Yakuza connected businessman.
In the Seijun Suzuki (Branded To Kill) directed Tattooed Life (1965) Tetsuo (Hideki Takahashi, The Last Samurai) is a low-ranking yakuza assassin who is double-crossed by his own boss, who after a hit has arranged for Tetsuo to be killed, He is saved by his younger brother Kenji (Kotobuki Hananomoto, Black Snow), an aspiring artist with no connections to the Yakuza crime, who swoops in and kills Tetsuo's assailant. Knowing they are now marked for either death or incarceration the brothers attempt flee to Manchuria, but are waylaid in a port town after being scammed by crooked entrepreneur, the delightfully slippery Yamano Senkichi (Hôsei Komatsu, Lady Snowblood), who says he can book them passage to Manchuria but instead absconds with their cash. With no money the pair end up working for a company who are contracted to tunnel through a nearby mountain, looking to save up enough money to book their passage. While there they try to lay low but unwisely get involved with the bosses wife and her sister, and find themselves targets of a Yakuza rival gang looking to muscle-in on the upstart tunneling operation run by the non-Yakuza connected businessman.
The film starts of with a cool rickshaw assassination and double-cross that gets things off to a nice start, eventually falling into a bit of a melodrama as the brothers flee and find themselves stranded in the port village after being fleeced of their cash. There's some love interesting that blossom in the middle-third that slows things just a bit, but the final act is ripe with tension and plenty of action. There's an explosion at the mine with blame being paced on the brothers, there's a mysterious presence of a man with red shoes, a slimy jealous rival, and a pretty terrific fight scene that shoots some of the action through a glass floor to achieve an impossible series of shots, which I've seen in later films, and it had me wondering if this was a first. It's not as wild and inventive or visually aggressive as other later Suzuki flicks I have seen but it is quite well-shot with some very nice camerawork and striking use of color in the final leg of the film.
Audio/Video: Tattooed Life (1965) makes it's worldwide Blu-ray debut on Region A,B Blu-ray from Radiance Films, presented in 1080p HD widescreen (2.35:1), sourced from an HD transfer by Nikkatsu Corporation which was supplied to Radiance. The source is in great shape, very clean, grain is well-managed. It's a generally great looking and well defined presentation with nice textures, good color and solid black levels. It does a great job highlighting the moody and inventive camerawork of cinematographer Osama Furuya (The Ghost Story of Oiwa's Spirit).
The sole audio option is a Japanese PCM 2.0 dual-mono track with optional newly improved English subtitles. The track is clean and well-balanced, dialogue sounds natural, the score from Masayoshi Ikeda (Cruel Gun Story) sounds fantastic, and moments of heightened intensity and action have some nice heft in the mix.
Disc extras include an Audio commentary by William Carroll, author of Seijun Suzuki and Postwar Cinema (2024); an 11-min Newly edited archival interview with director Seijun Suzuki, an 11-min Newly edited archival interview with art director Takeo Kimura, plus the 3-min Trailer.
The single-disc release arrives in a clear full-height Scanavo keepcase with a Reversible Sleeve of Artwork featuring both original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow. We also get Radiance's signature Removable OBI Strip which leaves packaging free of certificates and markings if you so wish. With this initial Limited Edition pressing we also get a 20-Page Illustrated Booklet featuring new by Tom Vick, plus a newly translated archival review, as well as notes about the cast, crew, transfer, and release credits. The Vick essay is quite wonderful, detailing Suzuki's edgy directorial style and how that rubbed his superiors at Nikkatsu the wrong way, how dedicated his crews were to him, hi fondness of the "Taisho" period, 1912-1926, and dissecting story elements.
Special Features:
- Audio commentary by William Carroll, author of Seijun Suzuki and Postwar Cinema (2024)
- Newly edited archival interview with director Seijun Suzuki (10:30)
- Newly edited archival interview with art director Takeo Kimura (11:36)
- Trailer (3:05)
- Newly improved English subtitle translation
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Tom Vick and a newly translated archival review of the film
Extras:
- Audio commentary by William Carroll, author of Seijun Suzuki and Postwar Cinema (2024)
- Newly edited archival interview with director Seijun Suzuki (10:30)
- Newly edited archival interview with art director Takeo Kimura (11:36)
- Trailer (3:05)
- Newly improved English subtitle translation
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Tom Vick and a newly translated archival review of the film
Screenshots from the Radiance Films Blu-ray:
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