A Fugitive from the Past – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1965
Director: Tomu Uchida
Writers: Naoyuki Suzuki, Tsutomu Minakami
Cast: Rentarô Mikuni, Sachiko Hidari, Kôji Mitsui, Yoshi Katô, Sadako Sawamura, Ken Takakura, Junzaburô Ban

Release Date: September 26th, 2022 (UK), September 27th, 2022 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 3 Hours 2 Minutes 39 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"In 1947, a freak typhoon sends a passenger ferry running between Hokkaido and mainland Japan plunging to the ocean depths, with hundreds of lives lost. During the chaos, three men are witnessed fleeing a burning pawnshop in the Hokkaido port town of Iwanai. The police suspect theft and arson, and when Detective Yumisaka (Junzaburo Ban) discovers the burned remains of a boat and the corpses of two men, he sets about tracking the shadowy third figure. Meanwhile, the mysterious Takichi Inukai (Rentaro Mikuni) takes shelter with a prostitute, Yae (Sachiko Hidari), a brief encounter that will come to define both of their lives. A decade later, long after the trail has gone cold, Yumisaka is called back by his successor Detective Ajimura (Ken Takakura) as two new dead bodies are found." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The High-Definition master was produced and supplied by Toei from the best available archival materials, with additional grading and picture restoration by Arrow Films at R3Store Studios."

A Fugitive from the Past comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.1 GB

Feature: 35.2 GB

The fact that the booklet makes note that the transfer was sourced from "from the best available archival materials". This should give a clear indication that the source is not in the best of shape. There are times when image clarity is not as strong as it should be, contrast fares well, black levels are best described as adequate, and there are no issues with compression. Considering what Arrow Video had to work with most of the time, this transfer looks very good.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese, and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape. There are no issues with distortion or background hiss. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, the score and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (57 images-stills/posters), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 56 seconds, DTS-HD mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a text based extra titled Tomu Uchida filmography, an introduction by writer and curator Jasper Sharp (26 minutes 52 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), scene specific audio commentaries: professor Aaron Gerow from Yale University titled The Fugitive Past of Tomu Uchida and Modern Japan (17 minutes 47 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), Earl Jackson, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Santa Cruz, and Chair Professor, Asia University titled Chaos and Order in A Fugitive from the Past (22 minutes 31 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), professor Daisuke Miyao, University of California, San Diego titled Cinematography of Hunger: Tomu Uchida and the Toei W 106 System (8 minutes 15 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), Dr. Irene Gonzalez-Lopez, Birbeck College, University of London titled Sachiko Hidari: Stardom and Characterisation in A Fugitive from the Past (15 minutes 44 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), Erik Homenick, candidate in philosophy titled The Haunting Voice of Karma: Isao Tomita's Music in A Fugitive from the Past (32 minutes 11 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), and professor Alexander Zahiten from Harvard University, titled In Betweenness in A Fugitive from the Past (13 minutes 54 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, and a forty-eight page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled A Tale of Guilt and Dread: Tomu Uchida’s A Fugitive from the Past written by David Baldwin, an essay titled Tomu Uchida’s Salvation from Evil written by Inuhiko Yomota, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Though Tomu Uchida is most remembered for his stylish films that are not bound to reality, some of his films are infused with social commentary, most notably a film like A Fugitive from the Past, which explores themes like karma, guilt, and morality.

The narrative, which can be divided into three distinctive sections, focuses on the crime that sets everything in motion; a chance encounter that plays a role in exposing the criminal; and a past that collides with the present as the walls close in on the fugitive.

Though it is easy to see why some may draw comparisons between A Fugitive from the Past and Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low. Both films are crime dramas that have several overlapping elements. Ultimately, A Fugitive from the Past is a truly unique cinematic experience that is unlike any other film.

The main players in A Fugitive from the Past are Rentarô Mikuni (Vengeance Is Mine) in the role of the protagonist, and Takichi Inukai, aka Kyôichirô Tarumi, the fugitive trying to evade his past. Sachiko Hidari (The Insect Woman) in the role of Yae Sugito, a prostitute who becomes obsessed with Takichi Inukai after an act of kindness during their brief encounter. And Junzaburô Ban in the role of Yumisaka, the original detective who started to put the pieces of Takichi Inukai’s crime together only to be removed after being consumed by the case.

From a production standpoint, A Fugitive from the Past is a film where everything perfectly falls into place. A well-constructed narrative does a superb job of holding your attention by letting key moments have an ample amount of time to resonate, and a sensational ending provides a very satisfying conclusion. Also, Tomu Uchida’s direction is rock solid, and the visuals do a great job of reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, A Fugitive from the Past is an extraordinary film that stays with you long after its final image.

A Fugitive from the Past gets a solid release from Arrow Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer