Golgo 13 (1973) – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan/Iran, 1973
Director: Jun'ya Satô
Writers: Takao Saitô, K. Motomitsu
Cast: Ken Takakura, Mohsen Sohrabi, Jaleh Sam, Pouri Baneai, Tahere Ghaffari, Ahmad Ghadakchian, Jalal Pishvaian, Nosratollah Karimi

Release Date: July 17th, 2023
Approximate running time: 104 Minutes 15 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £18.99 (UK)

"The first film adaptation of the long-running manga series by Takao Saito, director Junya Satō cast Ken Takakura (who was the original inspiration for the character) as the mysterious and stoic killer-for-hire who always completes his assignment (usually with his signature scoped M16 rifle)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "a 2K restoration of the original film elements."

Golgo 13 (1973) comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray. 

Disc Size: 34.9 GB

Feature: 30.1 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape, and any source debris that remains is very minor. Colors look very good, image clarity is consistently strong, compression is solid, and black levels generally look very good, but there are a few moments where they are not as strong as they should be.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 27 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with film writer Tatsuya Masuto and film critic Masaaki Nomura titled Lucky 13: Junya Sato’s biographers on Golgo 13 (16 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, a slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 20-page booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Love is a Loaded Gun written by Tom Mes, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Directed by Jun'ya Satô, who is most remembered for his collaborations with actor Ken Takakura in The Bullet Train, Manhunt, Proof of the Man, and Never Give Up. Golgo 13 (1973) was the first live-action movie based on Takao Saito's Golgo 13. Four years after Golgo 13 (1973), a second live-action movie titled Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon would star Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba in the role of Duke Togo, aka Golgo 13.

The narrative revolves around Duke Togo, an assassin who's been hired to kill a crime boss named Max Boa, whose organization has been kidnapping women.

Like most who are familiar with the Golgo 13 character, my introduction to this character came from watching Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon. Now that I have seen Golgo 13 (1973), the differences between these two films are like night and day. Where Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba would portray Duke Togo in a larger-than-life way that resembles most of the characters he would portray in the 1970s, Ken Takakura’s portrayal of Duke Togo is more grounded in reality.

There are two things that set Golgo 13 (1973) apart from most 1970s Japanese genre cinema. Its location, setting the film in a foreign land like Iran, and a cast in which the only Japanese actor is Ken Takakura Both of these things give Golgo 13 (1973) an unusual vibe, and having the entire cast dubbed in Japanese further reinforces this vibe.

The main attraction of Golgo 13 (1973) is Ken Takakura in the role of Duke Togo (Golgo 13). He delivers a well-rounded performance that is in line with his best performances. And though cinematic adaptations of Duke Togo (Golgo 13) take some liberties with the manga source, notably when it comes to Duke Togo (Golgo 13), in the manga he is a man of few words and is often only seen at the end of each manga adventure. In his cinematic incarnations, the character is in the bulk of the scenes. That said, the rest of the cast is serviceable.

From a production standpoint, Golgo 13 (1973) is a film that fully exploits its resources. The premise is well-executed, the narrative does a great job building and maintaining tension, and a phenomenal ending puts an exclamation mark on the events that preceded. Other strengths include solid cinematography that takes full advantage of Iran's picturesque locations, and the action set pieces are exceptional, especially the last forty minutes, which are essentially a prolonged action sequence that builds to a fever pitch. Ultimately, Golgo 13 (1973) is a solid action film that fans of Toei’s 1970s action cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Golgo 13 (1973) gets a first-rate release from Eureka Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer