Retaliation: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (Blu-ray/ DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1968
Director: Yasuharu Hasebe
Writers: Yoshihiro Ishimatsu, Keiji Kubota
Cast: Akira Kobayashi, Jô Shishido, Hideaki Nitani, Tamio Kawachi, Eiji Gô, Tatsuya Fuji, Jirô Okazaki, Meiko Kaji, Shôki Fukae, Ryôji Hayama, Kaku Takashina

Release Date: May 11th, 2015 (UK), May 12th, 2015 (USA)
Approximate running time: 95 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: OOP (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"A tale of gang warfare that features a raft of the period's most iconic stars, Akira Kobayashi (Battles Without Honor and Humanity, The Flowers and the Angry Waves) is a yakuza lieutenant who emerges from jail to find his gang dispersed and his aging boss in his sickbed. Shishido is the rival waiting to kill him and a young Meiko Kaji (Lady Snowblood) is the girl caught in the crossfire." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Retaliation was transferred from original preservation elements by Nikkatsu Studios in Japan. The film was delivered as a restored file oin a master tape to Arrow Films."

Retaliation comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33 GB

Feature: 25.8 GB

The source looks great; source damage has been cleaned up. Flesh tones look correct, colors look very good, outside of a few moments, image clarity looks strong, compression is solid, and though black levels fare well, there are several instances where they are not as convincing 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. This audio track is in great shape; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 44 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Jô Shishido (13 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with film critic and historian Tony Rayns who discusses Yasuharu Hasebe and Jô Shishido (31 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, and a 24-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled No Man’s Land: The Rise and Fall of the Diamond Guys written by Jasper Sharp, and information about the transfer.

Included with this release is a DVD that has the same content as the Blu-ray included as part of this combo release.

Summary:

Yasuharu Hasebe started his career as an assistant director under the guidance of the legendary Seijun Suzuki. He worked his way into the director’s chair in 1966 with the film Black Tight Killers. He would direct three films in the highly influential series Stray Cat Rock (Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss, Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter, and Stray Cat Rock: Machine Animal) and the last Female Prisoner Scorpion film (Female Prisoner Scorpion: 701's Grudge Song) for Toei. In the mid- and later parts of the 1970's, Yasuharu Hasebe would go on to become one of the prominent directors making Roman Porno films for Nikkatsu. Yasuharu Hasebe’s first three Roman porno films, Rape!, Assault! Jack the Ripper, and Rape! 13th Hour, were all box office hits for Nikkatsu.

The narrative revolves around Jiro, an ex-convict who, after spending eight years in prison, discovers that his once prominent gang has all but disbanded and that his former boss is ailing. He is still loyal to his former boss, knowing that several rival gangs will want his services. He agrees to join forces with the Hasama family, since they have been taking care of his former boss for the last eight years. For his first task with his new gang, they want him to put two rival gangs against each other who are trying to gain control of farmland that is about to be turned into factories. Should Jiro trust his new allies, or will they double-cross him in the end?

The thing that immediately draws you in while watching Retaliation is that this film features a different kind of protagonist. Not someone who is driven by redemption and/or revenge, two themes that are all too common in Japanese gangster films. With loyalty being the one staple of this genre that binds Retaliation’s protagonist to the type of protagonist that has since become synonymous with Japanese gangster films, his loyalty is to a boss who has since lost everything to a rival gang. And though there is always the option of walking away from a world of crime, it is said that loyalty motivates the protagonist towards his ultimate goal. To gain new territory and bring his once dominant gang back to prominence.

Fortunately for the protagonist, he has a very generous benefactor who has given him several key assets to help him achieve his goal. And one of these key assets is a fearless gangster with nothing to lose named Hino, perfectly portrayed by Jô Shishido (Branded to Kill). This character also has a subplot, which makes his relationship with the protagonist all the more intriguing. Years before, the protagonist killed Hino’s brother, and since the day he was released from prison, he has vowed to avenge his brother’s death by killing the protagonist. The growth in these two characters and their relationship is without a doubt Retaliation’s greatest asset.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where Retaliation comes up short. The visuals are rock-solid. Also, Retaliation would see Yasuharu Hasebe return to cinema in color. Though the color palette is not as overtly robust, there are a handful of key moments when the colors are accentuated to heighten events that have just unfolded on screen. And when it comes to fight scenes, most notably a blood-soaked finale, these moments are well executed and filled with inventiveness.

Performance-wise, everyone is very good in their respective roles, especially Akira Kobayashi (Kanto Wanderer) in the role of this film’s protagonist, Jiro. He gives a well-balanced performance that effortlessly contrasts everyone else’s need to rush into the moment. Other recognizable faces include Eiji Gô (Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs), Tatsuya Fuji (Stray Cat Rock Films), and Mieko Kaji (Lady Snowblood) in one of her early roles as an actress. In Retaliation, she portrays Saeko, the daughter of a farmer, and her character is also Jiro’s love interest. For those who are more familiar with her later work, this role showcases a different, softer side of her. Ultimately, Retaliation is another well-made crime film from Yasuharu Hasebe that fans of Nikkastu’s 1960s gangster films should enjoy.

Retaliation gets a solid release from Arrow Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a trio of informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer