By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1966
Director: Tai Katô
Writers: Seiji Hoshikawa, Tai Katô
Cast: Noboru Andô, Ichirô Nakatani, Sanae Nakahara, Ryôhei Uchida, Kanjûrô Arashi, Akemi Mari, Torahiko Hamada, Masao Mishima, Tomiko Ishii, Haruo Tanaka, Bunta Sugawara, Yoshiko Kayama, Jûzô Itami

Release Date: February 26th, 2024 (UK)
Approximate running time: 89 Minutes 6 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"A community struggles against immigrant gangs in the ruins of postwar Tokyo. Only doctor Amamiya (real-life ex-yakuza Noboru Ando) can save them, but he had enough fighting in the war. His pacifism is severely tested by the gangs’ increasingly outrageous taunts and when his neighbors decide to take matters into their own hands, Amamiya is forced to take action. The consequences prove to be much more far-reaching than he could ever foresee." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him was transferred in High-Definition by Shochiku Co. Ltd. and supplied to Radiance Films as a High-Definition digital file."

By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.5 GB

Feature: 23.8 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, mage clarity and compression are solid, contrast and black levels are strong throughout, and there does not appear to be any digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5

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, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a video essay on Noboru Ando by Nathan Stuart titled Tale of a Scarface (22 minutes 1 second, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an appreciation by filmmaker Kenta Fukasaku (17 minutes 56 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), a tribute to Sanae Nakahara by her son Kenta Fukasaku (14 minutes 23 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 20-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) cast & crew information, an essay titled By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him written by Mark Schilling, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Directed by Tai Katô, whose other notable films are The Ghost Story of Oiwa's Spirit, I, the Executioner, Eighteen Years in Prison, and Beast in the Shadows.

Post-war Japan Korean gangs exploit the lawlessness by extorting money from businesses and taking the deeds to land by force.

When discussing By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him, one cannot overlook its lead, Noboru Andô’s background as a yakuza. Also, story-wise, By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him, like most yakuza films from the 1960s and 1970s, is ripped from the headlines or loosely based on actual events. That said, the thing that sets By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him apart from other yakuza films from this era is the Korean gangsters being at the forefront while any Japanese yakuza clans play a minor role.

The further one explores the filmography of Tai Katô, the more it becomes clear that his films are rarely typical examples of the genres they are working in. Case in point: By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him, a film that is best described as a different kind of yakuza film. Though most of the elements that one would expect from a yakuza film are exploited in By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him? The result is more of a character-driven drama in which one's past plays the most significant role in the story at hand.

By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him does not disappoint when it comes to performances. The strongest performance was by Noboru Andô (Sympathy for the Underdog) in the role of a doctor named Amamiya. He creates a nuanced performance that is mostly restrained, and when his character does show emotion, it never feels forced. Another performance of note is Bunta Sugawara (Battles Without Honor and Humanity) in the role of a short-fused Korean gangster whose sadistic side is unmatched.

The most interesting aspect of By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him is its narrative, which consists of three time periods. The link for all three time periods is Amamiya, a former Japanese soldier turned Korean gangster who now goes by the name Choi. Also, all three of these major life events from each of these time periods are a matter of life and death.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him does not deliver, and then some. The meticulously laid-out narrative pacing is solid, and a phenomenal finale serves as a perfect coda to the events that preceded. Also, the visuals do a great job capturing the violent outbursts; there is a realism to these moments that enhances their intensity. Ultimately, By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him is an extraordinary film about the choices one makes and how they shape one's future.

By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him gets an exceptional release from Radiance Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer