The Shape of Night: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1964
Director: Noboru Nakamura
Writers: Toshidi Gondo, Kyoko Ohta
Cast: Miyuki Kuwano, Mikijirô Hira, Keisuke Sonoi, Masuyo Iwamoto, Misako Tominaga, Bunta Sugawara, Isao Kimura

Release Date: April 29th, 2024 (UK), April 30th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate running time: 106 Minutes 32 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"A young woman from the countryside (Miyuki Kuwano of Oshima’s Cruel Story of Youth) falls in love with a handsome hoodlum (Mikijiro Hira, Sword of the Beast), who pushes her into a life of prostitution. When his sleazy superiors catch sight of her, she finds herself trapped inside the gaudy maze of city nightlife." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “The Shape of Night was transferred in High-Definition by Shochiku Co. Ltd. and supplied to Radiance Films as a High-Definition digital file. Additional restoration was performed by Radiance Films in 2024."

The Shape of Night comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.5 GB

Feature: 29 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 by Tom Mes titled Major Changes: Shochiku in the 1960s (13 minutes 15 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an Yoshio Nakamura, son of director Noboru Nakamura (15 minutes 45 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), a seconds interview with Yoshio Nakamura who discusses baseball, this extra is an Easter egg (5 minutes 27 seconds,LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 28-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) cast & crew information, an essay titled Beautiful Downer written by Chuck Stephens, an archival writing titled On Filming The Shape of Night written by Toichiro Narushima and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Directed by Noboru Nakamura, whose other notable films are Twin Sisters of Kyoto and Portrait of Chieko.

The narrative revolves around a woman who went from a factory worker to a bar hostess and ended up a prostitute.

The narrative does a phenomenal job building the protagonist's backstory via a series of flashbacks. When the narrative introduces the protagonist, she’s already broken emotionally and has accepted her life of sleeping with strangers for money to support her boyfriend's gambling debts. And the way in which the narrative builds toward the protagonist's moment of clarity makes this moment all the more potent.

At the heart of The Shape of Night is a story about decisions and how they shape outcomes. Though the protagonist's relationship starts off like any other love affair, when presented with a crossroads, the protagonist refuses to accept the reality in front of her. That said, it is clear that the protagonist loves the man she’s with, and she is willing to do whatever it takes to make their relationship work.

As great as the cast are in their roles, no performance stands taller than Miyuki Kuwano (Cruel Story of Youth) in the role of Yoshie Nomoto, the protagonist who finds herself in a hopeless situation. An exceptional performance is delivered by her, leaving no room for doubt—a character who has been broken and has come to terms with their fate. Mikijirô Hira’s (Three Outlaw Samurai) portrayal of Eiji Kitami, a gambling addiction hoodlum, is another performance of note.

Though Miyuki Kuwano’s performance is the heart and soul of The Shape of Night, one must not overlook Noboru Nakamura’s direction. From the get-go, his strong visual eye is at work in the opening credits, which are different angles of Miyuki Kuwano’s character looking glamorous. The deception of the opening sequence does a superb job masking her characters' anguish. Throughout, Noboru Nakamura fills every frame of the visuals with interesting compositions that heighten the mood. And nowhere is this clearer than the scene where Eiji is forced to watch Yoshie’s gang rape at the hands of the yakuza. Needless to say, despite its bleak subject matter, The Shape of Night is a beautifully photographed film. Ultimately, The Shape of Night is an extraordinary melodrama about a woman trapped in a desperate situation.

The Shape of Night 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