The Betrayal: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1966
Director: Tokuzô Tanaka
Writers: Seiji Hoshikawa, Tsutomu Nakamura
Cast: Raizô Ichikawa, Kaoru Yachigusa, Shiho Fujimura, Ichirô Nakatani, Saburô Date, Takuya Fujioka, Ryûtarô Gomi, Sei Hiraizumi, Yoshio Yoshida

Release Date: September 15th, 2025 (UK), September 16th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 86 Minutes 43 Seconds
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 A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"To protect his clan, an honorable samurai (Raizo Ichikawa, Shinobi) takes the blame for a murder committed by one of his fellows. He is promised a safe return after one year in exile, but this vow is broken, and he becomes a fugitive chased by his own clansmen. Disillusioned by the bushido code of honor, he realizes there are only two ways out: vengeance or death." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "The Betrayal was transferred in high-definition by the Kadokawa Corporation and supplied to Radiance Films as a high-definition digital file."

The Betrayal comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 27.5 GB

Feature: 23.7 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Image 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 excellent shape. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a video essay titled The Path to Betrayal by film critic Philip Kemp, comparing The Betrayal with the original The Serpent (9 minutes 42 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay by Tom Mes about director Tokuzô Tanaka titled The Four Elements of Tokuzô Tanaka (9 minutes 24 seconds, LPCM stereo with text in English), a scene-select audio commentary by Japanese film historian Tom Mes (41 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, and a 20-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled It’s an Ugly Life written by Alain Silver, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Tokuzô Tanaka directed The Betrayal. He’s known for Killer Whale, New Tale of Zatoichi, Zatoichi the Fugitive, Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade, Zatoichi's Vengeance, Sleepy Eyes of Death: Hell Is a Woman, Shinobi: Siege, The Snow Woman, The Haunted Castle, and eight films in the Bad Reputation series.

A samurai comes to the realization that the code of honor he follows puts him at odds with his peers after being framed for a murder he did not commit.

Honor is central to the story that unfolds; although samurai have a code of honor that binds them, there are those who are self-serving and do things that bring dishonor. The Betrayal begins with a moment that perfectly sums up a samurai who falls into the latter category. When a disagreement between two samurai and another samurai leads to the latter being critically wounded, instead of coming forward and accepting what they had done, two men remain silent. This action sets in motion a feud between two rival clans when no one steps forward. Wanting to quickly quell any conflict, the leader of the accused clan gets one of his men to agree that he killed the man in question. Unfortunately, while away in exile, the leader of his clan, who he made the deal with, dies before the real culprits are brought to justice, putting him in the crosshairs of both clans.

Sacrifice is another theme that is prominent in the story that unfolds. When we meet Kamuse Takuma, the innocent man who makes a sacrifice for his clan, he is on the verge of the happiest moment of his life, one month away from marrying the woman he loves. Though conflicted, when asked by the leader of his clan, who is also the father of his beloved Namie Katagiri, he reluctantly agrees because he trusts him. The only one who could have cleared his name has died. Upon his return, he faces competition from another man who stands to gain everything if he dies and has openly expressed his desire to make Namie his wife.

Although Raizô Ichikawa (An Actor's Revenge) in the role of Kamuse Takuma anchors The Betrayal, it is ultimately the performances of its two leads, Kaoru Yachigusa (Pastoral: To Die in the Country) and Shiho Fujimura (Return of Daimajin), in the roles of Namie and Shino, the two women in Kamuse’s life, that give The Betrayal its heart and soul. Both women make tremendous sacrifices throughout the film, with the latter even saving Kamuse from near death following a duel.

The narrative is meticulously laid out; it moves quickly and does a superb job holding your attention. Creating tense moments is another area where it excels. Not to be overlooked is how effectively it builds to a phenomenal action set piece finale that lasts 17 minutes. Although these types of action sequences are staples of Chanbara films, few are as exhilarating as The Betrayal’s finale, a scene where the protagonist is greatly outnumbered, and ladders, boards, carts, and every dirty trick in the book are thrown at him. Ultimately, The Betrayal is an outstanding film that truly lives up to its name, and it is a film that those who are not fans of Chanbara films should enjoy thoroughly.

The Betrayal gets an exceptional release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras; highly recommended.

 Written by Michael Den Boer