Agitator: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2001
Director: Takashi Miike
Writer: Shigenori Takechi
Cast: Taisaku Akino, Ken'ichi Endô, Hakuryû, Masatô Ibu, Renji Ishibashi, Masaya Katô, Hiroki Matsukata, Takashi Miike, Daisuke Ryû, Tenma Shibuya, Naoto Takenaka

Release Date: March 23rd, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 150 Minutes 11 Seconds (Theatrical Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: $39.95

"A yakuza (played by Takashi Miike himself in a cameo) is murdered after violently assaulting a hostess on rival turf, providing the catalyst for a gang war between a number of factions seeking a redistribution of power.

In this densely layered gangland drama , the backroom maneuvering of the senior figures in the yakuza, overseen by Mr. Kaito (Hiroki Matsukata, The Rapacious Jailbreaker), is juxtaposed against the actions of the street-level mobsters as the two sides head towards an inevitable collision." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Theatrical Version)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Agitator (Theatrical Version) is a high-definition digital transfer by the Kadokawa Corporation overseen by director of photography Kiyoshi Ito and supplied to Radiance Films as a high-definition digital file.

The extended version of Agitator exists only as a standard definition video master. It is presented here using the best available materials and in its complete original two-part form.”

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

Disc Size: 46.1 GB

Feature: 33.5 GB (Theatrical Version), 5.4 GB (Extended Version Part One), 5.1 GB (Extended Version Part Two)

The source for this transfer is the best this film has ever looked on home media. The film’s color palette is deliberately muted, with grays and browns being prominent colors. Image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced. That said, things can sound limited range-wise.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 23 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Takashi Miike (24 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Tom Mes, a standard definition transfer of 200-minute extended version of Agitator, presented in its original two-part form, Part One (102 minutes 58 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles) and Part Two (97 minutes 26 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono 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) with cast & crew information, an essay titled High and Low: How Takashi Miike Went From the Video Store to the Red Carpet written by Tom Mes, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Takashi Miike directed Agitator. His filmography stretches over 45 years and encompasses over 120 entries, including notable films like The Bird People of China, Audition, Visitor Q, Ichi the Killer, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Gozu, and Lesson of the Evil.

The death of a prominent yakuza ignites a turf war where various factions and their leaders vie for greater power.

Takashi Miike had been making films at a prolific pace for a decade by the time he arrived at Agitator, a film that was a turning point for him. While he had worked prominently in the yakuza genre, Agitator was a departure from his earlier forays into the yakuza genre. Where his earlier yakuza films relied heavily on their violent set pieces, Agitator is a dialogue-heavy film filled with richly crafted moments of exposition.

Although the narrative covers familiar yakuza themes like loyalty, betrayal, and power, in the hands of Takashi Miike, Agitator is never predictable. Where he went with hyperrealism in some of his earlier yakuza films, there is a grittiness to Agitator that’s reminiscent of Kinji Fukasaku’s 1970s yakuza films. That said, Agitator is populated by characters who are driven by their violent impulses, which they have trouble controlling.

Agitator has a lot of moving parts, and at 2 ½ hours in length, there are an abundance of characters' stories that intersect. It is truly an ensemble cast where everyone’s performance elevates each other. That said, the entire cast is outstanding. Even Takashi Miike makes an appearance in the film as Shinozaki, a sadistic yakuza who's killed for misbehaving in another clan's territory. His character has the most memorable moment; he’s sodomizing a nightclub hostess with a microphone when he’s confronted and killed by the yakuza clan whose turf he violated.

Despite Agitator’s lengthy running time, it is really a film that maximizes every moment. While there is a deliberateness to its pacing, there is never a moment that disrupts momentum or should have been discarded. Another area where the narrative excels is its ability to create and sustain tension. Ultimately, Agitator is an exceptional crime/drama that quickly grabs your attention and culminates with an exemplary finale.

Agitator gets an excellent release from Radiance Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and insightful extras. Highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer