Ten Women in Black: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1961
Director: Kon Ichikawa
Writer: Natto Wada
Cast: Fujiko Yamamoto, Mariko Miyagi, Tamao Nakamura, Kyôko Kishida, Eiji Funakoshi, Keiko Kishi, Tomo'o Nagai, Shirô Ôtsuji, Kōichi Itō, Jūzō Itami, Mayumi Kurata, Yoshiko Uno, Masumi Ariake, Yuka Konno, Chieko Murai

Release Date: August 17th, 2026 (UK), September 1st, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 102 Minutes 51 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"A television executive’s nine mistresses conspire with his wife to have him killed. When Miwako, one of the mistresses, tells him of the plot, he decides to fake his own death in front of them all. The women panic and deny that they were ever serious about the murder, while Miwako even takes her own life in remorse. But when they find out the man is still alive, they put their original plan back into action." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Ten Women in Black was digitally restored in 4k by the Kadokawa Corporation and provided to Radiance Films as a high-definition digital master."

Ten Women in Black comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.4 GB

Feature: 27.8 GB

The source looks excellent; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, an LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise ambient sounds are well-presented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an original theatrical trailer (3 minutes, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a 1997 re-release trailer (2 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an appreciation by musician Yasuharu Konishi (20 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), a feature-length documentary titled The Kon Ichikawa Story (78 minutes 32 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, a 28-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled A Merciless Slap written by Yuka Kimbara, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Kon Ichikawa directed Ten Women in Black. His notable films are The Burmese Harp, The Key, Fires on the Palin, An Actor’s Revenge, The Inugami Family, The Devil’s Island, and The House of the Hanging.

A man fakes his death after discovering that his wife and nine mistresses are conspiring to kill him.

Something that can be said about the husband's character is that he likes variety. None of the ten women are alike in appearance or personality-wise. All of the women, including his wife, are aware of each other; there are no secrets. While the women at first accept their roles, over time they have become jaded by the situation. Instead of walking away, all of the women want him dead so no one else can have him.

Although the husband character has the most screentime, Ten Women in Black is truly an ensemble cast where everyone is given an equal opportunity to shine. Eiji Funakoshi (Blind Beast) is cast in the role of husband. He delivers a monotone performance that makes you wonder what each woman saw in him. Fujiko Yamamoto’s (The Twilight Story) delivers the most memorable performance in the role of the wife.

While Kon Ichikawa gives the cast a lot to work with, it is his instincts as a director that make Ten Women in Black a remarkable film. Instead of taking the easiest route, Kon Ichikawa digs deeper into the psyches of the characters. Ten Women in Black is a film that deals with facades; the husband and his lovers' relationships are of convenience and lack any emotional connection. There is nothing holding the women back from leaving; they are all successful. Although the women blame the husband for their unhappiness, they only have themselves to blame for enabling his behavior.

The opening setup does a superb job grabbing your attention, and then a series of unsuspected turns keep you guessing where things might go next. Another strength of the narrative is its ability to sustain momentum as it builds to the most satisfying outcome, the emasculation of the husband. Ultimately, Ten Women in Black is a well-crafted melodrama that very effectively uses black humor.

Ten Women in Black gets an excellent release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras. Highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer