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Released By: Arrow Video
Released On: January 26, 2016.
Director: Seijun Suzuki, Toshio Masuda, Buichi Saito
Cast: Hideaki Nitani, Yujiro Ishihara, Akira Kobayashi
Year: Various
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The Movies:
Back in the 1950's, Nikkatsu, one of Japan's oldest film studios, bounced back from a war-induced production drought by slapping up eight brand-new soundstages (complete with the unheard-of luxury of air conditioning) and putting a new system into place that would contract fresh young talent to a new batch of studio genre films. Arrow's Nikkatsu Diamond Guys: Volume One showcases three wonderful examples of these films in glorious high definition, introducing these little-known titles to a new generation of viewers.
Voice Without A Shadow:
In 1958's Voice Without A Shadow, noted Director Seijun Suzuki's tenth film, newspaper switchboard operator Asako Takahashi becomes an unknowing "ear witness" to a crime. A mis-dialed call to University Professor Akaboshi is instead connected to a man who tells her that she's called a crematory, which he announces with a diabolical laugh. Asako realizes that she's called Akaboshi Senzo Pawnshop, which is revealed the next day to be the site of a gruesome murder. Police are very interested in Asako's keen ear, honed by years of listening to different voices, and waste no time putting her in front of an auditory lineup in an attempt to identify the killer by voice.
Three years later, the crime still hasn't been solved, and Asako is now married to Shigeo Kotani, living the life of the traditional Japanese housewife. Kotani has made some bad decisions and finds himself working for questionable businessman Mr. Hamazaki, required to entertain clients at his home with marathon sessions of mahjong. The late night sessions don't endear Kotani to his wife or his neighbours as they get more drunken and rowdy, and the amount of money being lost isn't exactly forging bonds of friendships. When Kotani's clients request the presence of Hamazaki at one of the games, Asako calls his house...to hear the same chilling voice and laugh from years before. Before she can inform the police, however, Hamazaki turns up dead, with all evidence pointing to Kotani as the murderer.
Told more or less through the eyes of Maicho Shimbun newspaper reporter Ishikawa (Nikkatsu Diamond Guy Hideaki Nitani) Voice Without A Shadow is a close approximation to the noir films that Hollywood was churning out during the 50's...the type of film that Nikkatsu was distributing to stay afloat during the draught years...but with a few unique cultural spins. Though it is a little far-fetched, and quite often, the film has a quaint charm that adds to its uniqueness. The performances across the board are solid, with many players who would go onto much greater roles featuring prominently, and some scenes, such as the dream sequence, are memorably effective.
Red Pier:
Nikkatsu Diamond Guy Yujiro Ishihara stars in Director Toshio Masuda's 1958 film Red Pier as "Lefty" Giro, a yakuza gangster hiding out in Kobe. He's got a strange way of moving about through life, witnessing the bizarre crane-related death of a man named Sugitaya on the pier before enchanting a young child and his aunt by busting out some rad harmonica tunes. Hopping on their boat for a mid-afternoon cruise, Lefty slowly works his way into the heart of "Aunt Keiko", who he shortly learns is Sugitaya's sister. Not to be dissuaded, Lefty makes plans to meet up with Keiko at the Port festival; but their romantic walk home is spoiled when an assassin opens fire on the lovestruck gangster, wounding him and causing him to return fire in front of his new girl.
Fortunately for Lefty, Keiko seems intent on keeping him in her life and takes care of him, even though Lefty's showgirl ex Mami comes around to mark her territory. If that wasn't bad enough, Police Officer Paku Noro is also sniffing around to solve Sugitaya's murder, and believes that Lefty's criminal ties may figure into it. When his old outfit arrives from Tokyo and he isn't informed, Lefty has reason to fear for his life, especially when his friend and protege Teko is lured down to the water and murdered. When Teko's killer ends up dead, Lefty ends up on the run from the police and his old gang, trying to stay alive long enough to win Keiko's love.
Another example of Japanese cinema echoing the films coming out of Hollywood, Red Pier is a bit noir, a bit gangster film, and a bit of a love story, a remake of 1937's Pepe Le Moko. Some bizarre plot devices and strange camera angles keep the film interesting for the most part, but Red Pier really loses steam after the first two-thirds of the film. Still, there's a good amount to like about this one, and Yujior Ishihara shines in the lead role, carrying the majority of the film.
The Rambling Guitarist:
1959's The Rambling Guitarist is definitely one of the more interesting films in the collection presented here, and the only one to feature in colour. When Shinji Taki (Akira Kobayashi) shows up in the town of Hakodate, he definitely makes an impression; and that's not just because of his Wild One-inspired dress of leather motorcycle jacket or that he's carrying an acoustic guitar around like Elvis in Love Me Tender. Stopping in at a local bar, Taki gets into a scrape with a couple of drunk sailors, which leads to him beating the shit out of just about everyone in the whole damn place in defense of the two musicians playing there. While the people in the bar don't appear to be too impressed with his abilities, he catches the eye of Akitsu, a local "businessman" who feels he could benefit from Taki's muscle.
After proving his worth as a drinker by downing a whopping half a shot, Taki nevertheless turns down Akitsu's offer, preferring not to settle in one place. He changes his tune, however, when he's awakened from his night sleeping in a rowboat by Akitsu's hot daughter, Yuki. Deciding to stick around, Taki trades in his leather for a suit, and exchanges his guitar playing for a job protecting Akitsu's interests. A seed of doubt is planted, though, when Taki is sent to collect on a debt owed by Akitsu's sister, and he questions the integrity of a boss who would turn on his family so viciously. Things are further complicated when a gangster named George arrives from the Taguchi crime family, a man convinced that he knows Taki from sometime in the past. When the truth is revealed, Taki finds himself fighting for his life; a fight that can only end with a bizarre pool tournament.
The Rambling Guitarist has a lot of similarities to Red Pier, in the "gangster-from-another-place-escaping-his-past-finds-new-love-and-must-confront-his-demons" kind of way, but it also owes a lot to the Elvis and juvenile delinquent films coming out in America a few years before. There's not really much that's not formulaic here, outside of the aforementioned pool tournament, but it does manage to be entertaining for the short (approximately 82 minutes) running time. Kobayashi is great in this, though sorely underused in the role of juvenile delinquent/musician, and it would've been great to see him play that part a little more thoroughly. Still, his performance, as well as the others...not to mention some striking cinematography...makes The Rambling Guitarist a fun watch and a fine conclusion to this collection.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Nikkatsu Diamond Guys Volume One comes to blu-ray from Arrow Video in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio for Voice Without A Shadow and Red Pier, and a 2.40:1 ratio for The Rambling Guitarist. All three transfers are AVC encoded (the disc is 50GB) and look remarkable considering their age. Though there are some moments that come across as dodgier than others, such as some slightly washed-out bits in the first two films, the prints are largely free of dirt and damage with solid black levels and good detail and clarity. Arrow has noted in the booklet that splice marks are occasionally present, a necessity to preserve the aspect ratio, and these are indeed occasionally visible. The third film is absolutely beautiful, with the colours of the seaside town appearing vibrant and dynamic. All in all, for films over a half-century old, these look fantastic.
Each film also rocks a Japanese LPCM (16 bit) 1.0 mono audio track (there are English subtitles). I'm a bit of a nitpicker when it comes to audio, and although I recognize that these are older tracks, and yes, there are subtitles, I'd be lying if I said that they were perfect. There's a fair amount of harshness to the tracks (though I noticed it less on "Guitarist", and if I were relying solely on these to understand what was being said, I'd be disappointed. As it stands, the subtitles are supplying the coherence, and the soundtrack outside of the dialogue...most notably the score in Voice Without a Shadow by composer Hikaru Hayashi...is very serviceable for a mono track. Though the audio tracks are slightly flawed, they're certainly allowed to be considering the age, and definitely don't take away from enjoyment of the film.
The first two extras on the disc involve an "Introduction To The Diamond Guys", hosted by author and critic Jasper Sharp, who enthusiastically takes the viewer through the history of Nikkatsu Studios and the acting history of two of the "Diamond Guys". First up is Yujiro Ishihara (15:24), who stars as Lefty Jiro in Red Pier. Second up is a look at Hidaki Nitani (10:21) who plays the part of newspaper reporter Ishikawa in Voice Without A Shadow. Both segments are very informative, but note that Jasper Sharp is not subtitled.
A Trailer for each of the films on this disc, as well as previews for the films in the (hopefully) upcoming Volume 2; Tokyo Mighty Guy, Danger Paws and Murder Unincorporated can also be found.
Finally, still galleries for each film containing a varying number of images is available.
Not included on the disc, but still considered an extra, is the case booklet, featuring very informative essays on Nikkatsu and the movies from Stuart Galbraith, Tom Mes and Mark Schilling.
For those interested, the films and extra features are also provided, spread over two DVDs.
The Final Word:
For the uninitiated...or even the experts...Arrow's Nikkatsu Diamond Guys: Volume One is a pretty stellar way to see some classic examples of Japanese Cinema in their original aspect ratio. Highly recommended for those interested.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
