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Vengeance Is Mine



Based on the true story of Iwao Enokizu (Ken Ogata) and his murderous rampage which sparked a 78-day nationwide manhunt, Shôhei Imamura’s disturbing gem Vengeance Is Mine [Fukushû suru wa ware ni ari] won every major award in Japan on the year of its release. Both seducing and repelling with its unusual story and grisly humour, Imamura uncovers a seedy underbelly of civilised Japanese society.

Unfolding through multiple flashbacks, Ogata delivers a career-defining performance as a day-labourer and smalltime con-artist who, after killing two of his co-workers, embarks on a psychopathic spree of rape and murder. Eluding the police and public, Japan’s infamous “King of Criminals” passes himself off as a Kyoto University professor, only to become entangled with an innkeeper and her perverted mother. Five years in the making, Vengeance Is Mine transcends the limitations of run- of-the-mill criminal studies by presenting a portrait of a killer imbued with a poignant, tragic banality.

DUAL FORMAT RELEASE INCLUDING BLU-RAY AND DVD VERSIONS OF THE FILM

• Restored 1080p high-definition transfer on the Blu-ray
• All-new improved English subtitle translation
• Audio commentary by noted critic and filmmaker Tony Rayns
• Video introduction by director Alex Cox
• Original Japanese trailers
• 56-page book featuring a lengthy 1994 career-spanning interview with Imamura by Tôichi Nakata; original promotional material; and a director’s statement

Some info about the film:

Based on the true story of convicted murderer, Iwao Enokizu, Shohei Imamura creates a harrowing, bizarre, and fascinating chronicle of aberrant, self-destructive behavior in Vengeance is Mine. Combining the naturalistic, frenetic elements of documentary filmmaking with the stylization of elliptical narrative, Imamura creates a chaotic and fragmented portrait of a serial killer: the disorganized and awkward execution of the murders; the achronologic temporal leaps in the narrative structure; the rapid, cin�ma v�rit� styled camerawork as Enokizu checks into the Asano Inn. In essence, the disjointed appearance of the film reflects the underlying dark soul of the inscrutable and amoral Enoziku. In a puzzling, surreal final scene, Shizuo and Kazuko travel to the top of a mountain in an attempt to bring closure to Enoziku's misguided life only to find their actions thwarted by an irrepressible, divine force - a cruel final reminder of the inescapability of justice and retribution.

The thumbnail looks like the Home Vision Cinema VHS Cover with hugely improved title lettering.

Tentative specs up

I'm extremely excited about this. Commentary? wha!

This will be anamorphic, right?

It will be anamorphic OAR, and will use the digitally restored Shochiku transfer, not the Panorama transfers (likewise the Kurosawa titles).

In 1975, Imamura founded the Yokohama Vocational School of Broadcast and Film which counts Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer) among its many graduates.

Actually Miike worked as an assistant to Imamura on both Zegen and Black Rain, and also acted in the latter.

Imamura worked three years on this film and is perhaps his most atypical film, even though it is a unique approach to one if Imamuras key themes, to retell history thru those affected by it, here thru the interogations of Iwao.

This is really going to be a very welcomed release, especially with an audio commentary. Now one can only hope for Imamuras Eijanaika to find its way to a similar release.

According to Amazon, this and the other upcoming MoC discs (saving Francis) have been delayed again...but this one all the way to September.

New sleeve and final specs are up, here.

Nice, I look forward to the Rayns commentary. Where did you get the cover art from? The look in Ogata's eyes is... disturbing. Check out the Panorama Shindo's "Hokusai Manga", a truly odd acting turn by Ogata around the same time. Pretty odd stuff and a decent DVD.

Nice cover indeed! The full specs look great, too.

Bring on the rest of that Japanese summer.

Nick,

It´s not only Punishment Park, Vengeance is Mine isn´t up for pre-order as well. (Neither CD-wow, nor Amazon) Is it still on schedule, or did I miss something?

VIM has been up for pre-order at amazon for months!

Peerpee is this DVD the one that is going to be projected around UK cinemas(like Punishment Park) or is it an actual print?

Ooops! Seems that I need new glasses.

Thanks, Nick!

Billy Liar wrote:Peerpee is this DVD the one that is going to be projected around UK cinemas(like Punishment Park) or is it an actual print?

The theatrical release has been from a Beta SP because the subs on the available 35mm weren't all that. I'm not aware of anywhere projecting from DVD.

A bunch of DVDs of VIM went out to the press a few weeks ago. This is not the final encode. The finished disc is much better. DVDBeaver and DVDTimes are holding out on their reviews until they get the final release disc.

Nice one fella, look forward to seeing it in sunny Leeds.

We've spent more time, money, and effort on this VENGEANCE IS MINE disc than any other release in the Series so far. The last three months have been a slog, but it's now finished.

Very, very happy with it:

Finished copies will be hitting distributors on Monday, and then filtering through to shops throughout the week (or held back until the release date of Oct 24th for logistical reasons).

On track, anyhow.

Kudos on the fine work, it really looks great judging from those captures. I'm looking forward to picking this up and finally seeing it in the presentation it deserves (I've previously only seen it via the panorama disc).

Hopefully we'll see more Imamura films get such a nice treatment in the future.

Nick, is it true that this film (which I have not seen) was shot in VistaVision?

I am really looking forward to this release. I greatly admire and appreciate the extensive work that goes into MoC titles. Marvelous efforts!

imdb says "Vistavision 1.96:1" -- but it's pretty clear that the OAR is 1.85:1 on this film. Our sleeve says 1.78:1, but this is because it was printed a month before we finalised the transfer. The ratio on the disc is 1.85:1 anamorphic.

Yeah, IMDb always fuck up the ratio with their listed VistaVision films. I doubt that the film carries a VistaVision credit, but many of the original VV cameras were sold to the Japanese in the late 60s and 70s, so it is concievable that this film shot horizonatally. Not a big deal to most, but I am fascinated by such things!

Thanks, Nick.