17 / BD 11 Vengeance Is Mine
- tristan
- Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 11:15 pm
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Contact:
17 / BD 11 Vengeance Is Mine
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
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
- Lino
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:18 am
- Location: Sitting End
- Contact:
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.
- Pinback
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:50 pm
The thumbnail looks like the Home Vision Cinema VHS Cover with hugely improved title lettering.
- denti alligator
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:36 pm
- Location: "born in heaven, raised in hell"
- dvdane
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 7:36 pm
- Location: Denmark
- Contact:
Actually Miike worked as an assistant to Imamura on both Zegen and Black Rain, and also acted in the latter.In 1975, Imamura founded the Yokohama Vocational School of Broadcast and Film which counts Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer) among its many graduates.
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.
- What A Disgrace
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:34 pm
- Contact:
- Steven H
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:30 pm
- Location: NC
- What A Disgrace
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:34 pm
- Contact:
- shirobamba
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 1:23 pm
- Location: Germany
-
- not perpee
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:41 pm
VIM has been up for pre-order at amazon for months!
- Billy Liar
- Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2005 8:03 am
- shirobamba
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 1:23 pm
- Location: Germany
-
- not perpee
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:41 pm
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.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?
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.
- Billy Liar
- Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2005 8:03 am
- the dancing kid
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 7:35 pm
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.
Hopefully we'll see more Imamura films get such a nice treatment in the future.
- Gordon
- Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:03 am
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.
Thanks, Nick.