Radiance Films UK Blu-ray Synopsis: In the free-for-all chaos after World War II, black martketeer Ueda (Hiroki Matsukata, Cops vs Thugs) is robbed of a pound of morphine. He takes his brutal revenge, but is arrested for murder and sentenced to 20 years. He escapes and is caught, but no matter where they send him, Ueda won't let prison walls stop him. Directed by a master of the genre and based on the real exploits of a seven-time prison escapee, this ranks as one of the rawest entries in the 1970scycle of Japanese true-account crime films. (97 Mins)

 

Views: To say that this film 'jumps right into it' would be an understatement, but there's probably no easier way to explain how The Rapacious Jailbreaker kicks-off! From robbery and murder to the raping and abuse of fellow inmates, this Toei production grips you from the very beginning and refuses to let go. Also known as Escaped Murderer From Hiroshima Prison and Master Killer's Escape From Hiroshima, the film is set in postwar Japan and tells the story of convicted murderer Masayuki Ueda who has a bad habit of breaking out of jail. And every time he is caught and returned, he breaks out again – and again. Enforced by his strong survival instinct and pure defiance, Ueda's reasons for doing so change with every arrest, eventually turning into a fight to be free on a personal level and break free from the unforgiving loop that his life has become...

 

The irrepressible Hiroki Matsukata stars as the feisty leading man Ueda, and does quite a brilliant job in the role, playing an anti-hero of sorts offering plenty of laughs while delivering some brutal violence. He's a career criminal who doesn't care one bit as the years of incarceration just keep adding up! Beginning his career around 1960, Hiroki went onto star in 250 productions through to 2015 including Ronin Of Ako (1961), the Yagyu Chronicles Series (1962), Battles Without Honor & Humanity (1973), The Fall Of Ako Castle (1978), Agitator (2001), 13 Assassins (2010) and many more. The lovely Naoko Otani stars as his poor but supportive wife while actors such as Tomisaburo Wakayama, Tatsuo Umemiya, Goro Ibuki,Ko Nishimura, and Tatsuo Endo help flesh things out! While a lot of the film is set in prison, a fair amount is also outside following Ueda on his escape. I can't help but feel that a film such as this perhaps inspired the likes of Hong Kong director Ringo Lam for Prison On Fire 2 (1991) and Jackie Chan (or Stanley Tong) with a particular zip-line getaway as seen in Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992). The film was directed by the prolific and highly regarded Sadao Nakajima – a Toei film-maker who had gained a lot of interest throughout the 60s with his many samurai films, but had now found a new lease of life in the 1970s when a second-wave of Yakuza movies became all the rage. Delivering over 70 directorial efforts throughout his career, Sadao was the man behind classics such as Female Ninja Magic (1964), Yakuza Gurentai (1966), Hot Springs Konjac Geisha (1970), Twisted Sex (1971), Jeans Blue: No Future (1974), The Great Okinawa Yakuza War (1976), The Shogun Assassins (1979) and many more...

 

Supposedly based on the real-life tale of a famed escapee, The Rapacious Jailbreaker moves along at a great pace and proves to be a highly enjoyable crime film overall. Beautifully shot and written by Tatsuo Nogami – the same pen behind classics such as Tattoo Of Love (1963), Three Yakuza (1965), Yagyu Clan Conspiracy (1978), Samurai Reincarnation (1981) and Paul Walker's Eight Below (2006) – the film is a must for all fans of the genre and of classic Japanese cinema. Supposedly the first film of an unofficial trilogy of titles, The Rapacious Jailbreaker was recently given a gorgeous Blu-ray release by Radiance Films that came with a stunning HD transfer, great audio commentary by Nathan Stuart and highly informative video essay on the director by Japanese film expert Tom Mes, as well as it's usual reversible sleeve and collectors booklet which is only limited to the initial run of 3000. Definitely one for the collection!

 

Overall: Intense, funny, and violent, The Rapacious Jailbreaker is one-of-a-kind and a classic piece of Japanese cinema well worth seeing!

 

Radiance Films Blu-ray Extras: Audio Commentary by Nathan Stuart, Video Essay by Tom Mes​