Radiance Films UK 4K UHD Blu-ray Synopsis: A former Buddhist monk turned erotic filmmaker, Subuyan lives with hairdresser Haru and her two teenage children. Shooting two skin flicks per day, he somehow manages to stay out of the clutches of the yakuza, but real trouble starts when Haru discovers him lusting after her daughter. Shohei Imamura’s landmark satire of postwar affluence was adapted from the internationally renowned novel by Akiyuki Nosaka (Grave of the Fireflies) and brings to vivid life the seedy side of 1960s Japan.

 

Views: Shohei Imamura's 1966 satirical feature, based on Akiyuki Nosaka's novel Erogotoshitachi, gets it's UK 4K UHD Blu-ray release courtesy of Radiance Films. Set in post-war Osaka, the film tells the story of small-time pornographer Subuyan Ogata who makes and sells illicit adult material while dipping in and out of a world of crime with his tightly run operation. But at home, his life is a little more hectic, living in a small house with his new wife/landlady and her daughter, Keiko, of whom he starts becoming obsessed with, while dealing with other family members that come and go. As time goes on, Subuyan's behaviour and desires start to get out of hand. On top of that, the police start cracking down on pornography, making his choice of work a little riskier which eventually leads to his arrest. But no lessons are learned, and Subuyan soon finds himself stuck in this life as he tries to stay one step ahead of the law and the local mob!

 

Darkly humorous and wonderfully made, The Pornographers was an interesting watch and looked absolutely fantastic with it's new 4K restoration. Although made for the Nikkatsu Stuio but as an independent production, the film was directed by Shohei Imamura; the celebrated Japanese New Wave directed who also gave us films such as The Eel, Profound Desires of the Gods, Vengeance is Mine, Black Rain, The Ballard of Narayama, and Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (also released by Radiance Fillms), the film is one of many greats that has gained a following in the West by fans of Asian cinema – and rightly so. While not perfect, The Pornographers offers a journey into crime, broken society, humanity, and humour, wonderfully presented in stark black-and-white images courtesy of cinematographer Shinaku Himeda. Of course, this strengthened even more with the fantastic cast on offer such as Shoichi Ozawa as Ogata, Sumiko Sakamoto as his landlady/wife Haru, and Haruo Tanaka as his assistant, as well as Keiko Sagawa, Ko Nishimura, Ganjiro Nakamura, Ichiro Sugai and the handsome Masaomi Kondo – all of whom deliever great performances.

 

On the 4K UHD disc of this Radiance Films release, we just get the wonderfully restored film. All extra features accompany the film on the Blu-ray disc. These start with an interview with Masaomi Kondo who played Haru's son, a newly filmed 21 minute piece that sees the aged actor look back at his time on the production, his acting career, and talks with fondness about the director. It's a fun interview and was a great addition to the release! Following that, Professor Steve Corbeil delivers a 26 minute piece to cam on author Akiyuki Nosaka – the man behind the novel that The Pornographers was based on. But this reveals just how much more the popular writer and performer did, including Grave of the Fireflies which was made into a popular animated film by Studio Ghibli. Overall, a very interesting guy and quite a revealing piece. Aside from a beautifully restored trailer, we finally get a fantastic 47 minute interview with the late-great Tony Rayns who gives an in-depth piece on director Shohei Imamura, who he knew personally, covering his life and career before sharing his thoughts on The Pornographers itself. While we don't get an audio commentary to run alongside it, which is hardly a deal-breaker, the Radiance Films 4K UHD release of The Pornographers is a wonderful addition to any cinephiles collection. Neatly presented with a booklet written by Jasper Sharp, the release is limited to 5000 copies and is a must for fans of classic Japanese cinema!

 

Overall: Wonderfully made, beautifully shot and highly entertaining, The Pornographers is a Japanese classic worthy of a watch!

 

Radiance Films 4K UHD Blu-ray Extras: 4K Restoration, Interview with Masaomi Kondo, Interview with Steve Corbeil, Interview with Tony Rayns, Trailer