A naively honorable samurai comes to the bitter realization that his devotion to moral samurai principles makes him an oddity among his peers and a very vulnerable oddity in consequence.
There are a lot of set-ups in director Tokuzô Tanaka’s 1966 film “The Betrayal.” While it’s an easy enough story to follow, laying it all out for a review is a bit excessive. When two members of the Minazuki clan — Jurota (Ichiro Nakatani) and the clan leader’s son — murder a member of another clan, the crime threatens the clan’s standing. Loyal retainer Takuma Kobuse (Raizo Ichikawa) is asked to take the blame, setting him on a path of exile and betrayal.
The overall message of Tanaka’s film is the unreliability of promises, even from those you trust. Takuma is told that his exile will end after a year, and the truth of matters will be revealed. However, when Takuma returns, the official who made these promises has died, and the only other witness — Jurota himself — denies any knowledge. Takuma is left isolated and dishonored, caught in a web of lies that twists his loyalty against him.
Despite being made in the mid-60s, the film feels like it is from an earlier era. The black-and-white cinematography reinforces this impression, and its deliberate pacing is decidedly slower than that of more modern films. For a movie that features frequent swordplay, there is absolutely no bloodshed except for a scene showing the aftermath of a woman’s off-screen murder. Even the film’s grand finale, a sword fight that lasts almost an entire reel, features no blood. Realism doesn’t appear to be Tanaka’s goal. Nonetheless, it is a well-made film with themes that still feel relevant.
Radiance Films releases “The Betrayal” on Blu-ray with a pleasing transfer. The film is given a natural, film-like image that is clean without looking over-processed. Audio is less consistent: the orchestral score that opens the film is muddy. Clarity improves shortly thereafter and never becomes a significant distraction.
This limited edition features reversible sleeve art and a booklet with an essay by Alain Silver. On-disc extras feature a couple of visual essays and a scene-specific commentary by Tom Mes. The visual essay format doesn’t always work for me; the two featured here don’t change my mind. Mes’s commentary is insightful, offering context and highlighting Tanaka’s place in Daiei. Perhaps most exciting, it hints at more Tanaka releases in the pipeline from Radiance.
While the extras might not be as comprehensive as Radiance’s other titles, it’s great to see that the company is still unearthing and releasing hidden gems. “The Betrayal” might feel like it belongs to an earlier era, but its themes of broken promises and misplaced loyalty should still resonate with audiences today. Thanks to Radiance, a new generation of viewers will be able to discover this film.
Available on a Limited Edition Blu-ray™ September 16th from RADIANCE FILMS
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