A young boxer accidentally kills an ex-boxing champion’s brother. He then approaches the ex-champ to train him to become the next champion.
After boxer Hayabusa (Bunta Sugawara) abruptly retires in the middle of a match, he divorces his wife and isolates himself in a run-down apartment with only his dog for company. Eventually, aspiring boxer Tenma (Kentaro Shimizu) interrupts his solitude, asking Hayabusa to become his trainer. Hayabusa initially refuses, blaming Tenma for his brother’s accidental death. The 1977 drama “The Boxer” follows Hayabusa as he eventually accepts Tenma’s explanation and agrees to train the younger boxer.
Released a year after Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky,” Toei’s “The Boxer” invites comparisons. While viewers might anticipate another underdog story, in the hands of director Shuji Terayama, the emphasis is less on the excitement of the ring and more on the emotional burdens carried by its characters.
However, that emotional weight doesn’t completely carry the film. Terayama’s work here feels stagnant. The movie’s deliberate pacing leaves the drama without forward momentum. Some moments work well — the grimy black-and-white opening sequence and Sugawara’s disillusioned performance in particular — but the whole thing doesn’t quite gel.
“The Boxer” has a large supporting cast whose place in the movie frequently feels poorly established and even unnecessary. A tighter focus on the film’s central characters would have strengthened the drama. By the time the movie reaches its conclusion, what should be the film’s emotional release left me feeling detached and unmoved.
Radiance Films premieres this feature on Blu-ray with a limited edition package, presenting the movie from a high-definition transfer from Toei. The image is sharp and detailed, though I often wondered how accurate the colors were while viewing the film since there are several sequences featuring a stylistic color palette. I’m assuming this is a directorial flourish from Terayama, perhaps what the box art describes as his “carnivalesque atmosphere,” and not a problem with the movie’s transfer. The sound, presented in uncompressed mono, is clear and distortion-free.
Extras for this film are light, including an interview with composer J. A. Seazer and a visual essay by Tom Mes. Mes’s essay offers insight into Toei’s 1977 output and what led to the studio’s production choices during this time period. The limited edition also includes a booklet with an essay by Maria Roberta Novielli.
Radiance Films’ disc presents the main feature well, although its bonus features aren’t as in-depth as most of the label’s features. Fans of “The Boxer” should appreciate the movie’s presentation; however, those looking for substantial supplements may find the release light.
Now available on Limited Edition Blu-ray™ from RADIANCE FILMS
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