After his own gang sets him up to kill a rival mobster, a hitman is forced to flee with his younger brother.
In “Tattooed Life,” Tetsu (Hideki Takahashi) and his younger brother Kenji (Kotobuki Hananomoto) find themselves on the run after Kenji saves Tetsu by killing a man. While Tetsu is a yakuza member, Kenji is the quiet artistic type. The brothers flee to Manchuria but wind up working as part of a construction crew. For those wondering about the film’s title, it refers to yakuza members’ penchant for tattooing the parts of their bodies that are usually covered by clothes.
“Tattooed Life” plays straightforwardly for most of the movie, focusing on the two brothers, their attempt to flee, and their new lives. But… things don’t go smoothly, leading to a spectacularly over-the-top finale. It’s a visual feast that’s probably among the best action sequences I’ve ever seen — the lighting, choreography, and camerawork all come together to create something truly unique that has undoubtedly inspired other directors. I don’t mean to downplay the rest of the movie, but seriously, if you’re not entirely clicking with this film and debating turning it off, try to stick it out for this ending set piece.
As usual, Radiance’s Blu-ray™ release is a solid presentation of the film. For the visuals, my only issue is some wobble to the image near the beginning of the movie. It doesn’t last long and isn’t too distracting. The rest of the movie looks excellent, in my opinion. On the aural front, the film’s audio is crisp and clear.
The Limited Edition disc includes a booklet with an essay on the film by Tom Vick and a review of the 1965 film by Tetsuya Fukasawa. The essay is very informative about director Seijun Suzuki and the time period in which the movie takes place, helping to give context to what you’re watching. The included review is very brief, and its author is not overly thrilled with the movie’s flamboyant conclusion.
On the disc, there’s a pair of interviews (one with director Seijun Suzuki and the other with art director Takeo Kimura) and an audio commentary by William Carroll, author of ‘Seijun Suzuki and Postwar Cinema.’ I admit I didn’t go back and watch the whole movie with Carroll’s commentary. What I did watch/listen to was great (and a bit overwhelming). Carroll distills a lot of information into his discussion. The interviews with Suzuki and Kimura are brief and dry but also contain much information.
I’ve only seen a few movies from Suzuki. After watching this one, I’ll definitely seek out more. One of his most famous films, “Branded to Kill,” didn’t sit well with me when I viewed it. After considering this film, I might have to go back and give that another go. As for “Tattooed Life,” this is a good disc. Recommended.
Available on a Special Limited Edition Blu-ray™ September 24th
