7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Tokyo, 1934. The boss of the clan that controls gambling agonizes and some of his followers propose to Nakai to take his place, but he refuses the offer and suggests they choose Matsuda, who is in prison.
Starring: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Koji Tsuruta, Hiroshi Nawa, Nobuo Kaneko, Harumi SoneForeign | 100% |
Crime | 6% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Japanese: LPCM Mono
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Note: Radiance Films has released Big Time
Gambling Boss in a UK Region B edition as well.
As some of the supplements on this new release get into, it's helpful to understand that Big Time Gambling Boss was actually part of a long
running series of films from Toei which were branded as Bakuchiuci, and in fact this particular film's original title was Bakuchiuci: Sôchô
Tobaku. The series, as video essayist Chris D. discusses in his piece on this disc, often featured so-called "gambling dens", though in a more
general sense, Big
Time Gambling Boss at least tends to hew pretty closely to "crime family succession" dramas which might be argued are exemplified (for
American audiences, anyway) by offerings like The Godfather
Trilogy. Unlike the Coppola classics, Big Time Gambling Boss doesn't spend much time getting to the death of the head of a crime
family, and in fact the bulk of this film deals with the aftermath of the demise of that individual, which then sends his "family" into a somewhat
convoluted power struggle. This is definitely more of a character piece than a "slam bang" action spectacle, but it should certainly be appreciated by
fans of Yakuza films in general, even if this production has some peculiarities as outlined in the two supplemental video essays that set it apart from
the genre.
Big Time Gambling Boss is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Radiance's insert booklet features only the fairly generic following verbiage on the transfer:
Big Time Gambling Boss was transferred in high definition by Toei Company Ltd. The master was supplied to Radiance as a digital file in the original aspect ratio with original mono audio.This is a generally very nice looking presentation, with a rather heavy grain field at times and some slightly brown, yellow or yellow-green color timing in passing, but which offers secure detail levels and some especially precise looking fine detail in scattered close-ups where elements like the historical costumes can be better seen. The color timing variances tend to be most noticeable when contrasting interior with exterior sequences, and many of the outdoor scenes looked considerably warmer and more natural to me. As with many Japanese scope outings, there can be occasional anamorphic peculiarities along with slight focus variances in parts of the frame. There is some very minor damage on display (if you look closely at some of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review, you can catch glimpses of tiny blemishes or flecks), but on the whole the element utilized was either in nice shape or restored to appear so.
Big Time Gambling Boss features an LPCM Mono track in the original Japanese. This is a very dialogue driven film, and as such there often isn't a ton of really busy sound design on tap, with this mono track offering perfectly fine fluidity for some pretty basic soundtrack elements. There is noticeable background hiss in the quieter moments, and just the barest hint of distortion in some of the louder music, but Toshiaki Tsushima's score sounds fine for the most part. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
One of the things that set The Godfather and its sequels apart from "typical" gangster films was its emotional gravitas, and I'd argue that much the same aspect is at work in Big Time Gambling Boss. What's rather interesting from a "classical tragedy" standpoint in this story is how "honor" (or at least perceived honor) may not be a "saving grace", but rather a clear pathway to destruction. It will be interesting to see if perhaps Radiance can release more of the Toei Bakuchiuci films, but Big Time Gambling Boss is certainly a good start. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplements very enjoyable. Recommended.
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