Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Killing Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 8, 2020

Note: This version of this film is available as part of Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto.

There are two names which American film fans may need either outright introductions to or at least reminders about when coming to Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto. The first name is that of Shinya Tsukamoto himself, a fascinating cult figure with a rather long and impressive filmography as a producer, director, actor, writer, editor, cinematographer, production designer and art director (one assumes if the IMDb had a tab for craft services contributions, he'd be listed there, too), but who is still kind of curiously unknown by the general public at large on this side of the pond. The other name that may come into play with regard to this handsome new set released for the North American market by Arrow is Third Window Films, a label that releases Blu-rays in the United Kingdom and which has in fact put out previous editions of several of the Tsukamoto films Arrow has included in this set. For that reason, fans or at least those interested in “comparison studies” are encouraged to visit our listings for the Third Window Films’ releases of Tetsuo: The Iron Man / Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, Tokyo Fist, Bullet Ballet, A Snake of June, and Kotoko, not just for Svet Atanasov’s thoughts about each of the films, but also to be able to do side by side looks at screenshots as well as to size up supplemental features on each release. (A sixth film offered in this set from Arrow, The Adventure of Denchu-Kozo, looks like it's included as a supplement on Third Windows' double feature offering the two Tetsuo films.) The Arrow set does at least offer ten films in one nicely aggregated and designed package which includes a rather beautiful hardback book, which may at least recommend the set to those trying to save a little shelf space, if nothing else.

Rather interestingly, Shinya Tsukamoto gets into some of the background of both Kotoko and this film in some of the supplemental material included in this set, and he perhaps surprisingly mentions how he views Kotoko, Fires on the Plain (not included in this set, unforutnately) and Killing as being something of a trilogy, a connection that may seem positively head scratching considering how different the three films are. Putting aside that potentially debatable point, Killing is unique in Tsukamoto's filmography if for no other reason than that it's his first so-called "samurai film". Tsukamoto sees all three films as dealing with "preparations for war," but in that regard, it's arguable that Killing actually comes closest to an overt exploration of that theme, since it deals with several samurai who are dealing in various ways with the fractious end of the Edo period in Japan.

Killing involves several different ronin, at least some of whom are in search of a "master" to make them an official samurai. Mokunushin (Sôsuke Ikematsu) is just such a ronin, though he has found a temporary use for at least some of his talents by helping some local farmers with their harvest. A chance meeting with the older Sawamura (Shinya Tsukamoto) upends everything, though, with both a nascent love affair and a roaming band of more nefarious ronin types interrupting. This is an amazingly straightforward effort from Tsukamoto, at least within the context of many of his other films, but there are still some really odd, disjunctive, stylistic conceits here that keep things at least intermittently hallucinogenic (to cite just one example, Mokunushin seems to be experiencing the same kind of erotic awakening that Rinko goes through in A Snake of June, albeit without the aid of any incriminating photos).

Killing Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Killing is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert book offers only very generic data on all of the transfers in this set, with aspect ratios (at times misstated) and audio data detailed, and with a simple statement that the "high definition masters were provided by Nikkatsu Corporation". The back cover of the keepcase enclosing this disc mentions Tsukamoto embracing digital filmmaking with both Kotoko and this film, and the results here are typically quite sharp and well detailed. Tsukamoto still indulges in various stylistic conceits, and while the palette is relatively normal looking most of the time, there are selected moments that have been graded to a rather interesting almost purplish tone (see screenshot 4 for one example). Things are a little flat looking throughout some of this presentation, but detail levels are typically commendable throughout. A few dim interior scenes suffer from murky shadow detail, but I noticed no compression anomalies.

Killing Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Killing features an at times pretty bombastic sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The film has a really interesting score which combines what sound like ethnic instruments with more of the typical Tsukamoto array of clanging quasi-percussive effects, and the result is quite intriguing. Some of the sword play also has potentially goofy but still neat sounding "whoosh" effects added that made me almost wish for an Atmos rendering of this track. Ambient environmental effects are also present, especially since so much of the film takes place outside. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout, and I noticed no issues whatsoever with regard to any damage, distortion or dropouts.

Killing Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As can be seen in the last screenshot accompanying this review, this disc offers two films. I'm listing all of the supplements on the disc, since while some supplements are ostensibly specific to one feature, there's still a certain amount of spillover.

• Audio Commentary on Kotoko by Tom Mes


• Audio Commentary on Killing by Tom Mes


• Japanese Cinema's Provocateur Extraordinaire (1080p; 47:59) is a fantastic newly done career spanning retrospective with Shinya Tsukamoto. Like some of the archival interviews, this features interstitial text questions follwed by Tsukamoto's answers. In Japanese with English subtitles.


• Archival Interview with Shinya Tsukamoto (1080p; 21:48) focuses on Kotoko , and like most of the other archival interivews in this set, has interstitial text questions followed by Tsukamoto's answers. In Japanese with English subtitles.


• Trailers

  Kotoko UK Trailer (1080p; 2:01)

  
  

  Killing Original Japanese Trailer (1080p; 1:45)

• Image Galleries

  Kotoko (1080p; 4:10)

  
  

  Killing (1080p; 1:30)

Killing Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For those who binge watch all of the films in Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto, you may have something akin to the same reaction I had when Killing begins with a samurai sword being forged, namely wondering whether that blade is going to be fused with some human, a la the metal-flesh hybrids offered in the Tetsuo films. Perhaps commendably Tsukamoto has moved beyond the more literal approach of those early efforts to offer his first so-called jidaigeki outing. The results may not be perfectly in tune with what lovers of more "traditional" samurai fare may expect, but Killing is still an often compelling viewing (and listening) experience. Technical merits are solid, and the supplementary package very interesting. Recommended.