The Admiral Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

The Admiral Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 9, 2012

Japanese director Izuru Narushima's "Isoroku Yamamoto, the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet" a.k.a "The Admiral" (2011) arrives on Bu-ray courtesy of British distributors Cine-Asia. The only supplemental features on the disc are original Japanese trailers for the film. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

I know it is a mistake...

The film opens up some time before the attack on Pearl Harbor. In Japan, the top men in the Army and the top men in the Navy have different plans about the future of their country. The Army generals want to conclude the Tripartite Pact and redraw the map of Asia. There is a strong feeling among them that a war will help the economy and that this is the right time to settle old scores with China. The recent victory over the Russian forces in Southern Manchuria has them convinced that they could challenge and defeat anyone.

But the top men in the Navy disagree. Yamamoto (Koji Yakusho), a brilliant tactician with plenty of experience, feels that concluding the Tripartite Pact could prove costly. Having read Mein Kampf, Yamamoto understands that Adolf Hitler is a dangerous man who can’t be trusted. He is also convinced that if Japan sides with Germany, America won’t stand still.

Politicians are also divided. Some feel that their country needs a grand cause to unite the people, and that concluding the Tripartite Pact is it. Others are uncertain. Some see dangerous times ahead if Japan challenges America, a nation with far greater resources and much stronger economy.

Eventually, the Army generals threaten a coup d’etat and the Navy is forced to side with them. Shortly after, the Japanese politicians also agree to support the Tripartite Pact. A decision is then made to attack America and occupy Asian countries with important natural resources.

Yamamoto is summoned to introduce a strategy that will ensure success against America. However, much to everyone’s surprise, he warns that any attack on America, and especially one on the mainland, will result in a long and dangerous war that could ultimately cripple Japan. So the plan he draws is actually for a quick strike and an immediate offer for peace. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Yamamoto also orders that an official declaration of war is sent to America to minimize casualties.

The bulk of Izuru Narushima’s film offers terrific analysis on the events preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor with a touch of melodrama. There are clear and logical explanations about the pros and cons such an attack would offer. The different strategies are particularly interesting as they allow the viewer to see the big picture which these types of war films typically ignore.

It is difficult to tell whether the moral dilemmas Yamamoto faces in the film are authentic - the tensions between the Army and the Navy, however, are indeed well documented - but they certainly present valid points of view. Japan’s conclusion of the Tripartite Pact was not universally embraced by its military leaders, and some of Yamamoto’s concerns were indeed publicly debated. Also, there is a segment of the film that specifically addresses the importance of natural resources and how they could determine the winners and losers in a possible world war that is simply outstanding.

The film belongs to Koji Yakusho, a terrific actor who has appeared in such international hits as Masayuki Suo’s Shall We Dance?, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Tokyo Sonata, and most recently Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins and Shûichi Okita’s The Woodsman and the Rain. He is calm, constantly demanding respect man whose quiet struggle to come up with a plan that will ensure peace for Japan is incredibly believable. Hiroshi Abe (Hirokazu Koreeda’s Still Walking) also delivers a memorable performance as one of the Admiral’s best men.

There is perfect balance between action and drama. Takahide Shibanushi’s (Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Bright Future, Tomoyuki Takimoto’s Ikigami) lensing is simple but quite elegant, keeping the film firmly grounded in reality.

The Admiral Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Izuru Narushima's The Admiral arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Cine-Asia.

The high-definition transfer is simply beautiful. From start to finish detail is outstanding, both during close-ups and the larger panoramic shots, while clarity is as good as I have seen on a recent release (a couple of the sequences with the large carriers look particularly strong). Color reproduction is also stellar - there is a wide range of warm but very well saturated natural colors. Additionally, the film looks very crisp, but there are no traces of edge-enhancement. In fact, there are absolutely no traces of problematic lab corrections either. The high-definition transfer is also free of serious banding and aliasing patterns. There is no edge flicker or other serious stability issues to report in this review. All in all, this is indeed an enormously satisfying presentation, one of the very best I've seen in Cine-Asia's impressive catalog. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

The Admiral Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Japanese LPCM 2.0. For the record, Cine-Asia have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

The lossless 5.1 has a very good range of nuanced dynamics. Depth and clarity are also very pleasing. However, viewers expecting to hear very rich and very aggressive sound will likely be underwhelmed as this is primarily a dialog-driven film. There is an excellent music score. It does not have a prominent role, but enhances the dramatic atmosphere very well. The dialog is stable and clean, and the English translation is outstanding. (Please note that there is a short fragment from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech after the Pearl Harbor attack that has imposed Japanese subtitles).

The Admiral Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers -
  
  1. Original Japanese trailer for The Admiral. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).
  2. Original Japanese trailer for The Admiral. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (1 min, 1080p).
  3. Original Japanese trailer for The Admiral. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (1 min, 1080p).

• Trailers - trailers for other Cine-Asia releases.

The Admiral Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I have to admit that after I took a quick look at the press materials I was sent, I was expecting a very different film. However, much to my delight, Izuru Narushima's The Admiral turned out to be a very serious, definitely thought-provoking, tremendously well acted film. I think that the unique look at the events preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor the film offers will surprise a lot of people - and, no, this isn't a propaganda piece. And what a performance by Koji Yakusho. I am definitely looking forward to Third Window Films' Blu-ray release of The Woodsman and the Rain and Koji Yakusho's reunion with Masayuki Suo in The Terminal Trust. Don't miss this film, folks. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.