Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Black Report Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 19, 2020

Note: This film is available as part of Black Test Car + The Black Report.

The venerable Jonathan Rosenbaum is on hand on this double feature disc offering Black Test Car and The Black Report, with a video essay of sorts where he compares director (“maverick” director, as the back cover of this release kindly reminds us) Yasuzo Masumura to Billy Wilder, which might initially seem a bit odd, considering that these two films at least don’t really offer much of the sardonic humor that even Wilder’s ostensible dramas often could. That said, with a writer-director of Wilder’s range and stature, it’s not hard to find connections between at least some of his works and Masumura’s. In that regard, certain noir-ish aspects to the films on this disc may remind some of Wilder’s own forays into that realm like Double Indemnity (even if the Masumura efforts are admittedly more noir like in terms of tone rather than content), but Rosenbaum kind of interestingly makes a case for a comparison to One, Two, Three with regard to at least Black Test Car, with Rosenbaum seeing both films as critiquing some of the more ruthless aspects of capitalism. The Black Report may be somewhat harder to fit into Wilder’s oeuvre, though I might make a connection by offering a joke that it, too, like Sunset Boulevard, begins with a close-up of a male corpse. While Rosenbaum doesn’t really make this particular comparison (which in a way surprised me), the Wilder film that I thought of as Rosenbaum started to develop his thesis, and probably with regard to Black Test Car more than The Black Report, though it’s evident there, too, is The Apartment (note that this links to an out of print and now pretty pricey limited edition, since I reviewed it, but use the “other versions” on the Overview tab to see alternative purchase options). That may seem like an odd comparative choice since one film on this disc is about competition in the Japanese auto industry and the other one is a murder mystery with elements of a courtroom procedural, but in both Masumura films there’s the same kind of corrosive work environment that was central to Wilder’s Oscar winning masterpiece. Aside and apart from any connection to Wilder, both films on this disc also offer some interesting camerawork that is certainly influenced by noir but which can almost hint at Abstract Expressionist tendencies at times, with weirdly skewed framings that feature visual elements that can actually subdivide the frame.

Rosenbaum gets into some of the "marketing" decisions that parent studio Daiei Studios made in the wake of what was evidently the substantial success of Black Test Car, in terms of the studio bringing out films with titular links to that outing that otherwise don't have much of a connection at all. That's certainly the case with The Black Report, which may share the first film's focal color in its title, but has a completely different plot emphasis, though the two films do share some of the same performers, including Junko Kanô and Hideo Takamatsu (in a gambit that many Hollywood studios have followed when they find a supposed "winning combination" of stars and reteam them in various unrelated projects).

As noted above, The Black Report begins with the rather gruesome sight of an elderly man who has evidently met his demise by having the back of his head bashed in with a giant vase. As the credits play out, various police procedures like fingerprints being lifted from the side of the vase are detailed, until the "whodunit" aspect is engaged with a series of scenes with what turn out to be a number of suspects in the killing.

If there's less corporate intrigue here, at least in police headquarters and, later, the offices of the prosecutors (the victim was a corporate executive, so his company at least seems to have a bit of conflict that is more like that seen in Black Test Car), there's still the same emphasis on everyday working men more or less sacrificing their souls in the pursuit of — well, what exactly? The film seems to suggest that even the “good guys” are struggling under such immense amounts of bureaucratic nonsense that any perceived goal, as in the noble pursuit of justice, can take a back seat to filling out various forms. Interestingly, both Masumura and the author of the novel from which the film was culled had legal backgrounds, and there’s a rather interesting air of authenticity to events depicted in both the police and attorney sides of things that in a way presages American efforts like Law & Order.

The Black Report Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Black Report is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains only the following fairly generic verbiage on the transfers (both films are on one disc, so the information relates to both):

Black Test Car and The Black Report are both presented in their original 2.35:1 aspect ratios with mono audio. The High Definition masters were provided by Kadokawa. Additional picture restoration was completed by Arrow Films at R3Store Studios, London.

While I'm rating both films' video presentations at the same 3.5 level, The Black Report is arguably just a bit less consistent than Black Test Car, with more generally abundant and noticeable age related wear and tear on display than the other film. There are quite a few knicks, scratches and other blemishes on display, and the overall look of this presentation is a bit grittier and less well detailed than Black Test Car. This offering also has the same frequent anamorphic squeezing at the sides of the frame which is perhaps even more noticeable in this film due to the many shots where focal characters are at the sides of the frame. All of this said, this still offers some good detail levels on elements like fabrics of clothes or even the mottled hair of the victim in the early shots. Black levels and contrast are generally consistent as well, and while the grain field is perhaps a bit heavier in this presentation than in Black Test Car, everything resolves naturally. My score is 3.25.

The Black Report Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Black Report features a serviceable LPCM Mono track in the original Japanese, with optional English subtitles available. This is pretty much a "talk fest" from beginning to end, and as such the inherently narrow proclivities of this track suffice perfectly well, delivering all dialogue clearly and without any problems. Occasional sound effects or background clamor in the courtroom in particular sound fine if occasionally a bit on the boxy side.

The Black Report Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Arrow is releasing both of these films on one disc, and so the supplemental package has individual bonus features that may include either or both films.

• What Masumura Does With Our Madness (1080p; 17:07) is the analysis by Jonathan Rosenbaum referenced above in the main body of the review.


• Theatrical Trailers

  Black Test Car (1080p; 2:42)

  
  

  The Black Report (1080p; 3:01)

  
  Note: Both of these look really washed out in relation to the look of the actual features.

• Image Galleries

  Black Test Car (1080p; 2:40)

  
  

  The Black Report (1080p; 2:10)

Additionally, Arrow provides their typically well appointed insert booklet with cast and crew information, technical data and an essay by Mark Downing Roberts.

The Black Report Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Black Report suggest that the pursuit of justice in Japan is perhaps less the purview of a "flat footed" police and/or prosecutorial force than it is the domain of the bureaucratic paper pusher, but maybe that is more "realistic" in the long run. This is another really interesting film from both a content and style perspective, and while it really doesn't have much if any connection to Black Test Car other than that dark color in its title, it does have some of the same subtext of a Japan trying to come to terms with its "new, improved" identity in the wake of the epochal changes in the country after World War II. Video isn't quite as consistent as in the case of Black Test Car, but audio is fine, and the admittedly small supplemental package is enjoyable. Recommended.