Receiving a home-video release for the very first time outside of Japan, Proof of the Man is a gripping crime drama with some historical depth, directed by Junya Sato and from the Kadokawa production company.
It’s always intriguing when there’s another Arrow Video not-previously-released-outside-of-Japan issue on the horizon.
Proof of the Man, from the best-selling novel by Seiichi Morimura and directed by Junya Sato, mixes a traditional 1970s New York police drama with the Japanese trauma of post-war occupation, and presents a highly engaging, perhaps a little nostalgic, but nevertheless extremely interesting story.
The film opens as we follow Johnny Hayward (Joe Yamanaka) on a trip to Tokyo after he mysteriously came into some money to allow him to finally make the journey. Johnny is of mixed heritage, with a Japanese mother and a Black father, and during his stay in Tokyo is the victim of a brutal crime in an expensive hotel. The hotel is hosting an elite catwalk show by designer Kyoko (Mariko Okada), whose influential politician husband Yohei is played by the legendary Toshiro Mifune. When their son causes a fatal road accident and flees to New York, Detective Munesue (Yusaku Matsuda) travels there to team up with NYPD Detective Ken Shuftan (George Kennedy) to try to solve both cases. Lurking in the background is the Japanese detective’s painful childhood memories involving US soldiers in Japan after the war, and Shuftan’s own war-time links to Asia.
Filmed on location in both Japan and New York, Proof of the Man is unusual for the time in having a Japanese film shooting on location in the United States. Even through the eyes of cinematographer Shinsaku Himeda, New York still has the skyscrapers, yellow taxis, car chases and flying fruit stalls that one would expect from a New York police drama, and the Japanese police precinct is equally as brown and dingy. But even as the two detectives begin to work together, there is clear enmity on both sides. Shuftan’s Chief senses Ken’s hesitation about working with the Japanese, and empathises with the comment “I lost a brother at Pearl Harbour”. Munesue’s memories of seeing brutality at the hands of the US military in his childhood flash in black and white into his mind now and again. The past means everyone is treading on eggshells even though, 30 years later, they probably can’t quite remember why.
And while the men are grappling with their past, Kyoko also has to face her journey to what is now a privileged lifestyle, but one which she had to sacrifice much for in her younger years. Mariko Okada’s Kyoko is arguably the most interesting character; an independently-minded Japanese woman who, it would seem, is adept at keeping secrets for decades.
This limited edition Blu-Ray release has a crisp visual update while retaining that 70s feel. It has a new audio commentary and new bonus videos discussing the film and its evolution along with a host of extras which will make this release something for connoisseurs. Its exploration of race, history and identity couched within an international police procedural is a great combination, and one which is definitely worth seeking out.
The Limited Edition Blu-Ray contains:
- High-Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
- Original lossless mono audio
- Optional newly translated English subtitles
- Brand new audio commentary with Asian American film scholar Rob Buscher and DJ Skeme Richards
- Taking the Big Apple, a brand new video introduction by Asian film scholar Earl Jackson
- A Japanese Blockbuster, a brand new filmed discussion with critics and Junya Sato biographers Tatsuya Masuto and Masaaki Nomura
- Original theatrical trailers
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by film critic Michelle Kisner and scholar Alexander Zahlten