A has-been boxer and never-will-be boxer get a chance at glory in the wonderful Japanese sports drama The Boxer. New to Blu-ray from Radiance Films.
The Film
The Boxer may have been an attempt to cash in on the mega success of Rocky, but both films could not be farther from each other. Yes, they both deal with boxing and “underdog” stories, but that’s where the similarities stop. Written and directed by Shuji Terayama, The Boxer is a searing drama that shows the cost of a sport that tosses a competitor aside as quickly as it raises them.
Hayato (Bunta Sugawara), a former Lightweight Boxing Champion, is now a drunk who occupies his time with drinking and hanging posters of upcoming matches of younger contenders. Tetsuo (Kentarō Shimizu) is a junkyard worker with dreams of boxing, but no one will train because of a disability. Hayato might see something in Tetsuo and begins training the young man. His training methods are brutal, but slowly we begin to see results as Tetsuo rises through the ranks. If the two can put aside their personal demons, Tetsuo may have a chance at a title bout.
This is as beautifully constructed, stylishly shot, and wonderfully acted as any boxing film made. Terayama has made a film that understands boxing but, more than understanding the sport, has a clear-eyed view of the people on the lower rungs of the sport. When other films would treat these characters with a sort of passing thought, Terayama allows them to take center stage. Both Sugawara and Shimizu’s performances are one of unfocused dignity and suffered indignation. The drama of the film isn’t the fighting but their volatile relationship between the two; at once coach/fighter as much as it is enemy combatants.
Better than any film until Raging Bull, The Boxer shows the emotional, psychological, and physical toll the sport takes on both the fighter and those around them. The Boxer is an undiscovered high-water mark in sports drama. One that any fan of cinema or sports films won’t soon forget.
The Transfers
The High-Definition digital transfer for the film is a solid release for Radiance. There are a few minor issues with the transfer, but that seems to be within the negative or print Toei used for their digital transfer. Thankfully, there are no scratches or true blemishes, only minor dirt artifacts that appear sporadically. A full restoration would have to have been implemented to resolve the issues. That being said, the stylish look of the 35mm shot film (there were multiple color, black and white, sepia stocks employed throughout) is lovely in its grit and grime, adding to the overall aesthetic of this arresting Boxing film. Radiance continues to provide collectors with Blu-rays with wonderful transfers that rival anything that other labels produce.
The Extras
They include the following;
J.A. Seaver on Shuji Terayama and The Boxer
The Year Toei Failed
J.A. Seaver on Shuji Terayama and The Boxer (18:29) – this all-new interview with composer J.A. Seaver opens with his first meeting director Shuji Terayama, who was a theater director at the time. Seaver goes on to discuss how Terayama, in part, inspired him to get into music; his collaboration with the director and how it evolved once they began to make film; how transgressive the director’s work was in the theater; the director’s style and ability to create a milieu on the stage and on screen; how it was working with other directors by comparison; the conditions that Toei imposed on Terayama making films; what was important in the music for The Boxer; and much more. In Japanese with English subtitles.
The Year Toei Failed (12:21) – is an all-new visual essay on the year Toei released The Boxer, 1977. Produced, written, and narrated by Tom Mes, the essay begins with how Toei’s films released that year were all box office failures. Mes goes on to discuss how the beginning of the decade was a setup for success but also how that did not change for the eventual failure of the studio (e.g., Yakuza films, Pinky films, Japanese porno, and Karate films); the lack of creativity and chasing Hollywood trends over the years spelled disaster after disaster; a discussion of the films of 1977 (including the few success both commercially and films that have been reassessed); and much more.
The Final Thought
Radiance continues to deep dive into undiscovered Japanese genre films, and film fans are rewarded for it. Highest Possible Recommendations!!
A has-been boxer and never-will-be boxer get a chance at glory in the wonderful Japanese sports drama The Boxer. New to Blu-ray from Radiance Films.
The Film
The Boxer may have been an attempt to cash in on the mega success of Rocky, but both films could not be farther from each other. Yes, they both deal with boxing and “underdog” stories, but that’s where the similarities stop. Written and directed by Shuji Terayama, The Boxer is a searing drama that shows the cost of a sport that tosses a competitor aside as quickly as it raises them.
Hayato (Bunta Sugawara), a former Lightweight Boxing Champion, is now a drunk who occupies his time with drinking and hanging posters of upcoming matches of younger contenders. Tetsuo (Kentarō Shimizu) is a junkyard worker with dreams of boxing, but no one will train because of a disability. Hayato might see something in Tetsuo and begins training the young man. His training methods are brutal, but slowly we begin to see results as Tetsuo rises through the ranks. If the two can put aside their personal demons, Tetsuo may have a chance at a title bout.
This is as beautifully constructed, stylishly shot, and wonderfully acted as any boxing film made. Terayama has made a film that understands boxing but, more than understanding the sport, has a clear-eyed view of the people on the lower rungs of the sport. When other films would treat these characters with a sort of passing thought, Terayama allows them to take center stage. Both Sugawara and Shimizu’s performances are one of unfocused dignity and suffered indignation. The drama of the film isn’t the fighting but their volatile relationship between the two; at once coach/fighter as much as it is enemy combatants.
Better than any film until Raging Bull, The Boxer shows the emotional, psychological, and physical toll the sport takes on both the fighter and those around them. The Boxer is an undiscovered high-water mark in sports drama. One that any fan of cinema or sports films won’t soon forget.
The Transfers
The High-Definition digital transfer for the film is a solid release for Radiance. There are a few minor issues with the transfer, but that seems to be within the negative or print Toei used for their digital transfer. Thankfully, there are no scratches or true blemishes, only minor dirt artifacts that appear sporadically. A full restoration would have to have been implemented to resolve the issues. That being said, the stylish look of the 35mm shot film (there were multiple color, black and white, sepia stocks employed throughout) is lovely in its grit and grime, adding to the overall aesthetic of this arresting Boxing film. Radiance continues to provide collectors with Blu-rays with wonderful transfers that rival anything that other labels produce.
The Extras
They include the following;
J.A. Seaver on Shuji Terayama and The Boxer (18:29) – this all-new interview with composer J.A. Seaver opens with his first meeting director Shuji Terayama, who was a theater director at the time. Seaver goes on to discuss how Terayama, in part, inspired him to get into music; his collaboration with the director and how it evolved once they began to make film; how transgressive the director’s work was in the theater; the director’s style and ability to create a milieu on the stage and on screen; how it was working with other directors by comparison; the conditions that Toei imposed on Terayama making films; what was important in the music for The Boxer; and much more. In Japanese with English subtitles.
The Year Toei Failed (12:21) – is an all-new visual essay on the year Toei released The Boxer, 1977. Produced, written, and narrated by Tom Mes, the essay begins with how Toei’s films released that year were all box office failures. Mes goes on to discuss how the beginning of the decade was a setup for success but also how that did not change for the eventual failure of the studio (e.g., Yakuza films, Pinky films, Japanese porno, and Karate films); the lack of creativity and chasing Hollywood trends over the years spelled disaster after disaster; a discussion of the films of 1977 (including the few success both commercially and films that have been reassessed); and much more.
The Final Thought
Radiance continues to deep dive into undiscovered Japanese genre films, and film fans are rewarded for it. Highest Possible Recommendations!!
Radiance Films’ Blu-ray Edition of The Boxer is out now.
Share this:
Like this:
Discover more from The Movie Isle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.