Blu-ray Verdict: Oh my, this is such a good looking film, where throughout the framing and color design remain fantastic, and it also has, for my money, one of the best uses of neon and strip lighting I have ever seen!
We start the film as a prostitute tells us in flashback what happened to her and how a love affair with a yakuza led her to this life. Her newest client has fallen in love with her and wants her to give up the life, but she reflects that is she cursed to live this way, and the flashbacks reinforce the misery of this life.
The use of blue fade is fantastic for flashback and passage of time. The way the Yakuza are displayed, as cowards, criminals and as exploiters, is very refreshing here also, as they are very rarely shown with such a weakness to them.
Indeed, and from the very off, this is a very powerful and disturbing film, for there is even a very extreme gang rape which due to the audio and framing of the shot (the rape is off screen behind a closed door which the camera frames), it still masterful conveys the moment, complete with its obvious abandonment of suffering.
In closing, this is a well thought out and measured, emotionally resolute masterpiece of a cinematic film and as for that ending, well, .... wow!
SPECIAL FEATURES:
High-Definition digital transfer
Uncompressed mono PCM audio
Visual essay on the artistic upheavals at Shochiku studios during the 1960s by Tom Mes
Trailer
New and improved English subtitle translation
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Chuck Stephens
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
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The Shape Of Night (Blu-ray)