Vengeance is Mine is the character study
of a killer thief on the run, but it keeps the audience at a distance that
never fully allows understanding of the deviant actions of our anti-hero.
Following in the tradition of In Cold
Blood and Purple Noon, the true
evidence lies in his murderous actions, regardless of what masks are worn for
the public. Director Shohei Imamura takes the real-life events from a 78-day
manhunt for a thief and killer, translating the story into something with
parallels in Japanese society in the late 1970s.
Ken Ogata stars
as the womanizing thief and killer, Iwao Enokizu, who eluded capture for
78-days by taking on different identities and lazy disguises. As much as the
film is about this killer, we often learn more about him from the time spent
with his regretful family. His devoutly Christian father struggles over his
lust for the woman they arranged to be the wife of their son, and they wait for
Iwao’s mother to pass as eagerly as Iwao’s capture and execution, so that they
can be together.
This is only the
first of several dysfunctional families that we will see over the course of the
film, including inn owners in Osaka
The Blu-ray
release includes a restored high-defintion digital transfer of the film, with
uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Also available with the film’s playback is an
optional commentary track from 2005 by critic Tony Rayns. Also included in the
special features is an excerpt from a 1999 interview with Imamura, as well as a
trailer gallery. The package has a booklet insert which also includes an essay
by critic Michael Atkinson, a 1994 interview with Imamura, as well as some of
his personal writings on the film.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8.5/10
Historical
Significance: 8/10
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