- Director : Tomu Uchida
- Actors : Rentarō Mikuni, Sachiko Hidari, Kōji Mitsui
- Subtitles: : English
- Studio : Arrow Video
- Country of Origin : Japan
- Number of discs : 1
- Run time : 3 hours and 3 minutes
- Release date : September 27, 2022
Director Tomu Uchida established himself as a significant
director making period films, until television threatened the popularity of the
artform in the 1960s. In response, Uchida took on the adaptation of author
Tsutomu Minakami’s modern detective story, which was released in serial form. The
story follows the aftermath of a theft that Takichi Inukai (Rentarō Mikuni)
inadvertently becomes an accomplice to. When Inukai kills the other two robbers
in what was either an act of self defense or greed, depending on what the
viewer chooses to believe, he attracts the attention of a persistent detective,
Yumisaka (Junzaburō Ban).
In his efforts
to escape, Inukai comes across a quirky but good-natured prostitute named Yae
(Sachiko Hidari). The kindness she shows Inukai leaves an impression, and he
sees her lower-class status as a way to alleviate the guilt he feels from the
crimes he was involved in. After leaving her with enough money to get her out
of debt, Yae feels a sense of connection and gratitude for the passing
criminal. After lying to Yumisaka and essentially helping him escape punishment
for his crimes, Yae herself becomes obsessed with reconnecting with him. The
irony is that her obsession ultimately undoes the efforts she initially made to
cover for him, as a new detective becomes aware of his crimes many years later.
A Fugitive From
the Past is a unique crime film in that the narrative changes perspectives
several times. Although we initially follow Inukai and then shift to the
perspective of Yumisaka as he investigates, the epic film eventually moves to a
socially realistic depiction of Yae’s existence as a prostitute. The one thing
that keeps her going is the thought that she may some day thank Inukai for his
kindness. Ultimately, Yae is the film’s greatest detective, though it does not
serve her well.
Uchida’s three-hour
crime epic takes its time to develop the characters rather than giving the
audience endless action or suspense. This also makes it much more meaningful when
events do occur to these characters. It is a thoughtful epic crime film with no
simple answers or clear protagonist, which is likely why it is considered a
masterpiece of Japanese filmmaking.
The Blu-ray release
from Arrow Video gives the film the thoughtful treatment it deserves. Along with
the high definition presentation of the restored cut of the film, the disc has
an illustrated collector’s booklet with essays on the film by David Baldwin and
Inuhiko Yomota. The packaging has a reversible sleeve featuring original and
newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella. The disc itself contains these
special features:
- Introduction
by writer and curator Jasper Sharp
- Scene-specific
commentaries from leading Japanese film scholars Aaron Gerow, Irene
González-López, Erik Homenick, Earl Jackson, Daisuke Miyao and Alexander
Zahlten
- Original
theatrical trailer
- Image
gallery
- Tomu
Uchida filmography
Entertainment Value:
6/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8.5/10
Historical
Significance: 8/10
Special Features: 7/10
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