Radiance Films UK Blu-ray Synopsis: Deeply scarred by what he witnessed on battlefields across Asia, a young war photographer (Yusaku Matsuda, Yokohama BJ Blues) returns to the bustling streets of Tokyo, plotting a series of brutal murders and robberies that are mere warmups for an unprecedented bank heist. Searching for an accomplice, he finds the short-fused and equally disenfranchised Tetsuo (Takeshi Kaga, Death Note). Directed by Toru Murakawa (The Game Trilogy) from a venomous script by Shoichi Maruyama (Yokohama BJ Blues), this unsettling dark thriller was Yusaku Matsuda's farewell to his 1970s action hero persona. (119 Mins)

 

Views: Originally released in October of 1980, The Beast To Die is a beautifully shot crime-thriller from director Toru Murakawa. Recently restored and released by Radiance Films on Blu-ray, I had the chance to watch this amazing movie for the very first time – and I loved it. Grabbing you from the get-go and refusing to let go, The Beast To Die is an almost perfect example of a psychological crime story that tells the tale of a foreigner war correspondent who is now running the streets of Tokyo, robbing and murdering as he pleases he film opens with the murder of a detective in torrential rain – a wonderfully captured single shot that really sets the tone before things really kick off. Slowly going insane after years of photographing the horrors of war, Kunhiko has become enclosed in his own world; controlling everything around him and offering no sympathy to anyone that gets in his way. He later meets a disgruntled waiter that carries a lot of anger towards life and wastes no time in convincing him to join his mission of madness. Together, they set out to make history and cause as much chaos as they relish in the joy of killing...

 

Playing like Taxi Driver (1976) meets Falling Down (1993), The Beast To Die is an incredible piece of classic Japanese cinema which quite clearly has never had the attention it deserves. The performances from everyone involved, the attention to detail, the mind games and violence, are all so brilliantly executed – with the latter even coming across quite shocking at times. And although certain things that happen throughout the story can be questionable at times (robberies, decisions, etc), The Beast To Die still proves to be a gripping and powerful viewing experience. Certain scenes are just so frigging intense at times, such as the waiter's killing of his girlfriend while she dances a flamenco for him – with a thunder storm overhead just adding to it. I don't think I've felt cinematic tension like it for some time! The bank robbery the pair pull-off is brutal, but Kunhiko's execution of his female admirer is just pure and utter evil, not to mention gorgeously delivered in it's direction. Equally, his torture of a detective on a train – playing Russian roulette with him while telling him the story of Rip Van Winkle – is chilling and brilliantly acted And then there's the final act. Taking shelter in some abandoned tunnels, we soon learn about Kunhiko's past in a lengthy monologue filmed in one take while his partner in crime rapes a woman that they just murdered. It's an incredible four minutes and one hell of a performance, and it doesn't just stop there!

 

Directed by Toru Murakawa and starring the late-great Yusaku Matsuda who worked together in on the fantastic crime-thrillers The Most Dangerous Game (1978) and it's sequels, The Killing Game (1978) and The Execution Game (1979), then later again on the popular television series The Detective Story (1979), The Beast To Die would be their last collaboration of which (states the director in a recent interview), he felt as if it was his last ever film. Of course, it wasn't, and Murakawa would go onto direct through to 2016 delivering titles such as The Shootout (1982), Lucky 13 (1986), Distant Justice (1992), New York Cop (1993), and many of the Kyotaro Nishimura's Travel Mystery TV movies among many more. Towards the end of the 1980s, when star Matsuda knew he was dying of cancer, he asked Murakawa to direct him one last time. That film was The Chaser (1989), a TV movie that has rarely been seen outside of Japan. Here, Toru does a magnificent job with his directorial duties and along with cinematographer Seizo Sengen, delivered on of the most beautiful and intense thrillers of Japanese cinema from that period. Of course, this is enhanced even more so by it's leading man and his co-stars. Starting of in television before quickly moving into the movie world, Yusaku starred in almost 50 titles during his two decades in the business before unfortunately passing in 1989, soon after the release of his Hollywood debut Black Rain (1989) was released in US cinemas. Equally impressive was Takeshi Kaga who starred as Kunhiko's intense partner in crime, Sanada. While not quite as cold and insane as his new found friend, Sanada's actions and chilling glare proved to be just as menacing – as his was his final act in the tunnels.

 

Based on a Japanese novel from the 1950s, The Beast To Die is a cinematic experience worth seeing – if not only for the brilliant direction and intense performances mentioned. It's also beautifully scored, putting classical music to use many times which becomes a part of Kunhiko's story, and helps elevate the stunning visuals on offer. I'm very happy to have experienced my first watch of this classic via this newly restored Blu-ray release from Radiance Films. The picture quality was just gorgeous and offered up three great interviews as extras – one from director Toru Murakawa, another from the script writer Shoichi Maruyama, and the third featuring novelist and screenwriter Jordan Harper who gives a great appreciation on the film. Yet again, another fabulous release from the label and an incredible film I look forward to watching again and again in the near future...

 

Overall: Gripping and intensely directed with amazing performances from all, The Beast To Die is a cinematic experience worth checking out!

 

Radiance Films Blu-ray Extras: 4K Restoration, Interviews with Toru Murakawa & Shoichi Maruyama, Appreciation by Jordan Harper

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