Trying to survive in the ruins of post-war Japan, Kawada (Noboru Ando, By a Man’s Face Shall You Know Him) and Tsukada (Asao Koike, Sympathy the Underdog) run afoul of the military police after stealing valuable copper wire. Kawada is arrested and sent to prison, but Tsukada uses their gains to start a yakuza gang. Facing violent inmates and a cruel warden (Tomisaburo Wakayama, Big Time Gambling Boss), Kawada vows to escape and stop his former partner. Tai Kato directs this epic prison story with characteristic visual flair, while gangster-turned-actor Ando delivers a stunning performance charged with real-life gravitas. As an examination of the deep scars of wartime, this genre classic is also a clear precursor to Kinji Fukasaku’s epoch-making Battles Without Honour and Humanity series.

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Video Quality

Eighteen Years In Prison comes to Blu-Ray courtesy of Radiance Films sourced from a pleasing HD master provided by Toei in the original 2.35:1. The film has a consistent, natural grain structure that preserves the filmic look of the picture, spotlighting welcome details behind prison walls. Some shots contain a slight bit of softness, but these moments are fleeting at worst. There is no significant damage to be found in this presentation with only minor instances of dirt and specks remaining in the image. Colors render pleasantly despite the rather muted palette within the costumes and production design. Black levels hold up fairly well with some favorable depth to the image. Radiance Films continues its hot streak.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with an LPCM 2.0 mono track in the original Japanese (with optional English subtitles). The film is more of a straightforward dialogue-driven drama without much in the way of action outside of some pursuits. Exchanges sound clear and free of environmental effects or the score obscuring vital information. The film is largely subdued, but there are a few elements that lend a bit of weight to the mix. The score comes through decently in relation to the competing sounds. Everything is presented accurately with pleasing fidelity and only a subtle amount of hiss and distortion in the peaks. This is a solid one from Radiance Films

Special Features

The first pressing of the Radiance Films Blu-Ray of Eighteen Years In Prison includes a booklet featuring the essay “Years of Filming Dangerously” by film scholar Tom Mes and an interview with Noboru Ando by Mark Schilling from 2002. These provide a great examination of the film. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Tony Rayns: A 24-minute appreciation piece from critic and programmer Tony Rayns in which he gives some background to the career of Tai Kato, the life of Noboru Ando, the working relationship between the two figures, and more.

Tall Escapes: Author Tom Mes provides a fantastic video essay totaling nearly 17 minutes in which he discusses the legacy and evolution of prison films in Japan.

Trailer: The three-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Eighteen Years In Prison is an engaging prison film that captures your attention early on and does not let go throughout its spry runtime. The circumstances behind the crime lend a bit of juicy moral ambiguity to the story that the performers deftly tackle. The marriage of script and directorial style works out very well for this underseen gem. Radiance Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a worthy A/V presentation and a couple of great special features. Prison films can blend together at times, but this one has enough personality to make it stand apart and remain something worthy of seeking out. Recommended

Eighteen Years In Prison will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on July 30, 2024.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Radiance Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.