Golgo 13 — Golgo 13 ( Blu Ray)
Golgo 13 is an early 1970s Japanese/Iranian action film that follows an assassin sent on a job- but there’s a twist no one is entirely sure what his hit looks like. The picture has a decidedly spaghetti western vibe to its use of camera shots, soundtrack, and general vibe all set in 70’s Tehran, Iran. Here from the folks at Eureka is a Blu-Ray release of the film- which has rarely been seen/ released out of its countries of origin. Taking in a new 2k scan of the picture, a commentary track, and a few other extras
Golgo 13 (aka Golgo Sizdah) was directed by Tokyo-born Jun'ya Satô – it was based on the manga comic strip of the same name, which started in 1968 & is still published to this day. Between the early 1960’s and early 2010 director Satô had thirty-eight features to his name. These go from Romantic period drama Zoku ôsho (1963), western drama The Drifting Avenger (1968), runaway train thriller Bullet Train (1975), and period adventure drama Tonkô (1988).
After a man has been tied down in a seat/ beaten, and a little pre-amble banter we me our cool-as-a-cucumber & shade-wearing lead Golgo 13/Duke Togo- played by prolific Japanese actor Ken Takakura (Black Rain, Railroad Man, and The Yellow Handkerchief). He is tasked with going to Iran to track down and kill someone called Boss Goa- the problem is those wanting him to do the job aren’t totally sure what he looks like. So, they present the assassin with a fold full of photos of possible candidates. Added into the mix we have Catherine Norton- played by Iranian actress Pouri Banayi- who is pretending to be Golgo 13 wife on the trip. And she is very committed to her job- as after just meeting the assassin she jumps into bed, saying take me now!.
The film runs at the one hour and forty-four-minute mark. And for the most part, the pace is kept nice & eventful- with a blend of fistfights/ bad beatings, a neat in-the-dark shooting duel, deserted building maze gunfight, a wonderfully dusty & explosion-tripped car chase, and of course some rather neat rife with scope shootings.
The blend of Japanese and Iranian settings/ actors gives the film a rather distinctive feel- and added to this, as mentioned in my introduction- the whole has a very spaghetti western feel in both its use of camera shots, its soundtrack, and general vibe.
Takakura is okay as Golgo 13/Duke Togo- though his character is rather flat/ one dimensional in his mean, moody, and often quiet action man. Though he does have a rather amusing unconcerted what anyone else is saying edge to him. Banayi is again alright with what’s she given- though her whole character does seem as if it’s very much based on male fantasy.
The soundtrack is largely very spaghetti western-like with its rapid galloped guitars, tolling bells, and generally western-like feel. On the whole Golgo 13 is an entertaining enough slice of 70’s action pie- with the whole Japanese/Iranian adding in an interesting twist to the whole thing.
This new region B Blu-ray features a 2k scan of the film- this is nicely clean & well-defined in its colours/ tones. On the extras side, we get two new things on the disc. Firstly is a commentary track from genre experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema- and this is a decidedly chatty, rather darting from subject-to-subject track- though they pack a lot in. They begin by pointing out a bit part actor- who had around seventy other roles. Discuss how the Golgo 13 character is a darker take on James Bond, as well as talk about the meaning of his name. They talk about the Manga the film is based on- which apparently is the longest-running strip in Japan, as confirmed by the Guinness Book Of Records. They run through the different types of manga- and where Golgo 13 sits in these. They talk about lead actor Ken Takakura- the first films they saw of this, and how they feel he does with the role. They drop back to talking about the artists who drew the original Manga- giving a potted bio. They point out locations and notable buildings in Irain, and talk about the rather Persian influence on the fashion in the film. They comment on the handheld feel of some of the film's shots, and the slight doc feel that appears from time to time. Later on, they discuss the female Irian lead in the film- her other notable work, and how everything changed with the country's revolution - and she like many actors/ those connected in the arts were questioned by the new regime. How the Japanese film industry often works on collaboration, and much more. It’s a worthy track- though at points I wish they were a tad more focused/ less darting. Otherwise, we get Lucky 13( 16.07) which is a subtitled on-camera interview with film writer Tatsuya Masuto and film critic Masaaki Nomura- discussing the film, and Jun'ya Satô in work on it. Lastly, there’s an original trailer.
The finished release is topped off with an eleven-page inlay booklet- featuring new writing about the film from Japanese film expert Tom Mes, a good selection of film stills, and credits
Golgo 13 is a largely entertaining 70’s action film- with the Japanese/Iranian production giving it a fairly distinctive flavour. The 2k scan is well realized, with a fair selection of worthy extras too.