18 Years in Prison

While prison movies have a long tradition in American cinema, it wasn’t until the mid-‘60s that cultural ideology had shifted enough to allow the same sort of popularity in Japan.  In a country in which obedience was so strongly embedded in social and familial relationships, rooting for the anti-hero didn’t really come into play until well past the post-war era.  Eighteen Years in Prison (1967) was one of the earliest examples from Toei Studios who hit paydirt with their Abashiri Prison series – starring Ken Takakura - just a few years before.  But Tai Kato’s film weaves a far more complicated and emotionally rich story, delivering the visceral thrills inherent in the prison break genre, but also touching on the corrosive nature at the heart of Japan’s post-war success.

 

Set during the American occupation, Kawada (played by real-life ex-gangster Noboru Ando) is one of many ex-soldiers struggling reconcile their survival in a war that demanded the ultimate sacrifice.  But Kawada finds a purpose of sorts after being sent to prison for stealing copper wire in hopes of raising enough cash to build a market for war widows’ families.  While inside, his firm but fair demeanor earns the nickname “General” and the respect of the inmates and guards.  But outside, Kawada’s former partner, Tsukada, has built an empire of gambling and prostitution, using their pooled money to profit off the backs of those it was meant to help.  

 

With his half-lidded eyes and intimidating stare, Noboru Ando makes for a pitch-perfect representation of Japan’s stolen valor.  Kato’s film makes it clear that the country didn’t just lose the war, it lost its sense of honor. Characters like Tsukada represent capitalism at its most insidious, turning a former member of the Imperial Navy into a sniveling racketeer who blames society for his behavior rather than any personal flaws.  But the former administration doesn’t get a pass either as a new inmate – part of the displaced generation – hurls insults at the system that created him in the first place.

 

Yet for all its political subtext, 18 Years in Prison still makes for one incredibly satisfying escapist experience.  The script rounds up the usual suspects of crooked guards, corrupt wardens, shady inmates and loyal friends while running Kawada through a gauntlet of double-crosses and cell block subterfuge.  It’s a classic lineup of obstacles...the least of which is being trapped behind bars.  And all the while the film manages to sneak in some light comedy and a doomed love-affair that pays off with a fittingly nihilistic ending.  For an industry that took their time getting around to the prison genre , they nailed this one right out of the gate. 

 

Making its world Blu-ray premiere, Radiance delivers another winner that not only looks incredible, but comes with a pair of visual essays that explore the film’s deeper meanings and profiles the Japanese prison genre as a whole, which would really take off in the ‘70s with the Female Prisoner Scorpion series.

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