{"id":33938,"date":"2026-07-21T15:11:48","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T22:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=33938"},"modified":"2026-07-21T15:11:48","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T22:11:48","slug":"blasts-from-the-past-blu-ray-review-the-boxer-1977","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=33938","title":{"rendered":"Blasts from the Past Blu-ray Review: THE BOXER (1977)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray from Radiance Films is now\navailable for purchase.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you were around in the late 1970s, one of the biggest titles of the era was Rocky<\/em>. The relatively small 1976 Oscar-winner inspired all sorts of similarly themed titles, from the Muhammad Ali biopic The Greatest<\/em>, the Clint Eastwood effort Every Which Way but Loose<\/em>, The Champ<\/em> with Jon Voight, the prison-boxing picture Penitentiary<\/em>, Rocky II<\/em> and eventually Raging Bull<\/em> in 1980. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there were even more features that were produced in other parts of the world. One of those is now arriving as a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray from Radiance Films. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Boxer<\/em> is a Japanese feature from Toei Company Ltd., with a slightly grittier tone than Rocky. It didn\u2019t make a big splash in its homeland, and essentially didn\u2019t even get released in North America. Time has been kind to the picture though. It holds up as an effective spin on the boxing feature with a naturalistic tone with a few unique and visually creative flourishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hayato (Bunta Sugawara) is an ex-boxer who once showed great promise in the ring. However, after rising in the ranks and becoming a champion he quits. In fact, this literally occurs during the middle of a match, as Hayato allows himself to be clobbered until he drops. Now, he wanders aimlessly. He has become an alcoholic, is separated from his wife, and spends most of his time sprawled out in a boarding house. He\u2019s awakened from his stupor after learning that his brother, who works in a scrapyard, has been killed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The young man responsible is Tenma (Kentar\u00f4 Shimizu). It was an accidental occurrence (and Tenma not only seems a bit slow, but also has a foot-related disability), but Hayato confronts him nonetheless. What follows is entirely unexpected. Tenma describes his desire to rise about his low social standing and wants to be a boxer. Looking for any kind of reason to move forward with his life, Hayato agrees to train the youngster and help him begin a career in the minor boxing ranks. They ultimately do find some success, and both of the men begin to garner more attention and respect from those around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You can certainly see a few similarities here with Rocky.\nHayato is a very angry spin on Mickey, while Tenma\u2019s demeanor is in some ways\nsimilar to Rocky. But there are also differences to be seen. The camerawork is\nobservational, often spending time wandering with the characters as they take\non simple tasks. There\u2019s a simple but memorable moment with Hayato wandering\ndown the street and being followed by a young boy with cigarettes. The two end\nup puffing together (or at least, with the little one acting it out) as they\nreach their destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the tense relationship between Hayato and Tenma is\ninteresting to watch. Despite being a boxer, young Tenma is an outcast even\namong pugilists, and it\u2019s moving to see him struggle to earn their attention.\nThe fact that his ankle is clearly still a problem also creates tension,\nespecially during later sections when the fights become more intense and\ndangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As for Hayato, the movie isn\u2019t specific about why the lead\ngives up on himself in the ring. It can be interpreted in several ways,\nallowing the viewer to ponder it all as the story progresses. As a result, any\nthoughts the viewer might have are perfectly valid. Even though this isn\u2019t\nnecessarily the reason, the mood of the film did put a thought in my head about\na career in sports, and how, for some it can end in incredible disappointment\ncould also play a role Hayato and Tenma seem to earn the respect and admiration\nof those around them when they win, and we see instances where other characters\nare encouraging them to continue, although only for fame and financial reasons.\nBut as soon as they fall, they are essentially tossed aside and ignored. And,\nfor most, if this is the way that their careers will ultimately wrap up, why\nnot end it on your own terms?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whatever the case may be, the film doesn\u2019t close on an\nentirely downbeat note. It\u2019s filmmaker\u2019s interesting approach to the material\nthat ultimately leaves one thinking about these issues. This is a strangely\ncompelling little movie with a unique tone and artfully crafted imagery and I\nquite liked it overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film doesn\u2019t appear to have ever been released before in\nthis part of the world, so it\u2019s quite remarkable that it is available on\nBlu-ray at all. Thankfully, the transfer is better than one might expect for a\nlittle-known feature. Toei has provided a high-definition digital file for this\nrelease. It does have a natural amount of grain, but it suits the grimier story\nset in a rundown part of town. And so, while it isn\u2019t reference material, the\nimage quality itself looks generally clean and pleasing throughout. While it\nwon\u2019t necessarily wow you, it is strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The disc also contains a couple of extras. The first is an\ninterview with the film\u2019s composer, J.A. Seazer. He discusses his experience\nmeeting director Shuji Terayama (Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Death in the\nCountry<\/em>), who actually wanted to cast him in the picture with an acting\nrole. After thinking about it, the artist decided scoring was of more interest.\nHe also talks about his technique, and how he infused the film with a sound\nappropriate for the director\u2019s more experimental tendencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Film historian Tom Mes does a piece on the Toei Company during the year 1977. This period produced one hit franchise with the first title in The Japanese Godfather series, but otherwise consisted of a series of commercial disappointments (The Boxer<\/em> being one of them). It\u2019s an interesting piece that shows how Toei was trying to adapt to changing times. Since American movies were dominating the box office over this period, it shows how they attempted to alter their product. There is also a bit of reexamination of some of the flops, which have aged well and carry their own distinctive feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It also comes with a booklet containing more writing on the\nfilm and a reversible sleeve with artwork that is based on the film\u2019s original\nposters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you enjoy sports films, The Boxer<\/em> is a fine effort\nthat is well worth your while. The film\u2019s interpretive aspects stick with you\nlong after credits, allowing you to ponder the motivations of the characters\nand what it means to be an athlete. This Blu-ray is also another solid,\nwell-produced effort from Radiance Films with a good picture, and it comes\nrecommended.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray from Radiance Films is now available for purchase. If you were around in the late 1970s, one of the biggest titles of the era was Rocky. The relatively small 1976 Oscar-winner inspired all sorts of similarly themed titles, from the Muhammad Ali biopic The Greatest, the Clint Eastwood effort Every Which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":33947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[108,3366,3368,6251,10385,16584,20149,20150,20151],"class_list":["post-33938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dvdblu-ray-reviews","tag-108","tag-boxer","tag-boxing","tag-drama","tag-japan","tag-radiance-films","tag-the-boxer","tag-the-boxer-blu-ray","tag-the-boxer-blu-ray-review"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33938"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33938\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}