Arguably one of the best Japanese films of 2003, 9 Souls is set to make its domestic home video debut this month courtesy of the folks at Artsmagic DVD. Thank goodness for smaller DVD houses like this--without companies like Artsmagic, film fans would almost assuredly never see some of these fantastic films.

And I can say, without fear of being hyperbolic, that 9 Souls is indeed a fantastic film. This third outing from director Toshiaki Toyoda (Blue Spring and Pornostar were his earlier releases) is a fascinating character study that engages its audience from the opening moments and holds them in thrall until the poignant, touching, and slightly surreal ending. Prior to this film, Toyoda was mostly known for making films about disaffected Japanese youth--but 9 Souls proves that he's more than capable of telling other stories as well.

The 9 Souls of the title refer to nine imprisoned criminals. Each convicted of a crime they genuinely committed, the nine men are as follows: Torakichi (Yoshio Harada), the leader of the criminals and the oldest of the bunch—he's in prison for killing his son; Kazuma (Koji Chihara), a biker who killed four of his own friends; Shiratori (Mame Yamada), a doctor who's helped others commit suicide; Inui (Takuji Suzuki), a mad bomber who threatened to blow up a pachinko parlor when the object of his affections didn't reciprocate his feelings; Ushiyama (Genta Dairaku), a giant of a man with a penchant for getting into bad situations; Michiru (Ryuhei Matsuda), who murdered his father; Kiyoshi (Kee), who's a pimp; Fujio (Itsuji Itao) a pornographer; and Shishido (Onimaru), a delinquent.

Our nine heroes escape from jail when they observe a mouse entering and exiting their group cell. Once free, they set out to find the stash of the Counterfeit King--the tenth member of their cell--and the one who had the misfortune of being carted off to solitary confinement before the breakout. Along the way, each man will grow and resolve to settle his affairs--with results not entirely unforeseeable.

Several things stand out as to why 9 Souls works as effectively as it does.

First, the film is a seamless blending of comedy and tragedy. As the film opens, and for much of the first half, Toyoda is content to play almost everything for laughs: Torakichi's gruff punctuality (which often results in at least one person running behind the van they hijacked in order to catch up with the crew), the dressing in drag to eat at a diner, an extended stay with an old prison inmate who's now on the outside, etc. It's only in the second half that the film starts to creep ever so slightly into the realm of the tragic--and Toyoda wisely makes the decision to balance the tragic tones with more comedy. Pulling off this sort of precarious juggling of such disparate elements isn't easy--but Toyoda does it perfectly. What could easily turn into a real downer of a film manages to end on an optimistic note despite the air of inevitability leading up to the ending itself.

Second, the film features an amazing cast led by the inimitable Yoshio Harada. Harada, who was once a stalwart of samurai films and action movies (most American viewers will remember him as the temperamental samurai who sliced through a bullet train full of ninjas in the Christopher Lambert flick The Hunted), has become one of the most impressive actors in Japanese cinema. In much the same way that Toyoda balances comedy and tragedy, Harada balances his gruff tough-guy demeanor with a more touching and sentimental side (it's all but impossible to not feel something for this character when he sees his daughter on her wedding day late in the film). These kinds of performances are found from each character--from Ushiyama, who just wants to work at a restaurant and meet a nice girl to marry...on through to Shiratori, who loved a stripper so much that he gave her his kidney. Each character is given a moment to shine in the script, and each actor seizes that moment in a way that is amazing.

If the film has any downside at all, it's that nine members might have been two or three too many. Some of the younger criminals have a tendency to blend together and even with a two hour running time, a few of them don't get enough screen time to truly flesh out who they are. This is a really minor complaint, though. 9 Souls is a fantastic film that is more than deserving of a huge audience.

Video

Since this is a recent film, it's no major surprise that the video image is as nice as it is.

9 Souls is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The print is almost completely free from blemishes (I did notice a black line running vertically near the middle of a scene at one point, but it's very minor and not present for long) and there's no real grain to report. Colors are rich and vibrant (overly so in a few of the intentionally hyper-colorized sequences), and the only real issues with the film are those involving edge enhancement.

Unlike the previous Artsmagic release (Takashi Miike's Black Society Trilogy), the visual presentation here is solid--essentially proving that trying to bring Japanese V-cinema (like the three Miike films) to DVD is a challenge for even the most diligent companies. 9 Souls is far more indicative of the quality level of the typical Artsmagic release.

Audio

The film features a nicely done 5.1 DDS mix complete with optional English subtitles. Sound levels are just right and channel separation is good. This isn't the sort of huge action film that will push a system to its limits, but the surround sound audio is still well implemented.

You won't be pulling this disc out to show off your fancy set-up, but it's a nice sounding DVD anyway.

Packaging and Extras

9 Souls comes in a standard Amaray case, minus an insert. However, the backside of the cover art features lots of critical praise from various online and print publications.

The extras are a nice addition to the overall package. The disc features two different interviews with director Toyoda as well as a full-length commentary with Japanese cinema critic Tom Mes. As usual, Mes' commentary is a perfect balance of anecdotal information as well as detailed analysis of specific themes and ideas at work in the film. Serious fans of Japanese cinema will be pleased by Mes' work on this track.

Finishing out the extras are the standard theatrical trailer, bios and filmographies for all the major players in the production, and a still gallery of items used in the promotion of 9 Souls. All in all, a decent collection of supplemental material.

Conclusions

If nothing else, 9 Souls serves as a nice reminder that director Toshiaki Toyoda's Blue Spring wasn't a flash in the pan. Toyoda is yet another in an ever-growing list of Japanese filmmakers to keep an eye on. If subsequent releases from the director reach the lofty heights of 9 Souls, this is a filmmaker with a bright future indeed.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening