tai kato

I, THE EXECUTIONER (1968) Review: Tai Kato’s Unrelenting Profile Of A Murderer

I, The Executioner comes to VOD, Digital, and Film Movement Plus on January 31. TW: This movie review discusses sexual assault and battery. This is all in my head at the moment, but I’m really curious as to the influence of classic Japanese films on a certain Korean filmmaker favorite of mine whose latest completed film I’m yet to capture. For now though, I’m happy to continue my own growth in that direction as I get to examine a little bit of the post-war cinematic work of Tai Kato these days. This time, it’s I, The Executioner, also known as Requiem For A Massacre depending on the marketing. Chalk this one up as another masterpiece by one of the most revered filmmakers of his time – and ours – gathering a cast of characters who are as complex as they are compelling in their deconstruction. That’s really what pulls you […]

BY A MAN’S FACE SHALL YOU KNOW HIM (1966) Review: A Gangster’s Tale Of Unwavering Resolve

Lee B. Golden III

By A Man’s Face Shall You Know Him comes to VOD, Digital, and Film Movement Plus on January 31. Late filmmaker Tai Kato is the latest centerpiece of Film Movement Classics’ VOD and digital releases for the first month of 2024. First up among a pair of titles forthcoming is By A Man’s Face Shall You Know Him, Kato’s 1966 crime drama starring Noboru Ando as a post-WWII medic-turned-doctor who reflects on his life of turmoil, heartache, and violence when an old friend is admitted as his patient. Fans of Showa-era productions like these might be more than familiar with Kato’s work, or even that of Ando or the actor’s own history as a former gangster in his heyday. The same can likely be stated with respect to the distinguishable scar Ando bares on his left cheek, which certainly makes Ando’s performance here an inspired one, it not enhanced. Optically, […]

BY A MAN’S FACE SHALL YOU KNOW HIM, And I, THE EXECUTIONER: Film Movement Classics Debuts Japan Crime Classics In High-Def In January [Exclusive]

Lee B. Golden III

We gave famed director Tai Kato a brief mention in last month’s coverage of the streaming releases for Film Movement Classics’s Red Peony Gambler Trilogy. This week, Kato is now the latest in-focus subject of the label’s latest announcements of Japan crime classics, By A Man’s Face Shall You Know Him (1966), and I, The Executioner (1968). Both films, much like their fellow Showa Era cohorts under the Film Movement Classics banner, are getting replenished releases for viewers, debuting for the first time in high definition on VOD and Digital, and on Film Movement Plus, the label’s in-house streaming platform, on January 31. Film Combat Syndicate is sharing an exclusive look at the trailers for both titles which you can view below within the text. Take a look, and then head over to Film Movement for more! PRESENTED IN HIGH DEFINITION FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, BOTH FILMS PREMIERE ON […]