What version of the film did I watch:
I just re-watched Jin-Roh on Blu-Ray the 2012 released limited press edition that includes both the Japanese, and English audio. Just a quick note about the blu-ray the quality difference is not very noticeable between the dvd, and blu-ray it is not a huge improvement in any way. The limited press version does come in a very nice white blu-ray case, and the menu's are great.
The Review:
Jin-Roh is a fantastic movie set in post-war Japan that is a political thriller, as much as it is a tale of forbidden love. The story of the film is good it keeps you wanting to watch, and is very original in it its own ways. On the other hand though it is not like tales of forbidden love, and terrifying police forces are anything new. I would say it is a unique original take on something we have seen in many other films, and series. The story is also quite depressing there is little in the film that is gonna give you a good feeling the story is very dark through to the end.
The art in the film is very good it presents a Japan that is moving into the modern age with the scars of the past still very present. From the slums, to the downtown, as well as the countryside are all very well done. Even in the dark sewers where some of the best actions scenes take place the dark overlay of the film is well balanced with good lighting to make what needs to stand out stand out. Overall the film artwork is very dark, but the lighting of the scenery, the bright flashes of the firearms, and the brilliant explosions offset this dark tone. The only issue I had was with the explosive residue in some scenes which has a tendency to make things a little unclear.
The soundtrack of the film is filled with pieces that match well with the artwork, and overall story of the film. The action sequences, story sequences, and dream sequences all have their own specific pieces which help to bring them to life. The soundeffects in the film are some of the absolute best, the splashing of feet as the police run through the sewers, the sound of the special units armor as they run, and the heavy breath of combat come to life. One of my favorite sounds in the film is the MG42 'the Special Units main machine gun' which high fire rate makes for a chilling noise of bullets raining down on their targets. The sound the bullets make on contact with their targets is also top notch.
The character development in the film is good until the story pans out you start to really feel for the main character in the story for the first 3 quarters of the film. However as the whole plot comes into play most of the romantic development, and character development is kinda thrown out the window to some extent. Don't get me wrong the ending is in no means a bad ending, but you can't help but feel like you never really knew the characters like their true development was all off screen.
Overall Jin-Roh is a very enjoyable film that will leave you feeling sad, but with a great feeling of satisfaction. The great artwork, sound track/effects, and story make for a great unique film that is hard to find anywhere else. I only wish the characters had been developed a little better, as that is the only thing holding this back from being a true epic.
