Black Belt (2007 film)
| Black Belt | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Shunichi Nagasaki[1] |
| Written by | George Iida |
| Music by | Naoki Sato |
| Distributed by | Toei Company |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Black Belt, known as Kuro-obi error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help) in Japan, is a 2007 film directed by Shunichi Nagasaki. It focuses mainly on the martial art of Karate, and is notable in that it doesn't contain any of the usual exaggerations of the genre. For example, the lead roles were played by karate experts, and no special effects were used.
Plot
The events take place in 1932 in Japanese-occupied Manchuria, in which the corrupt leaders of the Japanese army are trying to take over all the Karate dojos /training halls for their own personal benefit. Amidst these circumstances the master Eiken Shibahara (portrayed by Yosuke Natsuki) from one of these dojo located on the southernmost Japanese island of Kyushu dies before passing on the Kuroobi/ black belt to his successor; leaving three of his pupils: Taikan (portrayed by Tatsuya Naka 7th Dan JKA Shotokan karate), Giryu (portrayed by Akihito Yagi 7th Dan Meibukan Gōjū-ryū Karate) and Choei (portrayed by Yuji Suzuki, 1st Dan Kyokushin karate) the task of deciding amongst themselves who deserves it most. After they bury their master, they are forced to leave the dojo and join the Japanese army. At this point, their journey leads them on rather different paths both in life and in the understanding of their master's teachings of martial arts, only to reunite them at the end, in a battle of corruption vs tradition.
Cast
DVD releases
Tokyo Shock (America)
- Aspect ratio: Widescreen (1:85:1) anamorphic
- Sound: Japanese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
- Subtitles: English
- Supplements: Trailer; trailers for Heroes Two, The Master, Challenge of the Masters, The Deadly Duo
- Region 1, NTSC
Madman Entertainment (Australia)
- Aspect ratio: Widescreen (1:78:1) anamorphic
- Sound: Japanese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
- Subtitles: English
- Supplements: Making of Black Belt; theatrical trailer; TV spot; trailers for Kaidan, Death Trance, A Tattooed Life, Sonny Chiba Boxset Volume 1
- Region 4, PAL
References
- ^ "Kicking out hard, but ultimately collapsing". Japan Times. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
External links
- Black Belt at IMDb
- Black Belt on YouTube
 | This article related to a Japanese film of the 2000s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a martial arts film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |