NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Radiance Blu-ray (January 2024): Radiance have transferred Kôhei Oguri's The Sting of Death to Blu-ray. I am wondering if the green appearance is intentional to mimic 50's Japanese films - the timeframe when The Sting of Death is set. I don't know, but the intentional appearance is likewise modest with bland colors, heavy texture and dark interiors. This would totally suit The Sting of Death's morose expressions. The 1080P is clean in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio and the dual-layered disc has a max'ed out bitrate. It seems probable that this 1990-made film appeared similarly in the theatre.   

NOTE: We have added 46 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Radiance use a linear PCM 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original Japanese language. The Sting of Death has some intensity of emotion - screaming and some minor violence. It only exports modest depth. The score was by Toshio Hosokawa (his first film composure credit), perhaps best described as 'contemporary classical music influenced by traditional Japanese music'.  It supports the film's, rather focused, moods effectively via the uncompressed transfer. Radiance offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Radiance Blu-ray offers supplements - a 57-minute documentary by Hubert Niogret, a production by Films du Tamarin & Filmoblic, entitled Des cinémas japonais 2, on the Japanese film renaissance of the 1990s featuring interviews with Susumu Hani, Masaru Konuma, Kiyoshi Kurossawa, Takashi Miike, Hayao Miyazaki, Kohei Oguri, Yoichi Sai, Tadao Sato, Kaneto Shindo, Masahiro Shinoda, Isao Takahata, Koji Wakamatsu, Yoji Yamada, Kiju Yoshida. It is the second part (“New Territories”) of a longer documentary that has interviews, film extracts, photos etc., which help retrace part of the history of Japanese cinema from the 90s to about 2011. It's quite informative - in French and Japanese with optional English subtitles. There is also a new (2023) 20-minute interview with film scholar Hideki Maeda who discusses The Sting of Death and the original autobiographical novel by Toshio Shimao. The package offers a reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters, a limited edition booklet featuring a newly translated interview with director Kohei Oguri and is presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings.

Kôhei Oguri's The Sting of Death is measured, stylized, slow cinema. Toshio (Ittoku Kishibe) is a writer who has a mistress (Midori Kiuchi.) After reading his diary, it has driven his wife Miho (Keiko Matsuzaka) to become distraught, suicidal and pushed to the brink of insanity with jealousy and paranoia. They seek a new home but the location, rife with drab grays, dirty beaches and brown foliage, fails to heal their desperate marital discord. She abuses him until he too becomes unhinged, sobbing and wracked with misery - accepting guilt over his infidelity. Miho is briefly institutionalized. The 'people hurting people' theme continues as the mistress, Kuniko, arrives only to be physically attacked by Miho in a pseudo cat-fight, watched by the indecisive, catatonic, husband. The Sting of Death is a powerfully bleak drama with interesting cinematographic tableaus. Quite unique and impacting. The Radiance Blu-ray is at their impressive standard - a highly rated, under-seen, piece of lauded world cinema. The included documentary, interview and booklet add even more value. Absolutely recommended to the right, Bergman-esque, crowd.

Gary Tooze