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

ADDITION: Film Movement Classics Blu-ray (April 2025): Film Movement Classics has transferred Noboru Tanaka's The Oldest Profession to Blu-ray. The film’s most striking visual choice is its use of black-and-white cinematography, a rarity for Roman Porno films which typically leaned into vibrant colors to enhance their erotic appeal. The Blu-ray is on a dual-layered disc with a maxed out bitrate in 1080P. Cinematographer Shôhei Andô (The Sting of Death, Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat, Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon) employs this monochromatic palette to create a stark, documentary-like atmosphere that mirrors the harshness of the characters’ lives in Osaka’s Kamagasaki slums. The black-and-white aesthetic strips away any sense of glamour, emphasizing the grime, decay, and poverty of the setting. The overall visual tone of The Oldest Profession is one of unrelenting bleakness. The black-and-white palette, combined with the naturalistic lighting and gritty locations, creates a world that feels drained of hope or color - both literally and metaphorically. The film’s atmosphere is oppressive with every frame conveying a sense of entrapment. The Kamagasaki slums are not just a backdrop but a character in themselves. Their decay and chaos mirror the internal states of the protagonists. In summary, the look of The Oldest Profession is a masterclass in using visual austerity to convey thematic depth. Tanaka and Andô craft a world that feels both real and suffocating with every element - from the monochromatic palette to the dilapidated sets - working to immerse the viewer in the characters’ hopeless reality. It’s a film that looks as harsh as it feels - a rare and powerful achievement within the constraints of the Roman Porno genre. The Blu-ray conveys these visuals accurately via the strong transfer. The HD presentation is clean and consistent with a brief color sequence (about 20-minutes left) contrasting the monochrome adeptly. The color sequence during the sunset scene is vibrant with warm oranges and reds that provide a stark contrast to the monochromatic palette, though the transition back to black-and-white remains seamless. I had no issues whatsoever with the image quality.

NOTE: We have added 84 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE.

On their Blu-ray, Film Movement Classics uses a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original Japanese language. The sound effects and ambient noise in The Oldest Profession are designed to enhance the film’s documentary-like realism, immersing the audience in the gritty world of Osaka’s Kamagasaki district. Given the on-location shooting, the film incorporates diegetic sounds that reflect the environment -- sounds that the characters themselves would hear, grounding the narrative in its setting. The musical score for The Oldest Profession is credited to Yasuo Higuchi (Tattooed Flower Vase, Sweet Scent of Eros,) a composer who worked on several Nikkatsu Roman Porno films. In line with the film’s stark, documentary-like aesthetic, the score is minimal and understated, avoiding the lush, romantic melodies often found in more erotic-focused Roman Porno productions. Instead, the music leans toward sparse, atmospheric compositions that underscore the film’s bleak tone. The score of The Oldest Profession prioritizes emotional resonance over sensuality. The sound effects are mixed at a naturalistic level, avoiding over-dramatization to maintain the film’s grounded tone. However, Tanaka might use silence strategically in certain moments - like after a particularly harrowing event - to let the weight of the scene linger, forcing the audience to sit with the characters’ pain. The mono track is clean and functional, effectively serving the film’s minimalist sound design. The uncompressed transfer exports this cleanly and clearly - mostly, authentically very flat. Film Movement Classics offers optional English subtitles on their Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.

The Film Movement Classics Blu-ray offers supplements although no commentary. The video essay, entitled "Private Business & Public Obscenities", by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp (Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History of Japanese Sex Cinema,The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film) is a highlight of the Blu-ray’s extras, offering a concise yet insightful analysis of The Oldest Profession within the broader context of Roman Porno and 1970s Japanese cinema. Sharp, a well-known scholar and author on Japanese film, delves into the film’s production history, its place within Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno series, and its thematic exploration of prostitution and societal marginalization. Sharp discusses Noboru Tanaka’s directorial approach, highlighting his background as a protégé of filmmakers, like Nagisa Oshima and his ability to infuse social commentary into a genre often dismissed as mere exploitation. After that is what looks like an updated theatrical trailer. The package has a 16-page booklet included with the Blu-ray, featuring a written essay by Alexander Fee, a film programmer at the Japan Society who is known for his expertise in Japanese cinema.

Noboru Tanaka's The Oldest Profession delves into the harsh realities of prostitution in 1970s Osaka, focusing on the Kamagasaki slum area, a notorious red-light district. The film centers on Tome (Meika Seri), a young, strong-willed prostitute, her developmentally challenged brother Jitsuo (Shiro Yumemura), and her aging prostitute mother Yone (Genshū Hanayanagi). The narrative explores themes of survival, familial dysfunction, and societal marginalization. Unlike many Roman Porno films that lean heavily into eroticism, this film prioritizes social drama, offering a gut-wrenching portrayal of life on society’s fringes. Released in 1974, The Oldest Profession is part of Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno series, a genre launched in 1971 to revitalize the struggling studio by producing softcore erotic films on tight budgets and schedules. However, Roman Porno often provided directors, like Tanaka (Night of the Felines, Watcher in the Attic,) with creative freedom as the studio prioritized meeting the quota of sex scenes over controlling content. This allowed filmmakers to experiment with social commentary -- a freedom Tanaka leverages to craft a film that’s more social drama than erotica. The cast delivers performances that amplify the film’s raw intensity. Meika Seri (as Tome) embodies resilience and desperation, her hardened demeanor reflecting the toll of her environment. Seri, known for her roles in pinku eiga, brings a fierce authenticity to Tome, balancing vulnerability with a survivalist edge. The Oldest Profession is not simply a titillating T+A festival. It is a haunting, uncompromising portrait of life on the margins, blending social realism with the surreal excess of Roman Porno. It is the best I have seen of this genre to date. The Film Movement Blu-ray of The Oldest Profession delivers a strong presentation of a challenging and significant film. The extras - the Jasper Sharp video essay, the trailer, and the Alexander Fee booklet - provide valuable context, offering historical, cultural, and cinematic insights that enrich the viewing experience, particularly for those unfamiliar with Roman Porno or 1970s Japanese cinema. For fans of cult cinema, Japanese film history, or Noboru Tanaka’s work, this Blu-ray is a worthwhile addition, balancing a high-quality restoration with thoughtful supplementary materials. This film has commendable substance. Certainly recommended.

Gary Tooze