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

ADDITION: Arrow Blu-ray (September 2025): Arrow have transferred Junya Sato's Proof of the Man to Blu-ray. It is cited that "Arrow Video is proud to present the film for the very first time outside Japan for the home-video market in a brand new transfer sourced from a new 4K restoration by Kadokawa." Arrow's Blu-ray restoration provides enhanced clarity in visuals, preserving the original via the 1080P high-definition presentation that highlights Shinsaku Himeda's (Tokyo Emanuelle, Pigs and Battleships, The Pornographers, The Insect Woman) location work with improved detail in shadows and colors. The HD presentation quality balances modern sharpness with the era's characteristic film grain and color palette, ensuring that location shots in Tokyo's opulent hotels and New York's decaying Harlem streets vibrancy with detail without over-polishing the raw, procedural feel. Shadows and contrasts are well-handled, particularly in nighttime sequences and flashbacks to post-war Japan, avoiding compression artifacts and preserving the cinematography's moody atmosphere, making it a substantial upgrade for fans accustomed to inferior prints or streams. With few warts - this is an impressive rendering.

NOTE: We have added 44 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Arrow use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English and Japanese languages. The sound design of Proof of the Man reflects the production's location-heavy approach, resulting in a natural but occasionally hollow audio quality in interiors, which enhances realism but reveals budget constraints - echoing the rawness of contemporaneous police procedurals. Dialogue is bilingual, with Japanese predominating in Tokyo scenes and English in New York, fostering tension in cross-cultural exchanges between detective Munesue (Yusaku Matsuda) and officer Shuftan (George Kennedy). The score, composed by Yuji Ohno - a legend known for his work on Lupin the Third - infuses the film with a funky, Blaxploitation-esque groove that complements the crime drama's pacing, particularly in action sequences like the car chase, blending jazz-inflected rhythms with tense underscores to evoke 1970s urban thrillers. The overall audio atmosphere supports the film's reflective tone, urging reconciliation over conflict, though some critics note it contributes to a sentimental, "issue-of-the-week" vibe. The lossless mono audio ensures fidelity to the 1977 mix while benefiting from modern transfer devoid of crackles, pops or imperfections. The standout musical element is the theme song "Ningen no Shōmei no Tēma," performed by Joe Yamanaka (who also plays victim Johnny Hayward) in broken English, with lyrics drawn from Yaso Saiji's poem: "Mama, do you remember the old straw hat you gave me?" This folk-rock ballad, repeated throughout - including in flashbacks and the climax - serves as a haunting leitmotif for lost innocence and familial bonds, becoming a massive hit in Japan (selling over 517,000 copies and peaking at No. 2 on Oricon) and Asia (known as "Old Straw Hat" in Chinese regions). The film's sound is conveyed effectively (including unevenness inherent in the production,) resulting in a solid auditory experience that prioritizes preservation over remixing. Arrow offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray. The Japanese subtitles are burned-in on the right have side of the screen when there is English dialogue (see sample below.)

Arrow's supplemental materials on the Blu-ray elevate this release into collector territory, featuring a brand new audio commentary by Asian American film scholar Rob Buscher and DJ Skeme Richards, which delves into cultural contexts and the soundtrack's Blaxploitation influences, alongside "Taking the Big Apple," a 20 minute video introduction by scholar Earl Jackson exploring the film's trans-Pacific themes. Additional highlights include "A Japanese Blockbuster," a 1/2 hour filmed discussion with Sato’s biographers Tatsuya Masuto and Masaaki Nomura on the director's career and the movie's blockbuster status, plus original theatrical trailers (including a teaser and multiple versions totaling around 8 minutes) and a brief image gallery showcasing posters and stills. There is a reversible sleeve (see below.) Lastly is a 28-page liner notes booklet with an essay by Michelle Kisner and a second by Alexander Zahlten, plus color photos, production credits and notes on the restoration. 

Junya Sato's Proof of the Man stands as a poignant intersection of crime thriller and social drama, adapted from Seiichi Morimura's bestselling novel. As a product of Kadokawa Pictures' ambitious international co-production era, the film weaves a trans-Pacific mystery that probes deep into the scars of World War II's aftermath, particularly the Occupation period in Japan. Featuring a bilingual cast led by Yusaku Matsuda (The Beast to Die, Kagero-za) as the resolute Japanese detective Kyōichirō Munesue, George Kennedy (Cool Hand Luke, Just Before Dawn, Death Ship, Creepshow 2, Nightmare at Noon) as the grizzled NYPD officer Ken Shuftan, and Joe Yamanaka (of the rock band Flower Travellin' Band) as the ill-fated victim Johnny Hayward, it explores themes of racial prejudice, hidden identities, and the enduring weight of guilt. While commercially successful in Japan, the film's attempt to appeal to American audiences through Hollywood-style elements like car chases and procedural grit met with limited success abroad, yet it remains a compelling artifact of 1970s Japanese cinema for its unflinching look at historical taboos. At its core, "Proof of the Man" interrogates what constitutes "human proof" - not mere existence, but the capacity to bear guilt and suffer for one's sins as a marker of humanity. This is encapsulated in Kyoko's admonition to her son: "The real proof of a man is to suffer for your sins and live with them inside you for the rest of your life." The film delves profoundly into post-war trauma, portraying the Occupation as a period of desperation where survival often meant moral compromises, such as Kyoko's involvement in the black market and her abandonment of her mixed-race child. Racial identity emerges as a central motif, highlighting the plight of Amerasian "war babies" - children of Japanese women and American soldiers - who faced severe discrimination in Japan, often abandoned to orphanages like the Elizabeth Saunders Home or pushed into marginal lives. "Proof of the Man" transcends its genre trappings to offer a nuanced meditation on identity, guilt, and reconciliation in the shadow of war. Sato's direction, bolstered by strong performances and evocative symbolism, crafts a narrative that, despite imperfections, compels viewers to confront uncomfortable histories. The a/v of Arrow's Blu-ray of "Proof of the Man" fully supports the stylistically ambitious portrait of post-war scars, where Himeda's contrasting visuals and Ohno's funky score, punctuated by Yamanaka's iconic theme, elevate a standard whodunit into a culturally resonant drama. Despite minor flaws like uneven audio from location shooting, the film's hybrid aesthetic - Blaxploitation meets Japanese melancholy - remains compelling, especially in its restored form. As a bridge between continents and eras, it invites viewers to appreciate how style serves substance, proving humanity through sensory immersion. Extras are outstanding. Fans will be extremely pleased with this package. 

Gary Tooze