What unfolds in Zero Focus (1961) is what I would call a feminine mystery, that is, it is not so much about a hard-boiled detective tracking some gritty secret driven by violence or greed (or both). Instead, while there is violence and murder in the story, you won't find an intimidating Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre waiting in the shadows. The motives and the mystery are much more about emotions, shameful reputations, and hidden pasts. I guess what I'm saying is, it is a bit more subtle and the mystery, like its investigator, is a delicate one.

Teiko, accompanied by one of the agency members, travels to Kanazawa and tries to track down her husbands whereabouts. Eventually, a spotty trail of his whereabouts is uncovered and abruptly ends. The police are called in, morgues are visited, and more questions are raised. The focus the title alludes to is Teiko's process of trying to find him while also putting together the pieces of who Kenichi actually is.

This has to be one of the more interesting mysteries I've run across due to Teiko's lack of emotional investment. Teiko and Kenichi were not together enough to form any deep love. She barely knew Kenichi when they got married. His disappearance is intriguing to her because, not only does she want, first and foremost, to find him, more importantly, she wants to know him. So, this puts an interesting perspective on the film because when we do find our potential murderers (and I've been scant with the details so I wont ruin anything) they had more investment and emotional connections (sympathetic ones) to Kenichi than our heroine.

This film was one of many adaptations of mystery novelist Seicho Matsumoto's books by director Yoshitaro Nomura, a pairing that would materialize for several films including Stakeout, Demon, Bad Sorts, Suspicion and The Castle of Sand. The film goes from the urban bustle of Tokyo, to the snow covered landscape of Kawazawa, and finally to the windswept seaside cliffs of Noto. The predominantly chilly locations help evoke a great mood for the mystery. The thread that lies beneath Kenichi's disappearance is one of regretful and ruinous past, specifically regarding the struggles in Japan's post WW2 environment. The narrative is quick and precise, effectively juggling flashbacks, dropping bits of info here and there, culminating in a final third that is told Rashomon-style with characters painting differing views on just what happened.

The DVD: Home Vision

Picture: Anamorphic Widescreen. Maybe it was just the noirish mood and the B&W photography, but I was surprised it was a sixties film. Contrast is pretty good featuring well balanced grays and fairly deep blacks. Likewise, the sharpnes and grain seem to be in very good shape. The print is not terribly worn or age damaged, with nary a spot or fleck to distract the eye.

Sound: Monaural, Japanese language with optional English subtitles. Audio presentation is fine. Limited due to its age, but overall effective and crisp on all fronts, be it the dialogue or the lush melodramatic score.

Extras: Liner Notes.— Trailer for the film, plus Zatoichi Collection trailer.

Conclusion: Zero Focus is not a great mystery, but it is an effective and ultimately, thanks to some sharp direction and a moody setting, a compelling one. It really is on par with any of the great Hollywood b-mysteries that were churned out with regularity in the 40's. Home Vision does a solid job with the material, making this an interesting purchase for foreign/mystery fans.