Southern Cross Blu-ray

Southern Cross Blu-ray presents a wartime drama about friendship between men separated by opposing sides. After seven Japanese ships are destroyed in occupied Singapore, the military police initially suspect anti-Japanese guerrillas. The attack is traced to Z Force, a British-Australian special unit carrying out Operation Jaywick.

A further operation meets Japanese resistance, and Captain Page and nine other men are captured. Minoru Tamiya is assigned as the chief interpreter. As he and Page come to understand one another, a friendship develops across the division between captor and prisoner. The film uses this encounter to explore humanity and loyalty amid the Pacific War.

Produced by Kanji Mochimaru, the film is directed by Seiji Maruyama and Peter Maxwell, with a screenplay by Katsuya Susaki and Lee Robinson. Masaru Sato composed the score and Koichi Kawakita supervised the special effects. Atsuo Nakamura, Kinya Kitaoji and John Howard lead a cast that also includes Hu Yin-meng, Jiro Sakagami and Takuya Fujioka. Hitomi Kuroki made her film debut while still a member of the Takarazuka Revue's Moon Troupe, and Steve Bisley also appears as a soldier.

Supplementary footage includes a teaser, theatrical trailer and television spots, along with a promotional film, news footage and a gallery. The 144-minute colour feature is presented in widescreen on one region-free, dual-layer Blu-ray with original Japanese mono audio and Japanese subtitles for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.