Drunken Angel [Yoidore Tenshi]
酔いどれ天使
Genre: Quasi-historical Yakuza Drama [Post-war Japan: 1948]
review in one breath
This very early Kurosawa film retells the historical tale of Yoshitsune's perilous and skillful escape from the hands of his warring brother. It is a legendary tale, well-beloved in Japanese history, here brought to the screen in a highly entertaining and effective way. This is truly one to check out.
Continue reading Drunken Angel - Yoidore Tenshi (Kurosawa Akira 1948).
Pornostar
[Poruno Sutaa ]
U.S. release tile: Tokyo Rampage
ポルノスター
Genre: Psychotically Anti-Social Neo Yakuza Youth
Director: Toyoda Toshiaki (1998)
review in one breath
Here is an absolutely excellent film for fans of the contemporary neo yakuza genre. Director Toyoda Toshiaki may be better known to Western audiences for Blue Spring (Aoi Haru), another excellent nihilistic urban youth tale, which he directed 3 years after this film. Set in the urban youth culture of Shibuya, Tokyo, Pornostar offers its own exploration of the impact of yakuza influence upon youth culture. By creating a truly unique protagonist, which is simultaneously beyond morality yet somehow set against the moral scourge of the yakuza, Toyoda leads his audience into the deepest corners of Tokyo's influential sub-culture of crime.
Continue reading Pornostar - Tokyo Rampage - Porno Star (Toyoda Toshiaki 1998).
Stray Dog
[Nora Inu]
野良犬
Genre: Post War Crime Thriller
review in one breath
When homicide detective Murakami's pistol is stolen, a rash of murderous crimes begins. Plagued with the knowledge that his own weapon is causing the harm, Murakami is driven to extreme lengths to track down the killer and recover his gun. But the closer Murakami gets to the killer, the more he realizes how much they have in common. This is a great film filled with early Kurosawa social commentary on the condition of postwar Japan.
Continue reading Stray Dog - Nora Inu (Akira Kurosawa 1949).
Totsunyûseyo! Asama sansô jiken
[The Choice of Hercules]
突入せよ！「あさま山荘」事件
Genre: Fact-based Police Drama
review in one breath
When student revolutionaries of the Red Army held a woman hostage in the remote and snowy mountains of Karuizawa, Nagano, the National Tokyo Police were called in to oversee the incident despite the objection of the local Nagano Police force. This film recounts the true events surrounding the 1972 Asama Sanso Incident and is based on the published memoirs of Sassa Atsuyuki, the Tokyo Police commander in charge of the hostage's rescue.
Graveyard of Honor
[Jingi no Hakaba]
仁義の墓場
Genre: Yakuza Moral Implosion Extraordinaire
review in one breath
This infamous Fukasaku film marks a turning point in Japan's cinematic portrayal of yakuza, from that of a dying bushido breed to self-destructive and societally dangerous criminals. In a powerful and violent tale based on a real-life gangster from Fukasaku's own hometown, audiences are led to both simultaneously sympathize with and revile the monstrous Rikio and the path to hell he chooses.
Continue reading Graveyard of Honor - Jingi no Hakaba (Fukasaku Kinji 1975).
Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter
[Nora-neko rokku: Sekkusu hanta]
野良猫ロック セックスハンター
Genre: Nearly Hip Youth Sub-Culture Confusion
review in one breath
Mako and her female gang of Alleycats are still battling the wannabe bad-guys known as the Eagles, this time over the latter's desire to purge their town of "half-breed" war children. When the Eagles take things one step too far, they're faced with the molotv cocktail wielding wrath of Mako and the well-armed Kazuma, the dark-skinned hunk searching for his long lost sister Megumi.
Continue reading Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter (Hasebe Yasuharu 1970).
Gate of Flesh [Nikutai no Mon]
肉体の門
Genre: Extreme Post War Survival Tale
review in one breath
Set immediately after WWII, this film explores the desperate lengths to which a squalid, burned out community must go to in order to survive. Originally intended as a gritty erotic tale starring Shishido Jo, director Suzuki Seijun turned this into an exceptional and immediate cinematic success. Suzuki's own experiences in the War come through clearly as he retells the depths to which post-war urban centers fell.
Continue reading Gate of Flesh - Nikutai no Mon (Suzuki Seijun 1964).
Hikari no Ame [Rain of Light]
光の雨
Genre: Student Revolutionary Implosion - Based on a True Story
review in one breath
This documentary-style film recreates the infamous Asama Sanso Incident of 1972 wherein an extreme faction of the Students Allied Red Army holed themselves up in a mountainous cabin in the dead of winter. By the time the police finally caught up with them, it was discovered that they had murderously turned upon themselves in a bizarre extension of their radical philosophy. This event virtually marked the end of the Student Revolution.
Continue reading Hikari no Ame - 光の雨 (Takahashi Banmei 2001).
