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Konichiwa baka gaijin! So I played Yakuza 0 earlier this year. It was a lot of fun and had a fantastic story. It got me thinking about the yakuza genre. I wanted to get into it. So with some brief research, I made up a list of essential yakuza movies that I’m going to watch. In no particular order: Tokyo Drifter Branded to Kill Ryuji Sonatine Ichi The Killer Drunken Angel Battles Without Honor Or Humanity A Colt Is My Passport (Thanks FreudianSlippers!) Yakuza Weapon* I don’t have a particular schedule set, but I’ll try to watch one whenever time permits. I’m not great at reviewing/analyzing film, so I’ll appreciate anything any of you have to say about them. I’m open to more suggestions. So far I’ve seen Ryuji and Tokyo Drifter. I saw Drunken Angel, but it was a few years back and I’m due for a rewatch. *I didn’t see this recommended or on any essential lists or anything like that. It was $4 at Fry’s, figured why not? Could be schlocky fun.
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May 25, 2017 01:57
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 15:42 |
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Tokyo Drifter (1966) Dir. Seijun Suzuki  Trailer: https://youtu.be/b1iFw0DY0Gw Available on dvd, bluray, and streaming on Filmstruck Tokyo Drifter follows a man named Tetsu The Phoenix. He’s a former yakuza hitman turned straight. But he can’t catch a break because a bounty is on his head. He decides to leave and become the titular Tokyo Drifter. The story is basic, but it sets Tokyo Drifter is the most colorful movie I’ve seen in a long time. But it opens in black and white. It resembles the kind of B&W photography you’d see in a newspaper. The whites were super bleached out. Very pulpy. Tetsu shows his restraint while unceremoniously beat up. While this happens, a yakuza talks about Tetsu’s deadly reputation, where this brief cutaway is shown: http://i.imgur.com/qJIhysU.gifv The theme song plays and the rest of the movie is in color. And it won’t let you forget that. In the first act, Tetsu wears a light blue jacket, and his apartment is blue, and blue generally follows him everywhere. The main antagonist wears a red coat. Pretty simple but effective color coding. The lounge where Tetsu’s girlfriend sings at is golden yellow, giving a heavenly look.    I had to cut myself off. This movie really makes me regret not having the resources to make my own screenshots. The movie is edited fast and loose. One scene has Tetsu seemingly get run over by a train, only for him to be staggering away slightly banged up. He lives up to his moniker. Tokyo Drifter’s tone wildy shifts from deadly serious to cartoonish. Tokyo Drifter’s soundtrack is jazzy and the theme will get stuck in your head. Tetsu sings it like a calling card as he drifts from place to place. I wish I had something more insightful to say. Tokyo Drifter is the kind of movie I was hoping to see when I sought out to get into this genre.   
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May 25, 2017 03:02
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Looks like Violet Cop is on Prime. I'll give that a watch. I've got a review of Ryuji nearly done. Life just sorta got in the way. I'll try to finisht aht and post it tomorrow morning.
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Jun 3, 2017 05:43
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Ryuji 1983 Dir. Toru Kamashima  Trailer: https://youtu.be/_OncsbyfqDM “I stab someone, I go to prison… I get stabbed, I go to hell..” Ryuji is a character study. A change of pace from Tokyo Drifter, it’s a slower film. There are no deaths, I don’t even remember a single gunshot. Ryuji is a mid-level yakuza tired of the lifestyle. He’s reached a level of success but he feels stagnant. He wants to reunite with his wife, Mariko and toddler daughter. Before, Ryuji had them both and seemed happy, but after a botched job, he got sent to prison. Mariko’s father never approved of Ryu and agreed to give her the money to spring him out only on the condition she divorce him. Ryu is thrilled and abusive when he finds out. Time passes and Ryu wants to get back together with Mariko. He sells off his casino and other ventures and lives a quaint lifestyle with Mariko. Things start out alright at first, but the low pay and Ryu’s listless personality get the better of him. In the end, Ryu leaves his wife and child and returns to the yakuza lifestyle. The movie is filled with little moments that show Ryuji was destined to fail. A little bit before he reunites with his wife, he’s sitting at his apartment when some food gets delivered. He asks the delivery man if the job wears him out. The delivery man laughs and says “Sure does.” Ryuji returns a playful laugh, but then it turns into an unsure look.  To contrast, Ryuji has a friend who managed to successfully quit the yakuza life and run a bar. He says it wouldn’t have been possible without the love and teamwork of his wife. So what went wrong with Ryuji? I think he was more in love with the idea of civilian life than actually having one. Shoji Kaneko, the actor who played Ryuji passed away from cancer a week before the movie comes out. I can’t find a legal way to buy this movie in the States and the only place it’s streaming is a DVD rip on youtube from years ago. It’s not a great quality rip, but still worth a watch. https://youtu.be/P-uZKu5LFfs
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Jun 3, 2017 20:41
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So I recently got a new job and am getting used to this whole 8-5 MF schedule thing. Which is why I haven't really updated this thread in a while. I'm holding out to get Branded to Kill when the B&N sale happens in a couple weeks. I'm watching Sonatine right now. This isn't my review, but I have to comment on the soundtrack, it's really cool. I need to track down a copy, asap.
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Jul 3, 2017 02:28
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 15:42 |
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I swear this thread isn't vaporware! I've caught a couple more on this list. It's just been a weird time in my life, starting a new job and today I'm helping my girlfriend move from one city back to mine. If I'm not completely dead tomorrow I might type up my reactions and thoughts on Branded to Kill.
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Jul 29, 2017 21:36
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