 |  |  |  |  An exceptionally good yakuza thriller from the great Hideo Gosha and his finest actor, Tatsuya Nakadai.
If one draws a distinction between old style yakuza cinema, in which the lone hero fights against overwhelming numbers of opponents with unfailing honor, and the newer variety, in which all of the yakuza are curs, this falls mostly within the first camp. Although Gosha generally had very good cinematographers--which is obvious in his samurai tales such as "Four Outlaw Samurai", "Goyokin", and "Tenchu"--his late period yakuza and girl action films have, until recently, generally been available in the United States only in very poor quality prints. While the US AnimEigo print is not perfect, it is much better than most of what was previously available. | | LOG IN TO COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW! |
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 |  |  |  |  A nice surprise for yakuza film fans. I am surprised there is a lack of reviews for this film. It is not breaking any new ground, but it is a solid entry by Hideo Gosha. The settings and landscape are beautiful. Some may feel that the pacing in certain parts is slow/dragged out; but for someone like me who is used to this aspect in Japanese cinema, it was not an issue. Good use of music to set the tone in the scenes. Great cast as well. Gosha did a good job in conveying the double edged sword of loyalty, honor, and respect that is prevalent in all kinds of criminal organizations. Ironically, these ideals are the very thing that can be the downfall of an individual and crime family. The violence in this movie is nothing flashy but gritty and to the point. | | AGREE? | READER COMMENTS | AUTHOR | | Y | A very good film which has suffered from very poor quality prints for many years. One one adjusts for that, it's very worthwhile. Director and star are dependably good. | Jeffrey Frawley |
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 |  |  |  |  I enjoyed this film very much; although to be honest, it seemed overly long, with many scenes being dragged out for no apparent purpose. If you love or collect the work of Hideo Gosha, this film is a must-have, as the period in which the events depicted occur is a distinctly different period from that of most of his other works. I would certainly agree with those who suggest it is one of the finest Yakuza style films ever made. Enjoy! | | LOG IN TO COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW! |
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