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This 10 million pound film production between Japan and the Uk is
running at the IFC was only un-leashed on the world last September. Directed and
starring Takeshi Kitano as Yamamoto, it’s a story about the life and
times of a Yakuza gangster in the Tokyo underworld, who is forced to flee for
his own good to L.A, where upon he sets up with the aid of his brother, a
take over of the local crime scene.
Its quite a violent film, so if self mutilation as a way of proving
one’s loyalty is not your cup of tea, then you were warned!!. As with all
these Asian countries and especially with membership of the Yakuza
‘brotherhood’ (read Triads/Mafia) loyalty plays the main part. This loyalty is
unknown in the rest of the underworld – none more so than in the USA.
To put it simply this film is about the Yakuza – how they work, live
and survive or not. The moral of the Yakuza is, self-sacrifice and the
beauty of death. . The life of the Yakuza is to live without anybody, no ties
except to their brothers in arms so that they can die anytime. They don't
marry, because they know they could be killed at any moment. This code of
ethics didn’t transfer to his American counterparts who joined his gang, each
and all fled when the going got tough and the mafia began extracting a
vicious toll on their numbers following the gangs failure to hand over 50% of
the rackets money to them.
The film kicks off with the focus of attention in Japan on inter gang
warfare with the assassination of Yamamoto’s gangland father figure and
the subsequent take over of his gang. Forced to join the opposition
reluctantly, he is advised secretly to flee to America and is provided a way and a
means for this. He goes to his long separated brother living in L.A who makes
his living pushing drugs with other minor hoods! Neatly helping his
troubled brother out, he begins his crime empire expansion, depending on his
superior intelligence and experience to win out (if one can win in gangland
warfare?)
Throughout the film he says very little but his expressions carry the
force behind the film, his nervous twitch, his sunglasses.. they all build
expectation and the audience is not disappointed. Having dispatched the
Mexicans and other minor crime bosses, the next in line is the Mafia. A
refusal to hand over more than 20% of the rackets money forces all out
warfare between them.
As a Yakuza member, he secretly knows that there is no return from war
with the Mafia, and death is certain, but he does reward his last remaining
loyal henchman before being assassinated in a hail of machine gun fire.
It does appear a complicated film and to be honest without an
explanation and help from my film going friend, who happens to be more aware of the
Asian crime scene than most!!, I would have dismissed it as being too
complicated…. One Japanese criminal looks very much like another.
Look out for the very good-looking crime boss of Little Tokyo who we
both agreed was a shaggable hunk.
Its worth going to see and is definitely more stimulating than
“The Mummy Returns”!
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