1968 - BLACK LIZARD, a strange Japanese crime film

A very strange crime drama from Japan, this is a an odd ball film if ever there was one.  Black Lizard is one of those master criminals doing a battle of the wits thing with the police, in this case detective Akechi.  The film's plot involves a rich jeweler who's daughter has been kidnapped by Black Lizard who demands a ransom of a diamond worth about one million dollars (1968 money). Black Lizard also likes to take her victims and turn them into statues for or own private museum.

But probably the strangest thing about this film is the casting of the actor Akihiro Maruyama in the role of Black Lizard.  Maruyama was a famous female impersonator, a drag queen if you will.  Absolutely no mention is made of Maruyama as a female impersonator and in fact there is kind of a love duet played between detective Akechi and Black Lizard.  This is a strange film.

 

The film is based on a play by the writer Yukio Mishima who's life was dramatized in the film Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters.  Mishima was quite a character himself.

The film was written by Masashige Narusawa and the director Kinji Fukasaku, the running time is 86 minutes.