A smart hoodlum manipulates a couple of Yakuza mobs in this remake of Yojimbo this time set in a more contemporary Japan but with lots of gaudy color, violence and sadism thrown in. Lots of good times for an audience.
The director, Seijun Suzuki really cranks up the story with enough sick stuff going on to make the film almost compulsively watchable. Tough guy Joe Shishido doesn't care who he shoots or hits or beats the crap out of as long as he manipulates his way into playing off both gangs against each other. His one moment of compassion ends up with him getting caught and tortured. There's a message in all of this somewhere, but I'm not sure what it is.
The people at Criterion must have a real thing for Suzuki, they have 2 or 3 of his films in their collection all lovingly remasterd. Suzuki hardly seems like he belongs in the same company as Bergman, Renoir and Dreyer. However he does have a cool B movie sensibility and a" hit you over the head" style of film making.
Stylish entertaining trash .
92 minutes.
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