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Rating Averages
My Friends |
Not rated. () |
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All Flixster |
(611) |
417 |
2597 |
Female |
(149) |
101 |
635 |
Male |
(462) |
316 |
1962 |
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| Youth of the Beast (50%) |
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| Branded to Kill (80%) |
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| Kurenai no nagareboshi (0%) |
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| Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai (50%) |
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Plot:
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:August 8, 2008
There were some great scenes but it didn't manage to be as entertaining as Branded to Kill. The conventional yazuka honor/betrayal story arc was not hard to follow, unfortunately I don't care for plot of any Suzuki film I've seen, it's his stylish excess that I love. I could see an attempt to make the film more abstract than Youth of the Beast but there were still not enough awesome action scenes to make up for the boring exposition. The film lacks the atmosphere and humor of Branded to Kill. Not having Jo Shishido as the lead also hurts.
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MCT:June 14, 2008
While you may or may not understand the plot of Tokyo Drifter, it won't matter upon seeing the swanky art deco sets, the bizarre musical sequences and the action scenes. The photography, music and editing are a real treat.
Tokyo Drifter is a yakuza tale with themes of loyalty and responsibility that have their roots in Samurai films but clash with dishonor. Seijun Suzuki creates a glorified B-movie with class. A simple tale of gangsters trying to go straight while infecting you with every shade of primary colors.
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MCT:April 18, 2008
A surreal gangster movie that is as stylish as it is violent. Actually it's more stylish than it is violent.
While the plot synopsis here calls the movie "nearly incomprehensible", I didn't find it that difficult to follow. The movie is definitely more about style than substance, but after the somewhat complicated setup the plot really becomes rather simplistic.
In any case, the film features an engaging hero, striking use of color, some great sets, nifty music, and a cool final showdown. -
MCT:February 10, 2008
Decades before people like Takashi Miike started to twist everyone's minds with his blend of genres and experimental strokes, Seijun Suzuki was already doing it all the way back to the 60's with his iconic yakuza flicks.
A young Tetsuya Watari plays the lead here, as Tetsuya "Phoenix", your usual honorable pre-Fukasaku yakuza lead that just wants to go straight after his boss disbanded the band he was in. As usual for this type of stories, Tetsuya gets betrayed and chased by all sorts of enemies.
"Average" and "usual" ends exactly at that point, while things start quite pedestrian Suzuki wastes no time in twisting the narrative and the color composition. From scenarios that switch between one color to another, to Tetsuya Watari's sky blue suit and all the way to the snowy mountains of Japan, the film becomes a strange mix. Suzuki can be blamed for being a style over substance director, yet the style of a film like this was so out of control and creative, for both the era and even for today's standards, that it's hard not to admire the man. How can you say no to a film where the main characters whistles the main theme of said film?
Catchiest theme song ever + Tetsuya Watari + Suzuki's creative takes = safe winner. Nikkatsu might had fire him for BTK, but i'm surprised they didn't do it for this one. The film is so out there it looks as if it has been made in another dimension.
And again, i dare you not to love that theme song. You will end whistling it when you less expect it. -
MCT:January 31, 2008
Tetsu is really likable. He looks like a manga/anime character. Reminds me of GTO. I liked the music as well.
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MCT:October 25, 2007
Makes no damn sense at all. Pretty colors though. This was like a Daniel Clowes yakuza comic with more than a few pages missing.
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MCT:October 23, 2007
Delierious stuff from the king of cinema swing Seijun Suzuki. Most of the time I have no idea what is going on his movies, but I don't really mind since his visuals are just so dazzling, and his scenarios are just so surreal. The theme song for the film is a first rate ditty, which I'm surprised hasn't yet ended up in a Tarantino flick. This genre defying pop-fest looks like a Sam Fuller script directed by Vincent Minnelli mixed with a bit of Warhol. A treat!
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MCT:October 8, 2007
this swinging 60's yakuza flick is kinda slow moving...not nearly as entertaining as Branded To Kill was for me...its almost like a damn musical at times...still its rather amusing once the shooting starts and then it gets really absurd but not in necessarily a bad way...thats just Suzuki's style!
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MCT:July 1, 2007
A jazzy, cool, colorfull ganster flick with many surprises. "Tokyo Drifter" takes you into the world of 60's Japanese organized crime. At times I felt as if I was watching some type of colorful James bond film directed by Andy Warhol. The violence in the fillm is typical of the Yakuza lifestyle with shoot-outs, but it's Japanese influence is closely imbeded with a touch of traditional samurai stand off's, loyalty and honor as it's principles. The cities best killer Tetsu, awaits his own execution until he's called back to Tokyo to help fight against a rival gang. Testu struggles with honor, rival gangsters on his heels and the love of a singer. Tokyo Drifter was a real treat and a must watch for lovers of the ganster genre. Favorite Scene: Bar fight towards the end. Knuckle sandwiches and bottles being broken on heads for everyone! REALLY FUNNY ! Wish I was there.
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MCT:June 17, 2007This movie is dope. It uses interesting color, gangsters, a wealth of different characters, and travel to create an interesting movie about an ex gangster in from Tokyo trying to get away from his crime past but encountering people he knows everywhere he goes. Highly recommended.
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MCT:March 16, 2007Another great film from Suzuki. This is a colourful film that is fun to look at and has a great lead character. Great scenes include, the final confrontation and the wicked bar fight. A must see.
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MCT:August 29, 2006
Seriously too cool for school stuff. Certainly a huge influence on many filmmakers -- Takashi Miike & Tarantino particularly spring to mind from today's crop.
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MCT:June 19, 2006
Très bon, vraiment très bon! Une version pop-art du film de gangster, rien de plus! Le Godard asiatique!
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