In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Thursday, 20 November 2014

Yakuza Graveyard (1976)

Two rival Yakuza gangs are at each other’s throats and war seems imminent. The police, instead of doing their utmost to prevent it, end up exacerbating it because they put a beat cop, Ryu Kuroiwa (Tetsuya Watari), on the case. Kuroiwa is just as brutal as the people he’s tasked with policing. He’s constantly on edge, ready for action and will dish out a punch to street thugs and well-dressed businessmen alike.
Not as great a film as I'd hoped for, it's rough and the pacing is awkward. But I do think that if Dir. Fukasaku had the resources available while making YG that he had later in his career then it would more closely resemble the kind of drama that it aspired to be; the vision is certainly there.

2½ punchy gatherings out of 5

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