Robert Mitchum shines in another of his private eye roles; he plays Harry Kilmer, who's hired by an old friend (Brian Keith) to retrieve the friends' daughter from a Japanese crime family. Arriving in Japan with Keiths' bodyguard (Richard Jordan) as a backup, Kilmer meets up with an old flame (Keiko Kishi). He has to convince her brother (Japanese star Ken Takakura), who himself is ex-Yakuza, to help him in his mission. He will find that things are seldom as they seem in this rich, engrossing crime fiction scripted by Paul Schrader and Robert Towne.
Directed by Sydney Pollack, this film can take some credit for introducing North American cinema goers to the concept of Yakuza, shortly after "Godfather" 1 and 2 had proved how popular this sort of story could be with the public. It can be bloody and visceral at times, but fundamentally it's a good story that is interesting largely because of its setting and depiction of Japanese culture. The story delivers its twists and turns in style, and some of them may even catch the viewer off guard. For one thing, Keith is playing a VERY shady character. And it carries a genuine poignancy, as it deals with the themes of honour and friendship. Harry ultimately realizes what his presence has done to Tanaka Kens' life.
Mitchum is ideal for the kind of lead role that he plays here; he's tough without being flashy about it, and that "quiet cool" of his is ever-present. This viewer can see why people would refer to Takakura as the "Japanese Clint Eastwood", as he has a low-key but effective screen presence that matches well with Mitchums'. The excellent supporting cast also includes Herb Edelman, Eiji Okada, James Shigeta (Mr. Takagi in "Die Hard" 14 years later), and a sexy and luminous Christina Kokubo as the old flames' daughter.
Films like "The Yakuza" just give further evidence to the superior quality of filmmaking in the 1970s. It's a must-see, whether you love films about Yakuza, crime fiction in general, or this well-chosen cast.
The score by under-rated composer Dave Grusin is wonderful.
Eight out of 10.
Directed by Sydney Pollack, this film can take some credit for introducing North American cinema goers to the concept of Yakuza, shortly after "Godfather" 1 and 2 had proved how popular this sort of story could be with the public. It can be bloody and visceral at times, but fundamentally it's a good story that is interesting largely because of its setting and depiction of Japanese culture. The story delivers its twists and turns in style, and some of them may even catch the viewer off guard. For one thing, Keith is playing a VERY shady character. And it carries a genuine poignancy, as it deals with the themes of honour and friendship. Harry ultimately realizes what his presence has done to Tanaka Kens' life.
Mitchum is ideal for the kind of lead role that he plays here; he's tough without being flashy about it, and that "quiet cool" of his is ever-present. This viewer can see why people would refer to Takakura as the "Japanese Clint Eastwood", as he has a low-key but effective screen presence that matches well with Mitchums'. The excellent supporting cast also includes Herb Edelman, Eiji Okada, James Shigeta (Mr. Takagi in "Die Hard" 14 years later), and a sexy and luminous Christina Kokubo as the old flames' daughter.
Films like "The Yakuza" just give further evidence to the superior quality of filmmaking in the 1970s. It's a must-see, whether you love films about Yakuza, crime fiction in general, or this well-chosen cast.
The score by under-rated composer Dave Grusin is wonderful.
Eight out of 10.