Charismatic antihero Ken Takakura playing a solitary social outcast heads a fabulous cast in this exciting crime drama. The lone assassin embarks on a desperate trail of revenge after he is used as the fall guy in an elaborate frame up. His pusuit leads him into the sordid world of drug trafficking and the exploitation and abuse of young women. The complex tale twists and turns much like the setting, the tight back alleys and lane ways of Hong Kong. It is fabulous on location filming which beautifully captures, with superb cinematography, the natural and city scapes from the excessive wealth to the lowest social depths. Yokohama is the Japanese setting with a only brief stopover, most of the action is in Hong Kong, where a number of expats are also based.
Writer Director Teruo Ishii's early crime/noir dramas are all excellent. I think they culminate here in "Narazumono" which is exceptional, an outstanding gem. It seems all the director's mastery, his writing, his creative flair, has come together for this super stylish super cool thriller. Surprisingly little known, a shout out for this wonderfully entertaining
excellent Classic Japanese film. Highly Recommended !!