shishido

Much has been made of the debt this great film, by director Toshio Masuda, owes to Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless"--and to be sure, it has many (most likely intentional) similarities. Yet, "Kurenai No Nagareboshi" (known here as "Velvet Hustler") is actually a faithful remake of Masuda's own 1958 film, "Crimson Seaport"--a film made a full year before Godard's picture.

That being said, "Velvet Hustler" is another in a long line of knock-out Nikkatsu action films from the 1960's. Though this film is highly entertaining, and very worthy of repeated watchings, it should be noted that it is a fairly typical example of the type of action/exploitation films Nikkatsu Studios turned out (by the scores!) at this time. In short, this is a greatly enjoyable programmer that we are lucky to have available to us here in the USA. I only hope that more of Nikkatsu's excellent 1960's output sees release on video stateside!

"Koroshi no Rakuin" ("branded to kill") is an absolute masterpiece from the brilliant Suzuki Seijun. True, it is delirious, chaotic, mind-boggling, and seemingly haphazard; yet, once the viewer has experienced it..it is unforgettable! This excellent, high-strung, whacked-out, Nikkatsu action romp is unlike any other exploitation film (from the 60's or any other decade)! It transcends its supposed genre and defies categorization. See it!

Yet another brilliant work from director Suzuki Seijun, who manages to create (in almost every frame) a world in which lurid pulp paperback cover paintings have come to life! This tale of the rampant desperation of mere existence in post-WWII Tokyo is simply stunning on all counts. "Nikutai no Mon" ("Gate of Flesh") is both bleakly realistic, and flamboyantly artistic. It is brutal, shocking, funny, and depressing--sometimes all at once! Excellent cinema--not to be missed by any Japanese film buffs.

"Yaju no Seishun" ("Youth of the Beast") is, without doubt, one of the greatest Japanese films of the 1960's. It is also, arguably, the best film from the amazing director, Suzuki Seijun. This was Suzuki-sensei's "breakthrough" film; in as much as it was the first film where he truly let his flamboyant, dizzying, artistic sense come forward. Full of intense, innovative, eye-popping visuals, the film never loses its solid narrative flow; thanks, in part, to a great script based on the novel by Hard-Boiled master, Oyabu Haruhiko. What more could one ask for? A great story, brilliant direction, and outstanding performances (especially by Shishido Jo). This is a superior example of the Japanese thriller--and, for that matter, crime cinema of the 1960's in general!