After botching his latest assignment, a third-ranked Japanese hit man becomes the target of another assassin.
Direction
Suzuki's middle finger to Nikkatsu studio executives
Cinematography
Rice steam as erotic tension, butterflies as death omens
Editing
Jump cuts that would make Godard jealous and confused
Director
Seijun Suzuki
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Suzuki made this as a deliberate provocation after Nikkatsu demanded 'normal' films; he was fired and blacklisted for a decade, but Branded to Kill became the defining Japanese New Wave film.
Joe Shishido's surgically-altered chipmunk cheeks were his own choice—he had collagen injections to stand out, and Suzuki built the entire film's visual language around that unforgettable face.
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