A yakuza torn between blood and brotherhood in 1969 Japan — loyalty has never been this costly.
Nomi-gumi, who plans to control Tama City, has begun to hurt Takase-gumi. Muraki, an executive, was entrusted with the destruction, but he was a brother of Takase-gumi's substitute, Tsukada. Muraki, who missed Tsukada and the old days at Tsukada's wife Shizue's shop, took the future of turning to the enemy painfully.
Acting
Tetsuro Tamba's face does what scripts fear to
Cinematography
Tama City as crumbling dream — every frame aches
Director
Shōgorō Nishimura
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Nishimura made this during Nikkatsu studio's 'borderless action' pivot — yakuza films were replacing samurai as Japan processed postwar disillusionment. The Tama City setting matters: once rural, now swallowed by Tokyo sprawl, mirroring Muraki's lost pastoral loyalty.
Tetsuro Tamba reportedly refused to rehearse the final confrontation, claiming Muraki wouldn't have prepared for it either. The tremor in his hands when he enters Shizue's shop? Genuine first take.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
JP
