

Direction
Masuda's explosive set pieces still shock 50+ years later.
Acting
Ishihara's screen presence is pure unfiltered charisma.
Cinematography
Neon-drenched Tokyo never looked this dangerous.

Director
Toshio Masuda
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during Japan's economic boom, it captured anxieties about Westernization corrupting traditional yakuza codes.
Toshio Masuda directed this the same year as his more famous 'Red Peony Gambler'—1969 was his criminal empire.