Arrow Video once more releases an example of Japanese cinema
that might otherwise have been lost of undiscovered. Released in 1969 YAKUZA
LAW from director Terui Ishii isn’t a start to finish tale but a compilation of
three stories involving yakuza past and present. It’s an interesting
combination of stories that all show that the rules yakuza are to adhere to are
almost always broken by its own members. The three stories are not intertwined
and stand alone to be judged.
The first tale involves a yakuza clan in the Edo period. The
boss of one group has determined to wipe out his enemies and control the
remaining groups. In so doing he develops a sense of paranoia and determines to
rid himself of his own men that he no longer trusts. Both laws displayed in
this story, not to steal and not to sleep with married women, are ignored by
more than one member of the group and justice is meted out.
The second tale in the Meiji Period revolves around a yakuza
member who dishonors his house by launching an unprovoked or authorized strike
against one of their enemies. He did so at the instruction of his unscrupulous
boss who hoped for a better outcome. Instead he joins the rest of the group in
banishing the warrior for breaking the rules “do not bring trouble to the boss”
and “do not return after being expelled”. He is then sent to prison. At the
same time he attempts to put the moves on the warrior’s girlfriend as well as
move up the chain of command with the group. Released from prison ten years
later he returns in spite of the rule not to do so to reclaim his girlfriend
and his honor.
The last tale takes place in the present and involves the
rule “do not leak secrets”. In spite the rule it seems that everyone involved
is leaking some secret or another. As one yakuza mob takes on another two
individuals attempt to wreak havoc and make personal gains at the expense of
both groups.
The film is part of Ishii’s “joys of torture” films and the
bloodletting and gore level here is fairly extreme for the film only being
released in 1969. Even the opening credits offer views of torture like a many
on a skewer being turned over a fire, another having his forehead cut with a
sabre saw and another having his eyeball burned out with a lens. Severed fingers,
arms, hands, necks and heads fill out the stories with copious amounts of blood
squirting like a firehose turned on full blast.
In breaking down the film into three parts is allows little
build up for stories and jumps into the action almost immediately in each
chapter. In spite of that it doesn’t mean that the stories lack depth. The raw
emotions on display and portrayed by the actors involved bring out that depth
of story as well as the tales themselves. Ishii’s direction also shows his
abilities as a storyteller.
The film is entertaining and fascinating to watch unfold and
doesn’t make one want to reach for the remote in order to move to the
interesting parts. The entire film is interesting. Not only, that Arrow has
done the film justice with a blu-ray 1080p presentation. In addition to that
they’ve included some extras that are worth watching as well. These include a
new audio commentary track with author and critic Jasper Sharp,
“Erotic-Grotesque and Genre Hopping: Teruo Ishii Speaks” a rare vintage
interview with the director, an image gallery, a reversible sleeve featuring
original art and newly commissioned artwork by Jacob Phillips and for the first
pressing only an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the
film by Tom Mes. Fans of yakuza films and Japanese cinema will want to make a
point of adding this one to their collection.
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