The hero sings his own theme song to psyche out his enemies. Next level move.
Directed by Seijun Suzuki
東京流れ者
An atmospheric, critically acclaimed thriller.
After yakuza boss Kurata dissolves his own criminal empire, a rival kingpin offers a position to Kurata's top operative, Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo. When the fiercely loyal Tetsu declines, Otsuka taps unstoppable Tatsuzo the "Viper", a ruthless gun-for-hire, to assassinate him. As the Viper trails his target through the countryside, the agile Phoenix Tetsu grows concerned that one of his former associates has betrayed him.
Tokyo Drifter is showing in 1 cinema in London - next screening Thursday 22 October at 21:00 at The Nickel Cinema.
Next screenings: Thursday 22 October.
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The hero sings his own theme song to psyche out his enemies. Next level move.
Takes what might’ve otherwise been a typical Japanese crime movie about henchmen realizing the pointless, chaotic brutality they wage on each over the mechanized power of their bosses (and choosing to become lone Ronin's instead) and turns into a candy-colored Yakuza noir/western/Bond/new wave pop explosion. Love that the studio kept giving this man smaller budgets as a message to chill the fuck out with the visual surrealism and musicality and this borderline avant-garde insanity of modernist art direction and feverish editing is what he came up with lol. Lost my shit when the titular Tokyo Drifter started singing his own theme song diegetically on his way to kill some mobsters.Full discussion on episode 146 of my podcast SLEAZOIDS.
The production design is fantastic, as is the music– but the editing and structure is so chaotic I couldn't enjoy– much less understand– what I was watching. Too dumb for it! Sorry! Still gonna whistle Tetsu's song all day!
After a yakuza syndicate dissolves, a reformed operative refuses to join a rival gang and is forced into a relentless cross-country journey while dodging assassins.
Seijun Suzuki directed this 1966 Japanese crime film, known for his wildly stylized and avant-garde approach to studio genre pictures.
Full schedule on Mood.
