Yakuza's Law

YAKUZA LAW: LYNCHING! is one of the latter films in Teruo Ishii's JOYS OF TORTURE series, and is honestly the only one I've had the chance to see as of this writing. It is a strong entry that deals with the subject of Yakuza principles, and the penalties for not abiding by their codes.

The film is divided into three parts - the first two taking place in feudal Japan, the last segment being more "modern" and set in the late 1960's. All three deal with those that have broken the Yakuza code, and their subsequent torture and dispatch. The last part is played more like a 70's style crime film, and feels somewhat mis-matched against the other two segments - but is still an enjoyable addition to the film.

There's plenty of violence in this one for those that are looking for that - a good bit happening before the opening credits are over. I think that this one will be of interest to most who enjoy the 60's/70's era samurai/pinky films. Strangely enough - there's no actual lynching taking place. There is a scene where a guy is hung (by his torso) from a helicopter and dragged around a beach - but I don't think that really qualifies as "lynching". Not as strong as the "unofficial sequel" to Ishii's first JOYS OF TORTURE film - SHOGUN'S SADISM (aka OXEN SPLIT TORTURE) - but definitely in the same vain. LYNCHING! is definitely worth a look to Japanese exploit fans. 8/10

This rousing, splendidly blood-thirsty portmanteau of lurid Yakuza conflict erupts in a bloody tsunami of gruesome eye-gouging, grisly evisceration, throat slashing and sanguineous Katana kills! Maestro, Teruo Ishii's infamously brutal trilogy of dramatically vengeful, gratuitously gore-grizzled Yakuza mayhem has manifestly lost none of its power to shock! Dynamic performances, visceral action scenes, diabolical treachery, desperate love, and hard won honour, 'The Yakuza's Law Lynching' is eventful, intelligent, bracingly violent Japanese exploitation at its most excitingly mean spirited. Vicious betrayals, Machiavellian plots, and savage, bullet-blasted reprisals,'The Yakuza's Law Lynching' remains entirely credible, a brutish, extraordinarily bellicose, generously crimson-splattered, eye-bogglingly cruel Torture classic. These three indelibly barbaric tales graphically portray the grimly mortal fates of those individuals who break the gleefully enforced Yakuza laws, since they do so at their own considerable peril!

Didn't like this one very much. It's an anthology film, with three chapters, progressing from what appeared to be the Tokugawa Shogunate, to Meiji era, to the 60's (can't be positive about any of the time periods).

Basically the flimsy plots are just an excuse to have Yakuza commit brutal acts on each other and throw lots of fake blood around. I can see how this may have been shocking or trail-blazing at the time of release, but I found it quite boring now. Without the shock value, the movie really has no center. The stories get progressively better - the first (amazingly, starring Bunta Sugawara, who usually improves anything he's in) is terrible, the second and third are slightly better.

Sidenote - the actor who plays the alien in Goke has a small role in the final piece as a weird yo-yo obsessed Yakuza.

Whatever other labels one may append to this feature, "exploitation" may be the most fitting of all as we're greeted even over the opening credits with scenes of the extreme violence to come. In a title telling three stories across three time periods, that violence is more of a unifying factor than the overarching notion of strict rules among yakuza, and the way that lives are governed and destroyed by those rules. Mind you, even with that tenor in mind, this is quite well made, meeting the production standards of its contemporaries - production standards which, truthfully, tend to be more vibrant than their modern equivalent. It won't appeal to all, and it's definitely flawed in the first place, but for those who are open to what 'Yakuza law' has to offer, it's good enough to warrant checking out if one has the chance.

Fast-paced and fairly chaotic as the picture is, Ishii Teruo's direction is more firm and focused than his writing. Vivid stunts, effects, and action sequences (including that major blood and gore), invariably intense and spirited performances, Furuya Osamu's lush, dynamic cinematography, and indeed the orchestration of shots and scenes can all be broadly credited to that direction. Ishii is also responsible, in turn, for the narrative looseness of the first segment, set during the Edo period, in which a boss' rigid adherence to rules effectively leads to the implosion of an entire organization. The second segment, set following the Meiji restoration, shows that same split in its own way between fine craftsmanship and less polished conception; we're thrown headlong into the plot, and are greeted with an abrupt time skip, in writing that feels somewhat harried. I do think that the screenplay is at least more careful in the second portion, with characters, scene writing, and plot that is more well defined as scheming family members exploit the yakuza code for their own ends. Incredibly, the third segment set in contemporary Japan is even more forthright with its action-oriented crime thriller thrust, and the violence is still more extreme. Now, it rather seems to me that the overarching notion of the yakuza code altogether gets lost in this last third alongside any particular details of the story - though in fairness, the movie at large finds success in the general much more than the specific.

Meanwhile, the flick really is splendidly made in every other capacity. The techniques and technology of the 60s with regards to cinematography, and film and color processing, are frankly tend to be more rich and flavorful, and look better, than what has been developed in all the subsequent years; the flawlessness of modern sensibilities portends sterility, artificiality, and drab imagery. Such considerations only make the beautiful filming locations, exquisite production design and art direction, and fetching costume design, hair, and makeup all the more welcome. 'Yakuza law' even demonstrates a keen mind for mind for lighting, and robust sound design. Yagi Masao's dynamic music, adopting different instrumentation and vibes for each segment, provides adept complement for every scene in turn. Even the editing comes across as being fairly sharp in my opinion.

Across each segment the overall strength varies, and taken as a whole this isn't something that especially demands viewership. It is grimly entertaining, however, just as it is, and smartly made more than not. I wish only that Ishii had devoted more energy to his screenplay, because the most consistent aspect of these ninety-seven minutes - more than even the graphic, often difficult violence - is the weakness of storytelling that struggles to ever impart a cogent, cohesive, coherent narrative. A scattershot sense of "violence among yakuza" only gets us so far, and the violence would be far more meaningful if there were a solid, compelling plot to provide structure. Maybe that's not what Ishii ever intended in the first place, but if so, that doesn't make the result any better. I still think this is duly worthwhile on its own merits, but with that big problem staring down the entire runtime, 'Yakuza law' is perhaps best left for something to fill time on a quiet day.

I have seen other films of Teruo Ishii, including his torture films like "Orgies of Edo," which I liked immensely. This Yakuza genre film however, lacks the artistic merits of those other films. It also lacks a coherent or interesting story-line, offering only cheap and ugly gore effects. There are actually 3 stories told in one film, which is the same formula Ishii used for "Orgies of Edo." Unfortunately the stories were so insipid and uninteresting that I couldn't tell when the first one ended and the second began. This film really has nothing to offer, and it is the worst film of it's kind that I have seen. It is a waste of time.