Ryûji

A yakuza struggles with where he is in life, with his wife having moved away with their small daughter, and growing tired of the daily grind. In a resigned, weary way, he keeps his bumbling crew in line, deals with seedy characters, and shakes people down. He understands that if he kills someone he'll go to jail, and if he's killed, he'll go to hell. He decides to go straight and finds joy in reuniting with his wife and daughter, but also faces the struggle of making a living on a working man's wage, and the tedium of life.

I loved how this film didn't dwell on violence or action scenes, instead making this a drama about whether this guy can redeem himself. It was fantastic how he realizes life is passing him by, something that was reflected in quiet moments without dialogue. He sees the value in doing an honest day's work, plays with his daughter, and watches his wife sit at the kitchen table and balance the budget. He makes love to her, genuine love, in stark contrast to a woman he was with while a yakuza. There are many positive elements here and along the way there are wonderful images of the streets of Tokyo. I wasn't a fan of the ending, however, though admittedly that may have been more about me than the authenticity of what happens. Regardless, he seemed a bit idealized, despite his decisions and outbursts, and that was why the film ended up being a near miss for a higher rating for me.

The first time I watched Ryûji the movie lost me probably right at the beginnig. It seemed to be a mediocre yakuza-flick, with a rather unlikeable main-character. Quickly I was following the story just with one eye. After watching it recently a second time, I have to admit that this was a sadly mistake. The strength of the movie definitely lies in the last two thirds, where we see our Protagonist Ruji struggle with himself and the decision which road to choose. Unhappy with his yakuza life, away from his ex-wife and his daughter, he tries to go "straight". Reunited with his family in Kyushu, earning his money with a "normal" job far away from Tokyo, it seems possible for him to achieve happiness in this way of living. But the reasons for choosing yakuza lifestyle in the first place are not so easy to overcome. In my favorite scene of the movie Ruyji is watching a group of old men playing Croquet in the park, a simple but strong scene, it's open for each viewer to read Ryujis thoughts at this moment. We see the climax of his struggle in the great penultimate scene, beautiful acted and again simple but strong.

Maybe not a masterpiece, but definetly one of my favourite yakuza movies now.