Koruto wa ore no pasupôto

(1967) A Colt is My Passport/ Koruto wa ore no pasupooto (In Japanese with English subtitles) ACTION THRILLER

Consist of remnants of "Yojimbo" and "For A Few Dollars More" Japanese gangland style. Adapted from a crime novel by Shinji Fujiwara, starring Jo Shishido as hired hit man Shûji ordered along with his partner, Shun (Jerry Fujio) to take out a former rival of another syndicate. And upon leaving, they are then get themselves double crossed for the purpose of money to capture and then execute the hit man responsible. Who are then stranded in a seedy hotel until further orders. It is their he builds a rapport with a young female worker of the Nagisakan hotel, Mina (Chitose Kobayashi). The last of 5 of the Nakkatsu Noir Criterion box set.

An uber-cool crime flick from the 1960's. The story is quite straight-forward, and I don't want to spoil any of it, just that it contains murder, betrayal, and a femme fatale.

As an action film, it is smart, well-paced and full of twists and "he got 'em!" moments. But it could also be read as a character study of a stoic, and nihilistic gangster facing a probable death-sentence.

There's not much else to say. It's a joyride, right up until the final shot - that made me at least - want to cheer out loud.

Like most of the other reviewers, I was struck by the similarities between this Japanese crime thriller, clearly modeled after 1950's American film noir, and Sergio Leone's iconic 'spaghetti' westerns. Briefly, hitman Shuji Kamimura (Joe Shishido) and his assistant Shun Shiozaki (Jerry Fujio) are hired to assassinate a yakusa boss only to be betrayed by their employer. On the run, they hole up in a seedy hotel, where Kamimura attracts the eye of former mob moll Mina (Chitose Kobayashi) who agrees to use her connections in the local merchant fleet to help them escape. The mob closes in and Kamimura has to make some tough decisions. Joe Shishido is very good in an atypical way as the impassive contract killer, as is the rest of the cast (especially Kobayashi), and the story moves along at a brisk pace to a satisfyingly bloody conclusion. The black and white cinematography is striking and, while the look is pure noir, the score is an unusual (but effective) mix of discordant jazz (typical of period crime thrillers) and music that is clearly an imitation of (or homage to) Ennio Marricione's iconic spaghetti-western themes. The climactic shoot-out, despite being fought between dapper Japanese gangsters, could have come from a '60's anti-hero western, with a stark landfill site substituting for the desert and choreographed gunplay featuring a variety of weapons and a number of ways to die. This was my introduction to the Japanese crime film (having run out of kaiju and tokusatsu films) and I was equally entertained and impressed and look forward to watching other films in the canon (many of which, I have noticed, have equally evocative titles).

A Colt Is My Passport, originally released as Koruto wa ore no pasupoto, is a Japanese film noir that mixes action thriller elements with melodramatic drama sections. This film was directed by Nomura Takashi who has worked as an actor throughout the fifties, sixties and seventies and who has also directed forty-four different films from the sixties until the nineties. This film is often considered one of the greatest accomplishments of his versatile career. This movie stars legendary actor Shishido Jo who should be known to anyone interested in Japanese cinema since he has participated in a whopping two hundred fifty-eight films. His gritty acting skills and unique facial features are certainly quite memorable.

This film revolves around an experienced contract killer and his driver who are hired by a mobster to assassinate a rival. After successfully completing said task, the two men are however not only tracked down by the gang of the victim and police forces but also by their employer who turns against them for strategical reasons. The two outcasts are now fighting for survival and aiming for revenge. They get some unexpected support from a young waitress who wants to organize some changes in her life.

This movie convinces on almost all levels. The plot is filled with enough tense moments to keep viewers watching until the very last scene. Regarding the latter element, this movie ends in a most explosive way that still feels spectacular to this day. The acting performances are great throughout and show the desolate lives of characters involved in organized crime. The locations have been chosen with great care and show the contrast of the luxurious mansions of accomplished criminals and the shabby hotel rooms in which poorly treated hired guns are expected to spend their time. This film has been shot with great care in form of precise camera work, fitting lighting techniques and sound elements that were quite impressive in their time.

Few minor downsides can be mentioned. The script is overall rather predictable and won't win any awards for creativity. One can also note that lead actor Shishido Jo keeps being typecast as gangster facing several opponents and getting involved with a beautiful lady. Even though you won't find much novelty when watching this film, everything has been executed with such great care that this movie can be considered a genre highlight of its time.

To keep it short and simple, A Colt Is My Passport, originally titled Koruto wa ore no pasupoto, is an entertaining gangster drama from the late sixties that impresses with wonderful acting, precise camera work, excellent lighting techniques, fitting locations, gripping plot and wonderful sound. Genre fans should certainly watch and enjoy this wonderful film that has both stood the test of time and preserved its unique charm from the sixties.

Rarely we see Japanese pictures have been swayed by Westerns cinema, due they would rather its own style, nonetheless sometimes someone dares broke such guideline as the filmmaker Takashi Nomura enforcing a spaghetti guidance regarding on farfetched narrative and soundtrack as well, it became a hybrid picture on Yakusa's mobster allied an Italian's accent, the final results is plenty enjoyable for Japanese taste and Western marketplace.

When a hitman (Joe Shishido) and his faithful sidekick (Jerry Fujio) were hired to kill a powerful and untouchable Yakusa's chief a hard task to be accomplished, although the smooth killer did it in plenty way, then came up an unflagging chase carried out by the own mastermind by a sudden new deal prearranged by the successors of the late boss, wherever Shishido goes there are their captors in advance, aid by a jinxed woman (Chitose Kobayashi) they envisage an escape by sea.

Meanwhile a truce is settle a so awaited showdown in a forsaken spot, then show up the spaghetti duel in whimsical Italian standard, to make it strong the own title has Western influence, worthwhile a look for every cinephile turned on Yakusa-crime genre, highly recommended!!

Thanks for reading.

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First watch: 2024 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.