Akai hatoba

Yûjirô Ishihara is a killer from Tokyo, come to Kobe to lie low. His plans are thwarted almost immediately when he witnesses a brutal mob hit on the waterfront, and he becomes involved with the sister of a dead Yakuza. The cops are trailing him, the Yakuza want to put him to work, but he stubbornly resists.

My research shows that this was roughly based on PEPE LE MOKO, but I find its brutal side and plot give it a linkage to another well known crime drama, HIGH SIERRA Ishihara may not be Bogart with flour in his hair to make him look old and tired, but he is weary of a life in the shadows, a life he cannot escape, caught between the police and the Japanese crime organization. This is a Japanese movie, however, and the brutality and open sexuality of the docks makes this a less human film. In all three, the question remains: can a man outrun his fate?

50s subculture icon Yujiro Ishihara ("Crazed Fruit") stars in Masuda's "Red Pier" as "Jiro the Lefty", a killer with a natural talent. Shortly after arriving in Kobe, he witnesses a man die in a crane accident which turns out to be a cover-up for a murder. Jiro soon finds himself on the run, tailed by a determined cop...

Allegedly, this film (also known as "Red Quay") is based on the 1937 French film "Pépé le Moko". Although I have seen "Pepe", I unfortunately don't recall it well enough to make any observations on the parallels.

Just a general comment: I am surprised how few gangster films take place on piers or waterfronts. Obviously, "On the Waterfront" is the most notable (even if not thought of as a gang film). Controlling the ports is a big money maker for the mob and gangs... I'm glad the writer of this film made that a focus.