Over the years, I've seen quite a few Japanese films about the Yakuza--mobster films. I am not sure how popular these sort of film really have been--but it sure seems like a very high percentage of the Japanese DVDs here in the States are these sorts of movies. I'd love for someone to let me know--are the films really that popular or is this just the sort of stuff they think Americans want to see? Regardless, I've seen so many that I am starting to get a bit weary--even if many of these films are well made.
The film is about the Onogi clan. A much larger and more powerful mob, the Kansai, is trying to push the Onogi into a fight. However, the boss of the Onogis insists that his men should not take the bait--as the Kansai are hoping to force a confrontation in order to justify the takeover. However, the Kansai are devious snakes and they've come up with another way to destroy the Onogi--and the Onogis' desire to avoid a fight makes them very vulnerable for the trap. What they don't anticipate is one insanely difficult man to kill who is really, really ticked!
My biggest two problems with the film are a feeling of déjà vu and no clear cut side to pull for as you watch. As far as the déjà vu goes, you really cannot blame the movie--it's my fault I've seen so many similar films. But when it comes to who to root for, the film could have done a better job of giving the audience a reason to root for the Onogi. Being smaller and besieged didn't seem like enough to me. Production value-wise, the film is reasonably well made and looks good. I was a tiny bit surprised with some of the sex and nudity--it was more than you might expect for a film from the late 1960s with an attempted rape, lesbian sex and the like. There also is quite a bit more blood than you might expect. Had the film been made in recent years, none of this would have been out of the ordinary.
