La Beauté des bas-fonds

My very favourite Yakuza movie so far, with a nice noir story and a wonderful cinematography.

This is simply one of those crime films that transcends its pulp nature and becomes art. It comes from Nikkatsu Studios and the writing, sets, etc. are as good as anything coming out of Hollywood at the time.

'Ankokugai no bijo' is very much an American film in style, simply set in Japan. It's something like a Japanese master painting an incredible picture from an American photograph. The story is taut and sinuous, it's unclear to me who wrote it, but it reeks of Cornell Woolrich as is moves inexorably toward it's conclusion but with enough twists along the way that it doesn't feel preprogrammed.

The director, Seijun Suzuki, is an auteur of the first magnitude, which is already fully visible in this his seventh film. Suzuki gives us ingenious images throughout and uses the wide angle ("Nikkatsu Scope") frame like an artist. He's abetted by Wataro Nakao's beautiful black and white cinematography. Particularly well photographed are a scene in a sewer and the climactic shootout in a darkened building splashed with angular puddles of light.

The plot centers around some diamonds stolen by protagonist Miyamoto (Michitaro Mizushima, I assume) and left hidden while he spent three years in prison. Miyamoto is a morally ambiguous but honorable and seemingly independent yakuza thief. He swaggers through Tokyo in a black coat and hat, facial expression varying between a scowl and a sneer, it's clear that he's not unfamiliar with Humphrey Bogart. Akkiko (presumably Mari Shiraki) is the kittenish younger sister of Miyamoto's partner. She's on the verge of "going down the wrong path" and when her brother dies, not surprisingly as a result of Miyamoto and his diamonds, it's up to the black-hat hero to save her, and maybe save himself in the bargain (wink).

Another classic romp that ticks all the boxes - gangsters, shoot-outs, loyalty, betrayal, twists and turns. The film is not as lurid as the poster suggests. But, if like Mr. Burns, you think movies were sexier when people kept their clothes on, then this one's up your alley. But while it's not exploitational, this film is not exactly 'feminist' either. In fact, what we get is a fully-formed female lead - we see her in a wide range of situations, she falls in and out of love, she acts emotionally, sometimes foolishly, but also displays acts of valor. It works as a date movie. And the final showdown is, as expected, really exciting.

For those who doubt the talent of Suzuki, for those who think that he was just some kind of a nut who really just didn't understand how to make a coherent film, I present to you his seventh film, Underworld Beauty, newly released on DVD by Home Vision Cinema. This is the earliest available Suzuki film, and the earliest I have seen. It is, by Suzuki's standards, very straightforward. The script, which is extremely good (unlike some of his more famous films, e.g., Tokyo Drifter), could just as easily been produced in America, or even by someone like Melleville in France. The director is already a master of style, and his brilliance is perhaps more recognizable even by those who don't like his later masterpieces. The story is too complicated to get into here. A gang is after some diamonds one of their defecting members swallowed just before he committed suicide. His close friend, Miyamoto, takes it upon himself to protect his younger sister, Akiko, who is now in danger, not only from the yakuza who want the diamonds but also from starting down the path of crime which led to her brother's death. Akiko doesn't even have the diamonds; she never even knew about them. Instead, her boyfriend, a sculptor and a student of human anatomy, cut open her brother's stomach and took the diamonds for himself. IMDb doesn't have the actors credited to their roles, but the lead actress (I think her name is Mari Shiraki) is exceptional. The actor who plays her greedy boyfriend is also very good. My sole complaint about the film is with the lead actor, Michitaro Mizushima, and his character. He's just not that interesting, and the performance is rather dull. Other than that, it's a remarkable crime picture. The black and white cinematography, at which the Japanese were particularly excelling during this point in history, is gorgeous. I can't wait to get to the next two films that Home Vision has released, and I'm desperately hoping they'll release more in the future. You know how you can help? Buy them now, silly!!!

or so they say. I'm not very into gangster style movies of this variety, but this is a stylistic and imaginative entry. The feel of it is not far at all from Hollywood classics of the forties and this is what let me down the most. It still has plenty of charms and individuality of its own though. Much of it in the perverse details in which also black comedy is found.

Set in postwar Tokyo, then very much a city of shacks, is interesting to see and compare to todays megapolis. Well shot images in black and white really lets you get the feel of the city.

Most interesting character is Mari Shiraki's. She is strong and tough. Very well acted. Her boyfriend is well portrayed as a greedy artist. I must agree, though, that the hero Mizushima is a rather dull character.