La loi yakuza

An awesome film for the most part. Reminiscent of 'Casino' and 'Zatoichi' in its nature. Necessarily Violent as it depicts Yakuza law of an old-school variety.

This film is a great watch for those interested in old and new Yakuza films! This film is violent, i say this comparing it to newer Yakuza films & also the films in general circulation. This may look a bit out of date because it was the 70's but it's still pretty grim. Those bored by this should definitely be ashamed to write such off the ball reviews. I found the earlier eras covered to be more entertaining as i have not seen much of this before & i enjoy Gordon Liu and Zatoichi films too. I would say it is a must see Japanese Yakuza film along with 'Street Mobster' and 'The Yakuza Papers: Battles Without Honour Or Humanity'.

Relentless in places, baring likeness to old martial arts films ('Zatoichi' for the swords)... Good for people who don't mind the 70's style of film and even if you don't but like newer Yakuza films - watch it - it's a bit of history in Yakuza ways & law.

In the violent world of the Yakuza, if you break the rules then you must pay the price. Since this usually involves the removal of a body part with a sharp knife or sword, or even a hideous death, members of these bloodthirsty Japanese crime families had better think twice before screwing over their pals.

Spanning several centuries, starting in feudal japan and ending in the present day (ie. the late 1960s), Yakuza's Law:Lynching consists of three stories all dealing with betrayal and punishment within the Yakuza system. These tales are rather mundane in nature but are lifted by some wonderfully gruesome acts of brutality.

In the first two segments, fingers are removed, eyeballs and tongues are cut out, and sword slashes result in fountains of blood. In the last segment, the modern day Yakuza get creative, dragging victims along by helicopter, encasing them in cement, and crushing them in car compactors.

I consider the jazz-scored groovy last section to be the best of the stories, since it also has a rather sleazy feel to it, with sexy babes also involved in the nasty goings on. On the whole, I certainly wouldn't class this movie as essential viewing, but it should be of interest to fans of Japanese cinema, crime films, and, of course, gory exploitation flicks.

Yakuza Law is an anthology that portrays three different stories abot organized crime in Japan. The three stories are presented in chronological order as they take place during the Edo period, followed by the Meiji period and finally present-day Japan when the movie was released. The title is quite ironic since the three tales portray that the common laws don't matter to organized crime syndicates and that they even break with their own conventions when conflicts are at hand.

This movie has aged quite well since the three tales portray their respective periods in authentic fashion. The cinematography is quite vibrant with dynamic cuts and zooms. The film's pace is frantic without lacking depth. The three different tales offer suprisingly profound conspiracies with a few intersting twists and turns. This movie is also quite violent as all tales end in sinister confrontations. This shouldn't come as a surprise as the opening credits already portray grisly torture sequences.

In the end, Yakuza Law finds a surprisingly timeless balance between brutal special effects, intelligent plots and dynamic cinematography. Veteran director Ishii Teruo offers one of his most concise films that features numerous skilled veterans such as prolific actor Sugawara Bunta and television star Miyauchi Hiroshi. If you like brutal gangster movie without wanting to sit through the extensive length of contemporary Western cinema, then you should certainly give this overlooked gem a try.

YAKUZA LAW: LYNCHING! is one of the latter films in Teruo Ishii's JOYS OF TORTURE series, and is honestly the only one I've had the chance to see as of this writing. It is a strong entry that deals with the subject of Yakuza principles, and the penalties for not abiding by their codes.

The film is divided into three parts - the first two taking place in feudal Japan, the last segment being more "modern" and set in the late 1960's. All three deal with those that have broken the Yakuza code, and their subsequent torture and dispatch. The last part is played more like a 70's style crime film, and feels somewhat mis-matched against the other two segments - but is still an enjoyable addition to the film.

There's plenty of violence in this one for those that are looking for that - a good bit happening before the opening credits are over. I think that this one will be of interest to most who enjoy the 60's/70's era samurai/pinky films. Strangely enough - there's no actual lynching taking place. There is a scene where a guy is hung (by his torso) from a helicopter and dragged around a beach - but I don't think that really qualifies as "lynching". Not as strong as the "unofficial sequel" to Ishii's first JOYS OF TORTURE film - SHOGUN'S SADISM (aka OXEN SPLIT TORTURE) - but definitely in the same vain. LYNCHING! is definitely worth a look to Japanese exploit fans. 8/10

Three stories for the price of one all concerning Yakuza and their laws. Just watch the opening credits that is full with torture and gore. Looked great from the start and it did for the first two stories taking place in old Japan. the last story takes place in the time being, the sixties.

But was I surprised for such an old movie that it contained so much blood and gore and even a bit of nudity. As I said, the first two parts are the best with a lot of fights going on and torture. Of course there are a few editing effects used but still the removal of an ear and the eye poking are gruesome to watch. In the last part we don't have katana's but guns so the torture is a bit different but the helicopter scene is still horrible.

Overall the acting was also good and for such an old flick the use of lighting was also well done. One of the earlier Japanese violence flicks and surely one to pick up. It also gives you an inside look into the Japanese way of living and traditions. Available on Shock DVD full uncut and uncensored.

Gore 3,5/5 Nudity 1/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5