Stylish to the extreme.
Directed by Masahiro Shinoda, written by Masaru Baba and Masahiro Shinoda from a story by Shintaro Ishihara. The cinematography was by Masao Kosugi with music by Toru Takemitsu and excellent sound design by Hideo Nishizaki.
The film stars Ryō Ikebe as Yakuza excon hitman Muraki. Mariko Kaga as the young, beautiful, and mysterious Saeko, with Takashi Fujiki as Yo, and mas Muraki's lover.
The story is simple. Muraki is a Yakuza gangster just released from prison after serving a three year sentence for murder. He is on a train headed South. He arrives at Tokyo's Ueno station.
Muraki in V.O.: Tokyo… After three long years. It makes my head spin. Just look at it. Why so many people crammed into tiny cage-like boxes? People… Such strange animals. What keeps them all going? They look like they’re half dead. Making a frantic pretense of being alive. What was so wrong about killing one of these stupid animals? I served three years… This is my territory… With no second thoughts, I’m back again.”
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| Wings sculpture is a famous meeting place at Ueno station |
I know some of you are asking WTF? Just three years for murder I asked a friend of mine, a Japanese expert about it. His reply "They're pretty lenient on murder in Japan (where they don't get that many). And there may have been extenuating circumstances, those circumstances including the idea of a gangster killing another gangster. Just like most places, it's not always what you do but who you do it to. Also, confessions are very important in Japanese jurisprudence and they may have offered him a plea deal if he agreed to incriminating himself." (Dave Jenkins - SLWB).
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| Ryō Ikebe as Muraki |
I understand the feeling, it reminded me of back when I was living in Montana and, after a seven year absence, returned to New York City by passenger train, it was the Lake Shore Limited which happened to arrive at Grand Central Terminal at noon. It actually took my breath away stepping out onto 42nd Street and into the lunch hour mass of people. I'd forgotten what it was like.
So, back in town, Muraki visits his former girlfriend and makes the rounds of his old stomping grounds. He rejoins his Yakuza gang. He copes with the shifting gang alliances that occured when he was in the slammer.
So, back in town, Muraki visits his former girlfriend and makes the rounds of his old stomping grounds. He rejoins his Yakuza gang. He copes with the shifting gang alliances that occured when he was in the slammer.
He's a gambler and has a penchant for hanafuda games. The tiles clicking against each other is a soothing sound for Muraki. While at one of these illegal games he meets Saeko.
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| Mariko Kaga as Saeko |
Saeko is a rarity. She is young, rich, beautiful, and bored. Gambling is one of the thrills that she lusts for, she is an addict. She does things for kicks. She also enjoys driving, recklessly, zooming around and racing other cars in her small 1959 Renault Floride Cabriolet convertible.
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| 1959 Renault Floride Cabriolet convertible |
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| A challenger in a MGA |
Muraki becomes her mentor, chaperoning her around to the various places that host the illegal games. At one of these games Muraki notices a heroin addict.
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| April -Fuji (藤, wisteria) - hanafuda tile |
Knowing Saeko's lust for kicks and adventure Muraki realizes that she will be susceptible to experimenting with drugs also. Muraki thinks he has a way to sidetrack her off that path.
Noirsville
"Pale Flower predated Le Samourai and looks like it MIGHT have influenced it. They are both similar as far as the subject matter and the Samurai Code. The director of Pale Flower said he got the inspiration for that film from a scene in " Odds Against Tomorrow". Pale Flower is just a gorgeous masterpiece. The cinematography, scoring and acting are fabulous." (moorman SLWB)
Screencaps are from a recent TCM stream. 8/10
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