The Yakuza 1974
An entertaining, well-acted American film about Japanese gangsters. Robert Mitchum plays a private detective who travels to Japan to rescue an American girl kidnapped by the Yakuza, an ex-gangster who helps him is the legendary Japanese star Ken Takakura. Kishi Keiko plays the woman Mitcham fell in love with while serving in Japan at the end of World War II, and who he is now reconnecting with. Adapted from a story by Leonard Schrader and directed by Paul Schrader, Yakuza is a notable attempt to introduce American audiences to the traditions of Japanese genre cinema. The character of Ken, an old Yakuza trying to survive in capitalist Japan while still holding onto the values of the past, provides an interesting contrast between old rituals and modern values. Director Pollak, with the skill of a master, does not overshadow the story with flashy direction or ruin a good idea. His camera is only needed to capture the performances – and it does so beautifully. This film belongs to the actors, who deliver an exciting show.
