@Lebron Smith – I usually avoid these things and try to focus on what happened. But, for the sake of your question, here goes.
Orson Welles – Welles is probably the most popular what if. Drake’s Welles page covers most of what I want to say, so I’ll be brief with this one. As big of a masterpiece as The Magnificent Ambersons is, by all accounts, Welles intended version would have rivaled Citizen Kane.
Andrei Tarkovsky – Died at 54. I think it’s safe to assume he had another 3 or 4 films left. Given his track record, they would have been MS, MS/MP, or MP level. If this happens, he may be my #1 director, especially if I ever come around on Mirror and have it where the consensus does.
Yasujirō Ozu – Died at 60. Given the rate at which he was putting out films and their quality, I will assume he would have released another 5-10, and they would have been HR, HR/MS, MS, MS/MP, and MP level.
Jean-Luc Godard – If someone wants to argue 1960-1967 Godard is the most dominant stretch by a director in history, they’ll get no disagreement from me. Unfortunately, he became interested in other things for a 13-years, and Tout Va Bien is the only notable film he made between 1968-1980. When he finally got back to making narrative features, he lost the magic he had from 1960-1967.
Max Ophüls – Died at 54. He was getting stronger before his death, with 6 of 7 films at an MS or MP level.
F. W. Murnau – Died at 42. There’s no telling how much more he could have accomplished.
Carl Theodor Dreyer – Starting with The Passion of Joan of Arc, Dreyer never looked back. The issue is the time between his films. 1928, 1932, 1943, 1955, 1964. One wonders what could have been if he had released something every five years.
Of the above, I think Tarkovsky, Ozu, and Godard all had #1 potential. Using a sports comparison, Godard feels similar to Sandy Koufax and Pedro Martinez.
Wouldn’t include Godard here. He fizzled out. His output after Weekend(1967) or Tout va Bien(1972) is incredibly overrated among critics circles. I wish Antonioni made more films after Blow-Up(1966).
@Drake – I knew I was forgetting someone! Nice mention on Fassbinder. It’s incredible how many films he was putting out.
Drake
August 22, 2023 at 8:18 pm
@Ian- right, easy to forget about him (I’ve done it myself before) with this list because he was so prolific (12 archiveable films, and I’m sure I’m missing a few)- but still- yeah, dead at 37
They have deep filmographies. I believe Howard now has 10 archivable films, Frears 8 and Branagh 7. All three are two-time Oscar nominees for best Director.
Norman Jewison is another one who has a very deep filmography. 3-time Oscar nominee for best Director. With 8 archivable films I think.
1965-Cincinnati Kid
1967-In the Heat of the Night
1968-The Thomas Crown Affair
1975-Rollerball
1979-And Justice for All
1984-A Soldiers Story
1987-Moonstruck
1999-The Hurricane
Very good list. Agreed on Jacques Becker missing. Also Koreeda, Chabrol, Audiard and Vinterberg who surely deserve a place ahead of Wachowskis, Ari Aster, Hogg and Tom Hooper. Would have Bresson, Malle and Rohmer all higher, but there is of course always subjectivity in any list of this nature.
@Stendhal – I can’t speak on the other 2 you reference as I have not seen yet but I am with you on Le Trou (1960) which is yet another MP level film for 1960, already the single best year in Cinema History
There are always gonna be disagreements with a list of this sort, but overall I really like this list quite a bit. It’s obvious that you did a deep and thorough research and most names are pretty hard to argue against. I appreciate the fact that you ranked Spielberg and Nolan quite high (even though I’m far from being the biggest fan of the latter, there seems to be this contrarian trend trying to discredit their work just because they enjoy mainstream success).
My only quibble (if I may) is the shortage of Japanese directors. I counted only seven, which seems like an extremely low number to me given how much incredible talent has come out of that country. Maybe I’m just too much of a fan of Asian cinema in general (I would rank pretty much every Asian director (except for Ozu) higher than you have). Other than that, I think it’s a really, really solid list. Keep up the good work, Drake.
Well, there are quite a few. Japan’s cinema has incredible depth. I’ll try to restrain myself and mention only five, otherwise I’m gonna keep writing until next week hahaha:
1. Seijun Suzuki. I’m sure you’ve heard about him, but I don’t know if you’ve seen any of his films. I bring him up because I think you would enjoy him a lot. His movies don’t usually have the best scripts, but they ooze swagger and style. He was influential and extremely prolific, but his 60s stretch is definitely his peak. My favourite film from him is probably Tokyo drifter, but Branded to kill is usually regarded as his magnum opus.
2. Kinuyo Tanaka. She was an extraordinary actress and also a remarkable, deeply sensitive filmmaker with a very keen eye for visual composition. Out of the six films she directed, I’ve seen five, and all of them are worth watching. The eternal breasts is perhaps her best work, but The moon has risen and Love under the crucifix are also magnificent.
3. Hiroshi Teshigahara. The two-punch of Woman in the dunes (a clear MP) and The face of another (a solid MS) is enough for me to put him on the list, but there’s more to his filmography than those two masterworks. Pitfall and Rikyu are also quite good. I haven’t had the chance to see more from him, but I intend to do so if I can, but unfortunately they’re not easy to find.
4. Yoshishige Yoshida. Not my favourite, but probably the most avant-garde of all the directors who came from the Japanese New Wave (which is saying a lot giving how batsh*it insane some of the films from this period are). His films are quite challenging and extreme, but he was a visual trailblazer of undeniable talent. Woman of the lake is a good place to start with him because, even though it’s cutting-edge, it’s still one of his most tempered films. Eros + Massacre is his most revered work. And then you have something like Heroic purgatory, which is almost impenetrable, but the things he does in that film in terms of editing and cinematography are something to behold.
5. Mikio Naruse. The best realist in classic Japanese cinema, Naruse was all about subtlety and thematic depth. He lacked the visual flair of his best-known contemporaries, which may work against him based on your criteria, but he was a superb director of actors, maybe the best one of his time. He made me fall completely in love with Hideko Takamine (who is, to this day, my favourite Japanese actress of all time). I love almost every film I’ve watched from him, but if forced to choose, I’d probably stick with Yearning and When a woman ascends the stairs. I would recommend giving those two a chance, and, if you like them, then you can dive deeper into his filmography.
I could name at least five or six more who I think deserve to be in a top 250, but I don’t wanna bore you more than necessary haha.
I gotta ask you though: did you get the chance to take a closer look at Kobayashi’s filmography? I know this may sound hyperbolic, but he’s a top 50 director in my eyes. His 1957-1967 stretch (from Black river to Samurai rebellion) is one that most filmmakers would kill to have under their belts. Even The inheritance, which is supposed to be a minor work, is fantastic.
@David O.- Thanks for the share – really solid work – appreciate it and agree with much of this (literally saw The Inheritance five days ago – and yes – it is superb). I am wrapping up a Kobayashi study tonight actually, have completed a Naruse study in the last 3 months, and a Suzuki study in the last 12 months. I am not saying the TSPDT list is gospel – but only 1 of the 6 directors you mention here is on the TSPDT top 250 director’s list and that is Naruse – and who I am fairly confident does not warrant a spot on the top 250 actually.
Harry
June 25, 2023 at 11:53 pm
@Drake – Has Kobayashi greatly gone up in your estimation?
Drake
June 26, 2023 at 3:42 am
@Harry- Yes, indeed. Kobayashi will soar up the list.
Harry
June 25, 2023 at 11:58 pm
@Drake – I’m nowhere near as knowledgeable as you but I think the best directors NOT on your list currently are Raul Ruiz, Kim Ki Duk and Joseph Losey.
Drake
June 26, 2023 at 3:43 am
@Harry- Don’t sell yourself short – your comments always indicate you know a great deal. Ruiz and Losey will be remedied upon the next update. I’ll add Kim Ki Duk to my study list again.
Harry
June 26, 2023 at 4:19 am
@Drake – Kim Ki Duk is just really impressive, I apply some of your praise to Rashomon to Spring, Summer Winter, Fall… the beauty of the film alone would warrant it high praise, and so would the structure, yet you have both there to be awed by.
He also feels like his own brand/author when so many of his films are also silent, maybe less dialogue than Valhalla Rising in some that I’ve caught.
Harry
June 26, 2023 at 4:29 am
@Drake – really happy to hear that about Kobayashi… maybe we will get to catch Tatsuya Nakadai on the best actors list now if he wasn’t already on his way.
David O.
June 26, 2023 at 4:37 pm
@Drake Well, to be honest with you, I don’t pay too much attention to TSPDT when it comes to Japanese directors. Don’t give me wrong, I love their website and it’s helped me discover a lot of films over the years, but if I had to name one blind spot, it would be that one. I mean, just the fact that Imamura sits at #180 and Kobayashi doesn’t even make the cut is incomprehensible to me and tells you everything you need to know about how overlooked the Japanese New Wave has been in Western studies (Kobayashi is not exactly New Wave, but he’s definitely not a classicist either). But hey, at least they included Oshima, which is a nice touch and one I wouldn’t disagree with at all (I actually prefer him to Yoshida, I just recommended the latter because he’s stylistically bolder and I thought you might connect with him more due to that).
As for Naruse, I’m not even gonna fight you on that because I understand where you’re coming from and, like I said, I knew he probably wasn’t gonna be your cup of tea. I include him in my top 250 because I love his films, even though the reasons why I love them are the writing and the acting, not necessarily the visual prowess. Same thing happens with Koreeda (who, interestingly enough, did manage to squeak in TSPDT’s top 250), they both are directors who get in based on the strength of their filmographies, even if they’re not visual masters.
I’m glad to hear you’ve done a Suzuki study. Will he make the cut once you update the list? Which one would you say is your favourite film from him?
Drake
June 26, 2023 at 5:01 pm
@David O.- Fair, and like I said – TSPDT is not gospel truth and this was an excellent share from you- thank you – just a chance it may be more about your preferences and tastes (the Naruse one makes me a little suspect but whatever) – which is fine. As for Naruse – if we start including the sort of “writing and acting” directors on the list of 250 … that list will have 1000+ names on it. Hard to say on where Suzuki will land until I get a chance to look at it with the updates and changes. Hopefully start putting that together later this fall.
David O.
June 26, 2023 at 9:41 pm
@Drake Well, yeah, every time I talk about film I am sharing my preferences and tastes haha, but don’t worry because out of all the directors I mentioned, Naruse is the only one who’s mostly about substance. The other four are all pretty stylish in their own right because I know that’s what you value the most (otherwise I wouldn’t have recommended Suzuki). I talked about Naruse having a stronger filmography than his style might suggest because that’s what you said about Chaplin, which I think is a very valid argument, by the way (I would say that others like Allen, Wilder and Farhadi also fit this description). I’m not saying Naruse would be in my top 50. I mean, for me he’s a good director and he has clear and identifiable traits. I watch a Naruse film and I know it’s a Naruse film. Still, his visual presentation is not particularly noteworthy and I will be the first person to admit that. That being said, based on his filmography, I think I could find some room for him in a top 250 because even though he didn’t make any films in the MS-MP range, he did produce several works that at least I would consider to be HRs. Anyway, I said I wasn’t gonna argue with you about Naruse and that’s precisely what I’m doing right now. My apologies hahaha.
I’m glad to know that you will update the list this year, which I’m sure won’t be easy work. I’ll be looking forward to it.
I hope that before updating the directors list, you will have time to check out some films by Wojciech Has. I think that just with The Saragossa Manuscript and The Hourglass Sanatorium (both fringe MP) he could make the list.
Seijun Suzuki was one of the first directors I watched when I ordered the Criterion Channel in 2019, I went through all 7 of his available films and was mesmerized by his bombastic style and ability to capture youthful energy. Like Hitchcock’s MacGuffin the plots of Suzuki’s films are often beside the point, the real value is setting up all the great action, hilarious dialogue, shifting narrative, etc.
Suzuki has a legitimate claim as best director of Yakuza films, which are basically Japanese version of gangster movies. Suzuki is to Yakuza as Jean Pierre Melville was to French Gangster Films, although there are also some considerable different; Melville’s films have a cool detachment to them, his go to guy Alain Delon his words carefully while Suzuki’s films tended to be more playful and his go to guy Joe Shishido was more verbal and unpredictable. I would argue he has some common traits with another legendary French auteur, Jean Luc Godard. Like Godard Suzuki’s films often are absurd with plots that are not describable by any conventional standards
Ironically Suzuki was fired from his Nikkatsu studio after making Branded to Kill which is now considered by many (including myself) to be his magnum opus. Speaking of which pre-study I had Branded to Kill as easily his best film, but Tokyo Drifter blew me away so much to the point where I really had to think it over when making the final rankings. None the less I still have Branded to Kill at the number 1 spot with both as MPs. Tokyo Drifter might have minute for minute more standout images but is less cohesive. While both are Yakuza films, they at the same time transcend genre a la Godard’s work in the 60s.
While his Nikkatsu films are his best known and most popular outside of Japan it is The Taisho Trilogy that is considered to be his great films in Japan. His Yakuza films are my personal favorite and I think his 2 best films hands down are Branded to Kill and Tokyo Drifter which are his 2 MPs. I loved seeing this beautiful trilogy, really shows off Suzuki full talent as he can do more than just genre films. Of course to some degree these are just as bizarre as something like Tokyo Drifter. The Taisho Trilogy is dense and quite challenging but even if it does not work at all times one thing you can never accuse Suzuki of is being conventional or predictable and certainly not uninteresting. All 3 films which total nearly 7 hours are not an easy watch and I would not recommend to anyone who is not a cinephile. I am glad that I watched them but if I am being honest, I am not sure I will be returning to them for a long time. I will absolutely return to the Nikkatsu films as they are incredibly rewatchable
# 1 Branded to Kill (1967), MP
# 2 Tokyo Drifter (1966), MP
# 3 Gate of Flesh (1964), MS
# 4 Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! (1963), MS/HR
# 5 Zigeunerweisen (1980), HR
# 6 Youth of the Beast (1963), HR
# 7 Take Aim at the Police Van (1960), HR
# 8 Everything Goes Wrong (1960), HR/R
# 9 Kagero-za (1981), R/HR
# 10 Fighting Elegy (1966), R
# 11 Story of a Prostitute (1965), R
# 12 Yumeji (1991), R
Seijun Suzuki 3rd and final installment in the Taisho Trilogy
More of the same with beautiful images in particular great use of frames and colors
Like the 2 previous installments the narrative is thin, here even thinner than the first 2 which is why I did not take notes it was very experimental and difficult to watch and take conventional notes
Impressive use of collage and color
Starts with serene image of water and montage of shots of water during opening credits
Set in Tokyo in 1926
3:10 woman standing on stairs near middle of frame wearing purple robe and holding flowers
5:50 characters in different planes of the frame
6:20 slow motion set to image of woman walking down stairs with flowers flying off
8:50 spinning heads in and out of shot
14:24 slow zoom out beautiful shot along water
19:50 series of shots with woman in seductive positions lying on red match leading to fragmented sex scene
26:48 shot of beautiful woman on stairs similar to shot near opening of the film
28 min haunting music
29:55 composition with person standing quietly in background, common trait in these films I’ve noticed
31 min frequent green in mise en scene
32:40 brief cutaway shot to stairs with flash of a purple umbrella
34:02 two subjects talking in foreground with dancers in background with Jazz music playing
37 min red and green in mise en scene during slow dance scene
51 min private section of train transitions to inside of Japanese house
54 repeated shots of same women in a boat moving along water
55:18 close up shows doll like figure
55:45 green again in mise en scene along with multiple frames
57:27 well-choreographed shots of Geisha dancers, symmetrical frame
1:04:15 beautiful shot of Geisha surrounded by white flowers and quick zoom out
1:05:10 low angle shot of woman in pink robe
1:08:08 several beautiful shots using reflections in pond as images are distorted
1:15:20 “a mysterious woman? Then die with her”
1:15:30 painterly shot of lake with bright green grass in foreground
1:22:48 overhead shot indoor ceremony
1:26:10 Montage of sexual images on stage
1:32:34 color palette change to purple and light blue
1:38:00 magnetic repelling
1:39:30 bright blue eyes
1:40:27 beautiful colored silhouette image
1:42:24 great montage of architecture in houses throughout this town
1:43:47 bright colors and primary colors in mise en scene
1:44:33 frame using stage and floor of theatre, primary colors in background
1:50:55 slow zoom out followed by beginning of children’s play on same stage
1:56:12 play just as strange as everything before it in this film
1:56:58 one of best shots of film with multiple layers of depth and frame within frames, really just a great composition
2:00:15 single actress on stage, bright colors in background
2:04:42 stunning use of color in frame
Thoughts:
2nd installment of Taisho Trilogy
Similar to the 1st film the editing and lack of continuity immediately stands out
There are beautiful images throughout the film which admittingly is quite challenging, again to some degree you have to except that much of the film can’t be understood in any conventional way and this can be difficult to get through at times so I mainly tried to just enjoy the imagery and experience the film rather than trying to make sense of it all
Starts with classic music and close up of record playing during opening credits, already seems like something different from everything in this study prior to this one
5:20 exterior shot of train moving with mountains in the background
6:40 slow motion shot of group of about 15 people moving in unison on a beach
This film focuses on 2 friends; a professor named Aochi and his former colleague, Nakasago, who is now living as a nomad
7:20 bizarre, animated image of cartoon looking red crab moving out of woman’s pants and onto the beach
12:50 strange quartet of musicians play along the beach
20:32 trio of musicians with middle playing a banjo like instrument
24:44 camera drops back to a long shot of the pier
27:07 cutaway to waves crashing upon rocks
34:38 all dishes are a saturated red
36:08 slow zoom from record player from opening credits
38:08 open door as frame
38:23 thumping score with slow zoom
40:20 beautiful geological structure makes humans tiny by comparison
44:38 gorgeous shot of window frame with solid orange in the background
44:44 great shot using blocking
45:46 stunning shot with hallway field of depth
48:08 long shot with camera held in place
54:10 great using of multiple frames using doors
1:00:55 a bizarre chase seen through a house with narrow hallways
1:11:25 haunting image with 3 dead bodies below Nakasago, all captured in low angle shot in underground tunnel
1:18:59 clever mirror shot places Aochi on opposite side of frame
1:20:05 Antonioni style shot with physical barrier between 2 characters on opposite sides of frame, shortly after this is juxtaposed by close up shot on both faces next to each other
1:22:22 3 characters form triangle with female Geisha in the middle of two men although in foreground
1:30:55 beautiful low angle shot with use of color, purple, in mise en scene
1:32:02 colorful frame with primary colors
1:33:52 shot of Nakasago on top of hill near top of frame looking down on children singing has a fairy tale
image
1:36:28 cutaway to shot of Sun taking up entire frame
1:37:37 thumping noise returns with gliding camera through a number of beautiful images of nature
1:46:50 camera moves back with shot through a white sheet around the bed which turns green and other colors over the next couple of minutes
1:59:24 shot of 3 characters in hallway, triangle
2:01:21 painterly image with trees in foreground and water in background
2:08:42 title reference, which refers to classical music
2:11:24 beautiful shot with subject in middle of frame and water in background, shot from inside residence and through the glass door
2:12:35 repeated shot through film
2:16:18 great mirror shot
2:16:44 close up on 2 beers while music from opening scene plays
Thoughts:
This is the 1st of films known as The Taisho Trilogy named after a Japan Era that last from 1912 to 1926 and gets its name from the ruling Emperor Taishō although this period is known for its liberalism. After being fired by Nikkatsu Studios following Branded to Kill in 1967 Suzuki didn’t get a chance for another feature film for 13 years with this trilogy and here Seijun Suzuki goes with something entirely different here in terms of content, style, and the fact that all the other films so far in the Study were approximately 90 min or less while this one is 144 min
Perhaps the editing is the most interesting aspect of this film as Suzuki defies the rules of continuity with abrupt transitions of characters and objects into and out of the frame, there is a surreal aspect to it, resembling to a certain degree David Lynch films as the story feels like its drifting in and out of consciousness,
Jump cuts and unusual editing throughout the film, the characters here are often positioned looking in different directions or having physical barriers like walls in between them
Making sense of this is near impossible, like some of Godard’s work in the 60s there is little to no concrete plot and even attempting to make sense of it all is basically a waste of time, instead best to just try to experience it like watching something like Stalker
Starts with leisurely piano score and theme song set to opening credits
Back to black and white
2:15 Joe Shishido as Hanada in back seat rocking sunglasses despite it being night
3 min Shishido ordering steam white rice at bar
3:32 “booze and women kill a killer”
5:20 profile shot close up with Hanada
6:50 “the glory of # 1” hilarious the way they talk about Hitman’s rankings like they were having a conversation about College Football
8:30 Jazz score kicks in
11:15 camera moves to long shot as car crosses bridge before a POV shot used from Hanada driving
14:32 slow motion
17:37 window as frame for mounted gun
20:20 profile shot of femme fatale character named Misako Nakajô played by actress Annu Mari
21:15 love triangle montage of sorts with Shishido character sniffing white rice, his girlfriend from the opening nightclub scene showering, and cutaway shots to femme fatale in the rain
30:23 Misako’s head shown in isolation in pouring rain as she speaks to Hanada about a job
31:58 butterfly interrupts the hit with sniper rifle
33:13 “you’ve lost your ranking and will be killed”
34:21 Suzuki using pans across apartment more frequently
34:55 “we’re beasts” said during sex scene with soft focus
36:32 camera tracks Hanada
36:57 zoom in on Misako through the waterfall
38:34 pan across apartment with butterflies covering wall
39:20 Misako with perfect femme fatale line telling Shishido why he won’t kill her yet “but you won’t until you’ve ravished me”
40:53 keyhole as frame with butterflies along wall and gun on the floor; amazing composition
45:16 rifle almost the length of the frame
46:08 bizarre collage of butterflies in various frames
50:10 low angle silhouette image with Shishido standing in doorway frame
55:30 Misako shown on projector being interrogated for not killing Hanada
57:03 great shot with projector image of dead Misako over Hanada’s head as if burning into his mind
1:04:44 we finally see “# 1” with appropriate low angle shot building up his reputation
1:06:53 camera pans around the entire city in a night vision as a panicked Hanada is taunted by # 1
1:13:46 Hanada meets # 1 again face to face, the classic bad guy talking and philosophizing instead of killing protagonist
1:15:20 “your training is inadequate” # 1 says to Hanada after explaining that he can literally sleep with his eyes open, hilarious
1:19:16 the two hitmen eat together at restaurant is just as comical as it sounds
1:23:04 training to battle # 1 like a boxer getting ready for fight
1:23:44 hallway long shot
1:24:30 empty boxing arena, dim lighting as tension grows
1:27:10 lights blinking as # 1 toys with Hanada along with tape recording “this is how # 1 works; he wears you down”
1:28:35 the absurdity of this situation is so funny after all the build up
1:30:30 the theme song returns shortly before final shot
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki was fired after this film by the Studio, tension had been building for a while as the Studio ordered him to make more conventional gangster movies, advice he wisely ignored even if it did get him fired. Like Tokyo Drifter this is so utterly unpredictable and near impossible to describe to someone not familiar with Suzuki
Absurd for sure but if Tokyo Drifter had elements of Godard in its playfulness, Branded to Kill has elements of Jean Pierre Melville’s meta-awareness; Melville’s characters frequently understood their place within the film whether they were a cop, thief, informer, etc. Like Melville’s characters the characters in this film understand their place with their hilarious hyper focus on their hitman ranking # “the glory of being number 1” like they were boxers talking about getting their title shot
Similar to Park Chan Wook sex scenes are graphic but not (in my opinion) exploitative which I would define as sex used for either shock value or for cheap thrills but here sex is intrinsically linked to violence, I love the “we’re beasts” line as sex is undeniably one of the most animalistic things people do
There is a fever dream vibe throughout the film, I particularly love how the film transforms into a psychological thriller of sorts in the last 20-25 min with # 1 toying with Hanada leading to the inevitable showdown
Around the 21:15 mark of the film there is a series of images, a sort of love triangle montage sequence of 3 shots; Shishido character sniffing white rice, his girlfriend from the opening nightclub scene showering, and cutaway shots to femme fatale in the rain who he is clearly attracted too more than his girlfriend. This is just one example, but you have these rapid sequences in the film
There are creative framing and angles throughout; one of my favorites is a keyhole shot with the keyhole as frame with butterflies along wall and Misako standing in the room with a gun on the ground
Set in 1935
Starts with classroom full of High School students although the actors are probably in their 30s
4:26 lead character behind wooden bars, frequent shot with Suzuki
8 min Kiroku starts training as a way to refocus energy and angst
13:30 an intense fighting session, basically a Fight Club
20:48 zoom in on Kiroku through the fence
23:30 fighting scene uses high shots per second
29:48 montage of close up shots on the various weapons the approaching combatants were holding
30 min gusts of wind present in several scenes so far with occasional sandstorm
34:30 profile shot
35:12 character behind wooden bars again
38:17 strong composition with Kiroku standing in foreground holding his rifle while facing commander with his fellow soldiers standing in unison in background of the frame; Kiroku is clearly a rebel of sorts which naturally gets him into trouble as he resists conformity
39:42 Kiroku again isolated in frame, here in the background with fellow soldiers standing unison in foreground
41:55 rapid pellet like shots fired at officers inside office using slow motion and extreme close ups
47:07 low angle shot of Kiroku sitting on rock having talk with his father
48:05 Welles style low angle shot
50:18 strange sequence with alternating aspect ratios but with each only covering about half the frame at a time, I haven’t seen this before
54 min dissolve edit used shortly after Kiroku leaves school in disgust
55:10 interesting framing using roof of building on slanted angle
1:04:50 gorgeous low angle shot as camera pans in woods with Sun poking through a la Kurosawa in Rashomon
1:06:30 tracking shot of Kiroku approaching fearlessly despite being massively outnumbered
1:11:00 after the fight in which many were hurt badly, we see a Suzuki trait of disorientation by way of close-up shots and a stretch with high number of shots per second
1:16:58 shot of soldiers hanging upside down from clothesline then camera pans to sign “Principals Office”
1:18:33 jump to Winter with snow, window as frame as camera slowly zooms out
Thoughts:
Quite hilarious intentional or otherwise with a great satire on fascism and the Japanese Imperial Army, Suzuki, himself seemed to have a rebellious streak, he was a bit of an iconoclast so not surprising that he would be drawn to this material
A bit of mediation of teenage angst (despite many of the actors probably being in their late 20s and even early 30s) and conformity
Some strong compositions showing Kiroku as a rebel with Kiroku positioned away from groups of young Japanese men positioned together whether in line of seated in classroom
Drake,
What did you think was stronger Tokyo Drifter or Branded to Kill? I had seen both more than once prior to study but was really impressed by recent viewing of Tokyo Drifter
Starts with black and white grainy image of Tetsu walking along train track
1:28 symmetrical frame with Tetsu on left side of frame and his contact on right of train
1:56 line of five men walking with Tetsu in the middle wearing white shirt and others black
2:31 extreme close up on sunglasses then cut to color images of Tetsu shooting a gun
3:30 montage of abandoned loading docks
4:22 red in black and white image
4:32 beautiful black and white shift to color with Suzuki go to green lettering that he uses in several opening credit shots
5:52 low angle shot of Yakuza watching Kurata Building
6:32 close up on Chiharu, the beautiful young singer present throughout the film who loves Tetsu
8:44 Tetsu wearing flashy light blue suit
9:44 fence around with Tetsu in foreground trying to negotiate his way out of life of crime
10:45 close up on girl giggling
11:00 Manhole Jazz Club, purple is dominant color inside, young and vibrant atmosphere inside the club which is shot with unusual angles
13 min Tokyo Drifter song in surreal looking club room with solid yellow walls and white piano , stairs leading up to a single door
13:44 canted angle of roads
15:08 neo lights with close ups on city at night
18:13 light blue in mise en scene matching Tetsu suit
21 min cutaway shot to giggling girl
21:39 low angle close up of face on phone calls
22:03 shallow focus over the shoulder shot
23:06 trapped door underneath elevator shaft
24:23 Otsuka “Money and power rule now. Honor means nothing!” says standing above with face not in the frame followed by extreme close up on Otsuka’s mouth
27:03 Otsuka’s bright red suit in foreground, over the shoulder shot of Yoshii in background
28:48 floor as ceiling shot
30 min Tatsu the Viper
30:20 Tetsu and Chiharu sitting at bar in Yellow Room
31:57 whistling theme song during car crushing montage
33:52 room above the club’s purple da
35:07 main villain in bright red suit sitting calmly in lower right corner of the frame surrounded by green in mise en scene
37:30 body positioning in frame not on same level
40:40 Chiharu descending stairs singing in yellow room
41:19 switch from Yellow Room to dark blue color palette in long shot of training traveling along tracks in Winter
42:46 hilarious how gangsters refer to the organization they work for like they were lawyers or accountants
43:26 Tetsu shown in room surrounded by wood bars resembling prison despite the beautiful architecture
45:40 song returns with Tetsu walking through mountain terrain
46:30 zoom in on X marked window
48:33 profile shot proceeding Western style standoff with approaching train, great close up shot followed by an immediate rapid zoom in
56:54 dissolve edit from Tetsu leaving in Train during Winter to skyline shot
57:27 nighttime shot of Japan’s metropolitan area
59:47 nice use of door opening as frame and blocking
1:00:30 brawl at club breaking out with American women and soldiers present along with Japanese
1:06:06 profile shot of Tetsu with green in background
1:07:07 over the shoulder shot with Kurata in foreground with back to camera
1:07:27 beautiful composition; low angle shot in club in purple background and four men meeting with Kurata and Otsuka flanked on right and left and other 2 men’s faces not visible
1:14:14 walk through empty streets, feelings of regret
1:15:39 Kurata and Otsuka surrounded by solid black wall
1:15:45 Chiharu loyal to Tetsu and refuses 8to sing theme song after his “death”
1:17:45 Tetsu in white for the first time
1:22:00 neon lights used to perfection with closing credits
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki gives us an 83-minute expressionist Masterpiece
I actually watched this 2 nights in a row, the first one my brother watched along so I wasn’t really taking notes, so watched again tonight
There is almost no point in trying to make sense of the plot aside from the very basics, you have a young and fiercely loyal Yakuza hitman trying to give up a life of crime after his bosses criminal organization is dissolved but the powers that be won’t allow this to happen, that is all you need to know as beyond that it is absurd to the max, actually some similarities to some of Godard’s 60’s films like Pierrot le Fou (1965) and Made in USA (1966) with the playfulness and absurd storylines and with Wes Anderson’s dedication to color which alone is worthy of its own essay.
The use of color and shifting set pieces are magnificent from Night Clubs to isolated trains in Japanese Winter and a compound that reminded me of the location of the Final Battle between The Bride and O-Ren in Kill Bill Vol 1. There are also all those color-coded rooms; The Yellow Room, Purple Room, or Green Room, the White Room
The use of color is gorgeous as mentioned but the creative framing and compositions deserves recognition such as the immaculate low angle shot at 1:07:27 in the purple room with the blocking of the four gangsters meeting with only Kurata and Otsuka flanked on right and left and other 2 men’s faces not visible
The compositions in many of the cutaway shots to Chiharu singing are beautiful. There is a dreamlike nature a la David Lynch to many of these scenes, hard not to think of Blue Velvet even if the tone is quite different, I love the title song repeated throughout the film similar to what Altman would do in The Long Goodbye (1973) 7 years later
Starts with shots of hills followed by zoom in with narration
Film is set during The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945)
2:50 apparition like image on right side of frame
6:12 overhead shot of dead soldier
7:55 longshot with sky taking up over half the frame in background
8:13 Tarkovsky style camera turning 90 degrees into a doorway frame
13 min brutal violence
15:05 cutaway shot to valley
18:36 sitting military man leans out of darkness
20:10 shot of female from neck up while giving internal dialogue
22:23 slow motion shot used for the 1st time
25:12 metal frame of bed shot to look like prison bars
32 min rainfall fitting with the bleak atmosphere
35 min camera positioned low with subject in background, frequent shot throughout study
38:50 dreamlike images with heavy white coloring
42:56 overhead shot of brutal images, skeletons
44:08 frame using hole in wall with enemy soldiers attacking in background near center of frame
47:07 four women captured in frame, nice use of blocking
54 min dream like images of young couple lying in field at night
58:40 village under attack with heavy gunfire and explosives
1:00:45 excellent tracking shot during heavy gunfire as young woman runs without fear to find her man
1:08:30 cave like setting with religious imagery in background
1:11:02 longshot used to convey isolation as couple left behind
1:11:42 Antonioni like use of body positions to convey loneliness even in the presence of other people
1:12:52 rare use of dissolve edit
1:15:20 cutaway shot to long shot of valley
1:19:35 profile shot from multiple angles
1:22:00 prison cell prior to planned court martial
1:27:37 camera pan prior to court martial
1:32:00 series of freeze frames of Mikami and Harumi in courtyard prior to death
1:35:10 great low angle shot of soldiers marching on elevated area
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki returns to black and white, fitting as this film is bleak and unlike previous films in study there is little in way of a score, Obvious connections with Gate of Flesh, similar subject and focus on working girls but without the humor and occasional lighter moments. The film is more realism than standard melodrama although there is one relationship in particular that becomes the films focus. Still the focus is more on this village during wartime in the Japanese post in Manchuria and relationship between soldiers and women
There are some strong compositions throughout the film, particularly during enemy attacks on the village, in particular the scene starting around the 56 min mark of the film
Starts with beautiful but haunting montage of images with red lettering and faded colors during opening credits
2:20 tracking shot of woman moving through the streets at night during a police raid of a brothel
3:50 Joe Shishido character whistling and walking through the streets
6:12 great camera panning through daytime crowd near brothel
7 min red dress standouts with few primary colors
8:35 close up on injured Japanese woman lying in field with the cross of a priest standing over her with the cross in focus
10:52 interiors of broken-down building used as brothel
13:24 transition to bright day time street and shot of working girls lined up along the fence
16:10 quick zoom in on working girl tied to a boat for working outside her territory
17:25 camera set near waist level with unfaced John getting dressed in foreground and working girl in background in darkened room
19:45 cutaway shot to American Flag
20:34 great composition of two working girls in foreground and American soldier in between the two but in the background as they argue over “turf”
22:36 overhead shot of injured soldier carried through a crowd
24:20 internal dialogue
25:40 great blocking with woman in red dress and ghostlike image of Shishido character as drumbeat continues
27:30 slow zoom out as camera glides through house at night
33:01 Shishido’s character is shown again as ghostlike figure on far-right side of frame
34 min great montage with each of working girls shown in isolation for a few seconds with saturated color in background; red, yellow, blue/green, and purple
37:40 new working girl wearing black shows up for the first time
38:11 brief ghostlike image of Shishido character again
39:54 blocking with all 5 working girls in background and Shishido in foreground with back turned to the camera
42:20 series of dissolve edits during torture/whipping scene as working girls take out their anger and jealousy on the newest girl after Shishido’s character shows an interest in her
44:52 close up on face of girl being tortured
45:25 great 360 camera movement on working girls sitting in middle of frame
51:21 shot with girl in green standing with back to outside of the house
54:42 ghostlike image of Shishido character on right side of frame and girl and John is falling for her on left side of frame
57:34 close up on girl in green’s face displaying anger before camera transitions back with abandoned houses in background that may or may not be a dream
59:50 painterly background with girl in green standing in isolation and then transition to shot of empty village in morning with muted colors
1:07:37 Shishido places Japanese flag over his face, yet another War reference along with the frequent presence of American soldiers
1:09:32 extreme close up on girl in green
1:11:16 one of film’s rare long shots
1:13:20 close up on razor
1:13:40 overhead shot of girl in red storming out of house
1:15:06 close up on girl in green’s head with face looking up toward ceiling
1:16:24 extreme close up on girl in green’s eyes followed by the attacking Shishido’s character
1:21:24 shot with most of face covered by dark
1:24:11 green lighting fillings up entire frame other than girl hanging from rope in the middle of the frame
1:25:05 similar to prior shot with green frame only overhead shot
1:28:10 eerily quiet, profile shot of girl in green
1:29:40 underpass used as frame of tragedy followed by working girls walking streets
Like opening credits red lettering and faded colors
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki with an impressive social drama, I had seen this once before about 4 years ago but did remember it being so strong visually, I probably would have given this a R at the time but with this rewatch my opinion of it was improved dramatically (see grade below)
This is like a horror version of Italian neorealism, it’s a brilliant character study only instead of one character it is set on a group of 4 or 5 working girls but they live by a set of rules and brutally punish any dissenters and where as other films about working girls might view them strictly as victims of society but that is not the case here; some might critique that but I actually think its progressive as its allows female characters to have a full range of humanity, the good and the bad
Great use of lighting, much of film set at night and interesting use of bright colors and primary colors mainly in the clothing worn by the working girls and later in film use of green lighting almost haze like
There is great camera movements throughout the film, especially in the interiors of the torn down house they live in, some tracking shots through the town are used effectively as the films setting is one of its strengths; Suzuki creates a distinct world
Shishito appears as ghostlike image in several scenes, usually when he’s not physically present almost as if he has created a break in the girl’s routine
The score is appropriately different from other films in study so far as the Jazz score would not work here given the bleak tone and atmosphere
Starts with shot of street in black and white but with green lettering for introduction credits set to a jazz score and 2.35 to 1 aspect ratio
2:33 shot of table with scattered items including a red flower in an otherwise black and white shot
3 min switch to color with Jazz score
2:52 switch to color as film maintains the jazz score
3:47 profile shot of Joe Shishido, playing Jo, smoking a cigarette and wearing fedora, actually looking quite a bit like Belmondo in Breathless (1960) in the scene outside of the movie theatre when he’s looking at the Bogart poster
6:48 low angle shot through glass floor above
7:38 topless dancer waving pink feathers moves to background of composition with Club Owner threatening Jo for not paying his tab at Nightclub moving into foreground
8:44 “however much they’re paying you I’ll double it” I love the dialogue in these kinds of films
9:02 Shishido as “Jo” and Boss isolated in the same frame for first time
10:13 higher level boss holding a cat and knife
10:48 Jo gets acquainted with a gangster named Minami who seems to admire his skillset
14:33 handheld camera in street
16 min camera positions changing rapidly as alternates on who has upper hand
17:50 great use of dissolve as addict chases the fading image out of the door
24:17 “kill the boss’s 6th mistress” hilarious
27:53 great composition of the three characters
29 min low angle shot with protagonist elevated in background
32:28 Jo in foreground and Minami in background, fitting with Minami hero worship of Jo growing
35:06 great pan across identical looking frames
39:18 beautiful painterly like shot with yellow air in background
44:04 noir-esque night shot in rain
50:35 long shot makes use of wide aspect ratio
52:28 shot of cars riding side by side using both windows as framing
54:49 creative frame using highway underpass
57:07 3 depths of field
1:07:05 mini planes used to frame Jo
1:11:45 two shot connects Jo and wife of man murdered by mob
1:14:17 another shot using window
1:16:57 camera which was POV from Jo pulls back to reveal Jo with several guns on him he didn’t see coming leading to revelation that the Boss is aware of Jo’s intentions to sabotage both gangs
1:23:17 cross cutting revealing narrative twist
1:23:53 another window shot
1:25:10 cutaway shot to hallway
1:25:58 close up on Jo’s face upon discovering betrayal
1:30:55 pan to video recording
1:31:37 color fades to black and white with exception of red flower and green lettering just like opening scene
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki with another Yakuza Film, his specialty, the plot is intentionally generic a
Suzuki’s films are often hilarious not only in absurdity but just the comical delivery of the lines like after Shishido’s character kills or severely injures several of his guys the Mob Boss with his back turned to Shishido casually says “however much they’re paying you I’ll double it”. These are movies characters with movie character dialogue and its so much fun to watch
Elements of buddy film although a little usual as its kind of one sided with Minami’s hero worship of Jo, although to be fair Shishido’s Joe is awesome
Suzuki alters perspectives in an impressive manner, the viewer rarely has all the visual information making violence and potential double crosses present throughout the film
I love the bookend use of black and white with green lettering in credits and color in flowers
First film in Color for this study, wide aspect ratio again
1:30 trucks full of gangsters get into crazy shootout in middle of a road including a Pepsi Truck (love the shameless product placement)
4:26 Joe Shishido makes first appearance playing in poker in cardroom
7:37 nice close up on faces each on opposite sides of the frame with middle of frame out of focus
10 min wide shot of the city
Shishido as Tajima, a detective investigating Yakuza criminal activity
16:58 great frame in frame in frame shot using car window and police station front door as Manabe exits building
17:39 transition to a black and white TV taking up most of frame where the same events are playing out as potential shoot out is inevitable and starts up shortly after; woman watching black and white TV like she is watching a cops and robbers TV show for entertainment
24:54 watching events play out on the black and white TV again
25:28 great use of red lighting creating highly sexualized image
26:52 Tajima captured in same red lighting
28:07 yellow lighting in the foreground with red lighting in background of shot inside apartment
29:20 gray/blue color palette
30:36 over the hip shot
31:56 frame using overhead shot from trap door located above Tajima
34:34 double close up
36:50 close ups back and forth between Tajima playing an undercover detective and the mob boss, without both in same frame
38:12 saturated green car
41 min church used as part of elaborate backstory for Tajima to convince mob boss he is not police
41:55 meeting in church confessional with Tajima in background of frame behind bars
43:43 what would be gangster film without beautiful dancers, red and blue clothing of dancers contrasts with gray and black in the rest of the frame
45:52 Tajima spontaneously gets up and starts singing along with performers in nightclub
47:15 wide shot of club during end of performance
51:13 overhead shot of club
53:24 close up on love interest of Tajima
53:53 great frame of heads in foreground
56:01 curtain blocks part of frame, wide
1:04:56 red lighting returns when Manabe returns to apartment from earlier
1:06:06 maybe best composition in film with double profile shot at different depths of field with half the frame using red lighting
1:07:04 night club shot with heavy use of silver in mise en scene and Christmas decorations
1:07:55 performer singer looking into camera
1:15:45 broken mirror creating multiple reflections as she details her despair
1:18:50 high angle shot through ceiling door
1:21:26 smoke filled frame enhances claustrophobic atmosphere as fire spreading through basement
1:23:01 free for all battle similar to opening scene only on a much larger level
1:25:30 newspaper headlines as narrative
1:28:03 ends with shot overlooking city
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki with another Yakuza classic, this was my first time watching this one; I found Blu Ray from Arrow Video with great quality, one of his films in color
88 min run time is ideal for this film with the narrative blasting along with a tone that is lighter than many other Yakuza films I have seen, this one is a lot of fun start to finish. There is a terrific scene about halfway through the film where the Joe Shishido character goes the lead performer at a night club in song and dance, he is incredibly charismatic and can pull off scenes like few others
The shootouts are ridiculously over the top, especially the ones that bookend the film, hilariously the opening scene involves a team of Yakuza opening fire from a Pepsi Truck, Suzuki must have had fun with this film and all its absurdities
Expressionistic use of color, especially red lighting used in a couple of scenes involving a sexualized environment, also during the club scene the lead singer is wearing a bright red outfit
I’ve noticed Suzuki likes to use these close ups and profile shots then quickly zoom out, in many of the action scenes the viewer has limited information about how much danger the character is in, creates tension effectively
Starts with war footage with boxier aspect ratio that changes to wider aspect ratio about 2 min in
2:16 changes to main story with low angle shot with teenage protagonist, Jiro, isolated in frame
3:27 camera movements and Jazz score capture vibrant youth in streets
6:29 rapid zoom from surveillance angle
8:15 camera panning along stage with band performing
13 min Jiro in foreground with mother in background during argument over mother’s new boyfriends as husband was killed during WW2
15:18 Jiro isolated in frame upon leaving house
21:28 camera panning 360 at close distance
22:18 low angle shot with great blocking as teens/young adults hanging around
25:45 Jiro standing behind fence taking up most of frame as kids walking by on right side of frame
26:08 distorted images at a sort of funhouse as Jiro goes on rides alone
30 min Coleman Hawkins poster
32:40 Jiro POV driving car
39:25 slow zoom out with camera set low
40-45 min family drama escalates with each of 4 characters isolated in frame 1 at a time throughout much of the scene, tense throughout
46:41 camera panning along shoreline
54:04 panning through street as Jiro drives off
55:28 Jiro’s mother and boyfriend in background of frame with teens in foreground leading chant
55:50 close up and camera pan inside youth club where an earlier scene was shot
57:50 series of jump cuts
1:00:20 boyfriend of mother standing in background trying to have a serious conversation with Jiro who resists all attempts at civility while kissing girlfriend
1:03:00 anger brewing throughout film turns violent
1:04:10 framing though vehicle windshield
1:04:44 slow pan across to otherwise empty house until Jiro’s mother sitting in corner
1:08:28 after accident immediate transition to bar room
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki going with Jazz score as was popular during this time period in Japan, its fitting for a story about post war youth
This is one of 8 Suzuki films on Criterion Channel right now along with the following; Take Aim at the Police Van, Youth of the Beast, Gate of Flesh, Story of a Prostitute, Fighting Elegy, Tokyo Drifter, and Branded to Kill
This film can be viewed as a sort of tragedy with Jiro’s immaturity dooming everyone in his life who is trying to help him
Some great camera work throughout film capturing the youth of this film in a post war society
So seven years ago (I was 14 then ) I was on a streak of watching controversial pulpy horror movies. Most of those films were either found-footage Or pure B-grade pulpy stuff. But two of the most artistically superior films I saw were The Devils by Ken Russell and Possession by Andrzej Zulawski. I liked The Devils more because it was available in a better quality but your recent thoughts on Possession made me check out if I missed something as it was anything but a masterpiece until then. I seeked some modern trailers and the quality in them is something that just wasn’t there in the version I saw 7 years ago back in 2016. It’s much better. I saw Possession again and this time I got everything. I have more knowledge of cinema now. At that time I was all about Adjani’s performance, atmosphere, the ambiguity, strangeness etc. It was all there in my recent viewing as well but the the three new MAJOR additions are here,
1. The camera movement- Zulawski’s camera floats, flies. It’s evident and certainly impacts as much as the steadicam shot of Jack Nicholson approaching Shelley Duvall (with a bat in her hand) in The Shining.
2. The color palette- the greys, dull blues, purples
3. The overall theme- it’s a movie about Zulawski’s own divorce. It’s not an outer observation of what couples go through…the crying, argument, heart break, etc etc (Marriage Story/ Scenes from a marriage) . It’s an inner exploration of what couple feel…. The craziness, the hysteria, the horror. The wife is having sex with a monster (literally). The hurt in the movie is the physical manifestation of immense heartache. How much would it hurt if you put your hand in a chopper… Well it hurts that much. That’s the image Zulawski’s trying to create. Just compare the fight scenes here with those of Marriage Story, Blue Valentine, Marriage Story etc.
It’s a sure set Masterpiece
So now let me get to the point I cought up another Zulawski film. It was recommended to me personally by George (a fellow cinephile and admirer of this side my good friend).
That Most Important Thing: Love
Well all I can say is that it’s by the same director who directed Possession… First frame to last. This was a clear revelation for me. An astounding piece of filmmaking
The same camera movements (stylistic supernova- it’s Zulawski being an auteur) as Possession but not as many open spaces and streets as Possession. Impeccable production design better than possession.
Romy Schneider is the lead here. Almodovar dedicates Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown to her performance in this movie and it shows.
It’s a “TOUR DE FORCE”. Just like Adjani’s work in Possession her performance belongs in the same universe as possession. Just like how specific WKW Or Antonioni film performances are. She’s without doubt the best 1975 has to offer as far as female acting performances go. She’s more mature than Adjani. I don’t know where you might have seen her. She’s in The Trial by Orson Welles and really great in it.
That Most Important Thing: Love is a HR/MS for me. On my first viewing.
I suggest you stop what you’re doing and seek it out. It’s a great companion piece to Possession and establishes Zulawski as master of camera movement.
@M*A*S*H – I saw it a few days ago actually. I may try to get to it again. I have it graded out lower than you. I agree with much of you have to say here about her performance and the camera movement. I’m not with the “Impeccable production design better than possession” comment. But I miss things – or have in the past for sure.
M*A*S*H
February 5, 2023 at 10:47 pm
@Drake- Okay so what did you make of it? Is it in the archives? If yes, then what grade did you assign it?
Drake
February 5, 2023 at 11:00 pm
@M*A*S*H- Oh yes, in the archives. I thought highly of it and like I said, agree with most of what you said. That production design comment compared to Possession stuck out. But I have it as a R/HR or maybe HR with a little more time to sink it. I do love the connective tissue between the two films.
A friend of mine is a big Suzuki fan he introduced me to his films.
Unfortunately I have only seen four of his films l, which are pretty popular –
Youth of the Beast
Tokyo Drifters
Branded to Kill
Zigeunerweisen
I have not seen much of his earlier films, but they get more and more surreal. Branded to Kill is my favourite.
Anyways I love your reviews and regularly check them out, looking forward for more.
@Alt Mash – thanks again, l got 12 films planned including the one I just posted about, I have seen 8 of the 12 previously and think extremely highly of Branded to Kill and Tokyo Drifter in particular
Starting Director Study for Seijun Suzuki. Will post to this page since he does not have his own page
Take Aim at the Police Van (1960)
Notes:
Starts with shot of man holding gun then switch to POV shot through sniper rifle before transitioning to opening credits
2:45 to 1 aspect ratio
4:50 repetition used as foreshadowing
5:15 sniper POV shot
6 min story moves to next day after a brilliant opening showing a coordinated taking down of a Police Van emptying out prisoners, this results in Van’s prison guard Daijirô Tamon, getting suspended for 6 months
10:20 close up on gangster then set about 20 feet back with the same gangster in background
12:12 internal dialogue from Tamon, the films protagonist
12:47 camera panning along photos of the girls at the “modeling agency” aka brothel
13:45 great overhead shot of surrounding mounts and the city which is located along the water
15:08 nice frame within frame
20:02 great framing using 2 windows
22:20 self-referential “I prefer mysteries set in Japan”
23:10 camera set near ground level at pool
26:50 sniper POV shot
27:26 great composition and use of lighting in the underpass
28:25 shaky camera from vehicle POV
29:13 narration with flashbacks of the crime
32:20 camera panning rapidly creating a disoriented sensation
38 min shot reserve shot
40 min camera goes to low angle shot
41:01 overhead shot
42:19 flashback used for explaining narrative
43:20 eerie score during driving scene
45:21 great blocking and use of framing
53:43 nice framing with 2 different depths of field
54:55 great composition with lonely Yuko on far-right side of frame and the rest of frame empty and at 55:05 when injured Tamon returns home camera moves in on relieved Yuko
56:02 back and forth close ups on faces one at time
56:16 great close up on both faces in the same frame, great blocking here
57:24 multiple depths of field
58:48 camera panning up on window showing waiting gunman
1:03:18 landscape shot with mountains in background
1:03:30 great camera movement with pan across the room
1:06:24 great low angle shot of 3 men forming triangle watching the Van with Tamon and woman inside moving toward what seems like a sure death
1:08:00 suspense mounts with the score
1:10:02 great location for climax of film, very Western vibe out near the mountains in isolated area
1:11:53great camera zoom back from gangsters playing cards inside bar
1:12:50 train takes up half the frame, as characters now at final setting
1:14:23 another close up on same dark sunglasses
1:16:14 camera pan as police sirens ring out
1:17:03 dramatic close ups on faces
1:17:45 rapid edits used to dial up the suspense
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki explores Japan’s underworlds in his films similar to Shōhei Imamura, there are some elements of Noir with the character Yoko serving as a sort of Femme Fatale and some of the visuals including shadows, dim lighting, and nighttime setting
The pacing is perfect for this type of story which is for the most part in constant motion with one man, Tamon, investigating the shooting incident as he travels through the streets dealing with various criminals. The films narrative set up works great as Tamon is suspended for 6 months for Van being hijacked so when he sets out to investigate what happened he doesn’t have anyone to report to so he has the freedom of a private investigator
There are many shots with the camera positioned low and some impressive framing with frame in frames and use of windows, doors, and even trucks
Close up shots and slow zoom outs are used to great effect as we the viewer have limited perspective as to who is present in many locations giving off vibe of danger throughout the film
There are a few scenes that foreshadow upcoming events, none better than the opening 6 minutes which is masterful in a sort of montage of people involved both inside and outside of the Police Van
The final set piece at the train is probably the best 5 min stretch of the film along with the opening 5 min
With an MS/MP in Pinocchio, a good number of HRs to back him up, and a fair few Rs, I would estimate possibly even around the #100 mark where Miyazaki is sitting. I think their resumes more or less line up in that way, though obviously its not the only criteria.
Starting Seijun Suzuki Study – I watched 7 of his films in 2019 and graded them but did not actually go through and take notes back then. Going to rewatch those 7 plus 3 additional ones
Who are the biggest what if directors ever? Due to death or other circumstances?
@Lebron Smith – I usually avoid these things and try to focus on what happened. But, for the sake of your question, here goes.
Orson Welles – Welles is probably the most popular what if. Drake’s Welles page covers most of what I want to say, so I’ll be brief with this one. As big of a masterpiece as The Magnificent Ambersons is, by all accounts, Welles intended version would have rivaled Citizen Kane.
Andrei Tarkovsky – Died at 54. I think it’s safe to assume he had another 3 or 4 films left. Given his track record, they would have been MS, MS/MP, or MP level. If this happens, he may be my #1 director, especially if I ever come around on Mirror and have it where the consensus does.
Yasujirō Ozu – Died at 60. Given the rate at which he was putting out films and their quality, I will assume he would have released another 5-10, and they would have been HR, HR/MS, MS, MS/MP, and MP level.
Jean-Luc Godard – If someone wants to argue 1960-1967 Godard is the most dominant stretch by a director in history, they’ll get no disagreement from me. Unfortunately, he became interested in other things for a 13-years, and Tout Va Bien is the only notable film he made between 1968-1980. When he finally got back to making narrative features, he lost the magic he had from 1960-1967.
Max Ophüls – Died at 54. He was getting stronger before his death, with 6 of 7 films at an MS or MP level.
F. W. Murnau – Died at 42. There’s no telling how much more he could have accomplished.
Carl Theodor Dreyer – Starting with The Passion of Joan of Arc, Dreyer never looked back. The issue is the time between his films. 1928, 1932, 1943, 1955, 1964. One wonders what could have been if he had released something every five years.
Of the above, I think Tarkovsky, Ozu, and Godard all had #1 potential. Using a sports comparison, Godard feels similar to Sandy Koufax and Pedro Martinez.
Wouldn’t include Godard here. He fizzled out. His output after Weekend(1967) or Tout va Bien(1972) is incredibly overrated among critics circles. I wish Antonioni made more films after Blow-Up(1966).
@Ian and @Lebron Smith- great work/list here- Taste of Cinema does a good job- including Fassbinder http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2014/10-great-film-directors-who-died-early-in-their-careers/
Guru Dutt?
@Drake – I knew I was forgetting someone! Nice mention on Fassbinder. It’s incredible how many films he was putting out.
@Ian- right, easy to forget about him (I’ve done it myself before) with this list because he was so prolific (12 archiveable films, and I’m sure I’m missing a few)- but still- yeah, dead at 37
Jean Vigo.
How about these 3 directors:
Ron Howard
Stephen Frears
Kenneth Branagh
They have deep filmographies. I believe Howard now has 10 archivable films, Frears 8 and Branagh 7. All three are two-time Oscar nominees for best Director.
@Malith- All three missed the cut – but could certainly end up in the 250+ expansion.
Norman Jewison is another one who has a very deep filmography. 3-time Oscar nominee for best Director. With 8 archivable films I think.
1965-Cincinnati Kid
1967-In the Heat of the Night
1968-The Thomas Crown Affair
1975-Rollerball
1979-And Justice for All
1984-A Soldiers Story
1987-Moonstruck
1999-The Hurricane
@Malith- For sure, made some quality films- most directors need a clear, identifiable style or a big one or two movies to crack that top 250 though.
Rest in Peace.
Very good list. Agreed on Jacques Becker missing. Also Koreeda, Chabrol, Audiard and Vinterberg who surely deserve a place ahead of Wachowskis, Ari Aster, Hogg and Tom Hooper. Would have Bresson, Malle and Rohmer all higher, but there is of course always subjectivity in any list of this nature.
Jaques Becker is missing from the list, Touches pas au gribi, Casque Dór and Le Trou are Masterpieces.
@Stendhal – I can’t speak on the other 2 you reference as I have not seen yet but I am with you on Le Trou (1960) which is yet another MP level film for 1960, already the single best year in Cinema History
There are always gonna be disagreements with a list of this sort, but overall I really like this list quite a bit. It’s obvious that you did a deep and thorough research and most names are pretty hard to argue against. I appreciate the fact that you ranked Spielberg and Nolan quite high (even though I’m far from being the biggest fan of the latter, there seems to be this contrarian trend trying to discredit their work just because they enjoy mainstream success).
My only quibble (if I may) is the shortage of Japanese directors. I counted only seven, which seems like an extremely low number to me given how much incredible talent has come out of that country. Maybe I’m just too much of a fan of Asian cinema in general (I would rank pretty much every Asian director (except for Ozu) higher than you have). Other than that, I think it’s a really, really solid list. Keep up the good work, Drake.
@David O. – thanks for the comment. Any director in particular you feel deserves a closer look?
Well, there are quite a few. Japan’s cinema has incredible depth. I’ll try to restrain myself and mention only five, otherwise I’m gonna keep writing until next week hahaha:
1. Seijun Suzuki. I’m sure you’ve heard about him, but I don’t know if you’ve seen any of his films. I bring him up because I think you would enjoy him a lot. His movies don’t usually have the best scripts, but they ooze swagger and style. He was influential and extremely prolific, but his 60s stretch is definitely his peak. My favourite film from him is probably Tokyo drifter, but Branded to kill is usually regarded as his magnum opus.
2. Kinuyo Tanaka. She was an extraordinary actress and also a remarkable, deeply sensitive filmmaker with a very keen eye for visual composition. Out of the six films she directed, I’ve seen five, and all of them are worth watching. The eternal breasts is perhaps her best work, but The moon has risen and Love under the crucifix are also magnificent.
3. Hiroshi Teshigahara. The two-punch of Woman in the dunes (a clear MP) and The face of another (a solid MS) is enough for me to put him on the list, but there’s more to his filmography than those two masterworks. Pitfall and Rikyu are also quite good. I haven’t had the chance to see more from him, but I intend to do so if I can, but unfortunately they’re not easy to find.
4. Yoshishige Yoshida. Not my favourite, but probably the most avant-garde of all the directors who came from the Japanese New Wave (which is saying a lot giving how batsh*it insane some of the films from this period are). His films are quite challenging and extreme, but he was a visual trailblazer of undeniable talent. Woman of the lake is a good place to start with him because, even though it’s cutting-edge, it’s still one of his most tempered films. Eros + Massacre is his most revered work. And then you have something like Heroic purgatory, which is almost impenetrable, but the things he does in that film in terms of editing and cinematography are something to behold.
5. Mikio Naruse. The best realist in classic Japanese cinema, Naruse was all about subtlety and thematic depth. He lacked the visual flair of his best-known contemporaries, which may work against him based on your criteria, but he was a superb director of actors, maybe the best one of his time. He made me fall completely in love with Hideko Takamine (who is, to this day, my favourite Japanese actress of all time). I love almost every film I’ve watched from him, but if forced to choose, I’d probably stick with Yearning and When a woman ascends the stairs. I would recommend giving those two a chance, and, if you like them, then you can dive deeper into his filmography.
I could name at least five or six more who I think deserve to be in a top 250, but I don’t wanna bore you more than necessary haha.
I gotta ask you though: did you get the chance to take a closer look at Kobayashi’s filmography? I know this may sound hyperbolic, but he’s a top 50 director in my eyes. His 1957-1967 stretch (from Black river to Samurai rebellion) is one that most filmmakers would kill to have under their belts. Even The inheritance, which is supposed to be a minor work, is fantastic.
@David O.- Thanks for the share – really solid work – appreciate it and agree with much of this (literally saw The Inheritance five days ago – and yes – it is superb). I am wrapping up a Kobayashi study tonight actually, have completed a Naruse study in the last 3 months, and a Suzuki study in the last 12 months. I am not saying the TSPDT list is gospel – but only 1 of the 6 directors you mention here is on the TSPDT top 250 director’s list and that is Naruse – and who I am fairly confident does not warrant a spot on the top 250 actually.
@Drake – Has Kobayashi greatly gone up in your estimation?
@Harry- Yes, indeed. Kobayashi will soar up the list.
@Drake – I’m nowhere near as knowledgeable as you but I think the best directors NOT on your list currently are Raul Ruiz, Kim Ki Duk and Joseph Losey.
@Harry- Don’t sell yourself short – your comments always indicate you know a great deal. Ruiz and Losey will be remedied upon the next update. I’ll add Kim Ki Duk to my study list again.
@Drake – Kim Ki Duk is just really impressive, I apply some of your praise to Rashomon to Spring, Summer Winter, Fall… the beauty of the film alone would warrant it high praise, and so would the structure, yet you have both there to be awed by.
He also feels like his own brand/author when so many of his films are also silent, maybe less dialogue than Valhalla Rising in some that I’ve caught.
@Drake – really happy to hear that about Kobayashi… maybe we will get to catch Tatsuya Nakadai on the best actors list now if he wasn’t already on his way.
@Drake Well, to be honest with you, I don’t pay too much attention to TSPDT when it comes to Japanese directors. Don’t give me wrong, I love their website and it’s helped me discover a lot of films over the years, but if I had to name one blind spot, it would be that one. I mean, just the fact that Imamura sits at #180 and Kobayashi doesn’t even make the cut is incomprehensible to me and tells you everything you need to know about how overlooked the Japanese New Wave has been in Western studies (Kobayashi is not exactly New Wave, but he’s definitely not a classicist either). But hey, at least they included Oshima, which is a nice touch and one I wouldn’t disagree with at all (I actually prefer him to Yoshida, I just recommended the latter because he’s stylistically bolder and I thought you might connect with him more due to that).
As for Naruse, I’m not even gonna fight you on that because I understand where you’re coming from and, like I said, I knew he probably wasn’t gonna be your cup of tea. I include him in my top 250 because I love his films, even though the reasons why I love them are the writing and the acting, not necessarily the visual prowess. Same thing happens with Koreeda (who, interestingly enough, did manage to squeak in TSPDT’s top 250), they both are directors who get in based on the strength of their filmographies, even if they’re not visual masters.
I’m glad to hear you’ve done a Suzuki study. Will he make the cut once you update the list? Which one would you say is your favourite film from him?
@David O.- Fair, and like I said – TSPDT is not gospel truth and this was an excellent share from you- thank you – just a chance it may be more about your preferences and tastes (the Naruse one makes me a little suspect but whatever) – which is fine. As for Naruse – if we start including the sort of “writing and acting” directors on the list of 250 … that list will have 1000+ names on it. Hard to say on where Suzuki will land until I get a chance to look at it with the updates and changes. Hopefully start putting that together later this fall.
@Drake Well, yeah, every time I talk about film I am sharing my preferences and tastes haha, but don’t worry because out of all the directors I mentioned, Naruse is the only one who’s mostly about substance. The other four are all pretty stylish in their own right because I know that’s what you value the most (otherwise I wouldn’t have recommended Suzuki). I talked about Naruse having a stronger filmography than his style might suggest because that’s what you said about Chaplin, which I think is a very valid argument, by the way (I would say that others like Allen, Wilder and Farhadi also fit this description). I’m not saying Naruse would be in my top 50. I mean, for me he’s a good director and he has clear and identifiable traits. I watch a Naruse film and I know it’s a Naruse film. Still, his visual presentation is not particularly noteworthy and I will be the first person to admit that. That being said, based on his filmography, I think I could find some room for him in a top 250 because even though he didn’t make any films in the MS-MP range, he did produce several works that at least I would consider to be HRs. Anyway, I said I wasn’t gonna argue with you about Naruse and that’s precisely what I’m doing right now. My apologies hahaha.
I’m glad to know that you will update the list this year, which I’m sure won’t be easy work. I’ll be looking forward to it.
I hope that before updating the directors list, you will have time to check out some films by Wojciech Has. I think that just with The Saragossa Manuscript and The Hourglass Sanatorium (both fringe MP) he could make the list.
Final Ranking and Grades:
Study Summary:
Seijun Suzuki was one of the first directors I watched when I ordered the Criterion Channel in 2019, I went through all 7 of his available films and was mesmerized by his bombastic style and ability to capture youthful energy. Like Hitchcock’s MacGuffin the plots of Suzuki’s films are often beside the point, the real value is setting up all the great action, hilarious dialogue, shifting narrative, etc.
Suzuki has a legitimate claim as best director of Yakuza films, which are basically Japanese version of gangster movies. Suzuki is to Yakuza as Jean Pierre Melville was to French Gangster Films, although there are also some considerable different; Melville’s films have a cool detachment to them, his go to guy Alain Delon his words carefully while Suzuki’s films tended to be more playful and his go to guy Joe Shishido was more verbal and unpredictable. I would argue he has some common traits with another legendary French auteur, Jean Luc Godard. Like Godard Suzuki’s films often are absurd with plots that are not describable by any conventional standards
Ironically Suzuki was fired from his Nikkatsu studio after making Branded to Kill which is now considered by many (including myself) to be his magnum opus. Speaking of which pre-study I had Branded to Kill as easily his best film, but Tokyo Drifter blew me away so much to the point where I really had to think it over when making the final rankings. None the less I still have Branded to Kill at the number 1 spot with both as MPs. Tokyo Drifter might have minute for minute more standout images but is less cohesive. While both are Yakuza films, they at the same time transcend genre a la Godard’s work in the 60s.
While his Nikkatsu films are his best known and most popular outside of Japan it is The Taisho Trilogy that is considered to be his great films in Japan. His Yakuza films are my personal favorite and I think his 2 best films hands down are Branded to Kill and Tokyo Drifter which are his 2 MPs. I loved seeing this beautiful trilogy, really shows off Suzuki full talent as he can do more than just genre films. Of course to some degree these are just as bizarre as something like Tokyo Drifter. The Taisho Trilogy is dense and quite challenging but even if it does not work at all times one thing you can never accuse Suzuki of is being conventional or predictable and certainly not uninteresting. All 3 films which total nearly 7 hours are not an easy watch and I would not recommend to anyone who is not a cinephile. I am glad that I watched them but if I am being honest, I am not sure I will be returning to them for a long time. I will absolutely return to the Nikkatsu films as they are incredibly rewatchable
# 1 Branded to Kill (1967), MP
# 2 Tokyo Drifter (1966), MP
# 3 Gate of Flesh (1964), MS
# 4 Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! (1963), MS/HR
# 5 Zigeunerweisen (1980), HR
# 6 Youth of the Beast (1963), HR
# 7 Take Aim at the Police Van (1960), HR
# 8 Everything Goes Wrong (1960), HR/R
# 9 Kagero-za (1981), R/HR
# 10 Fighting Elegy (1966), R
# 11 Story of a Prostitute (1965), R
# 12 Yumeji (1991), R
@James Trapp- Love reading these reviews and this summary especially. Appreciate you sharing this James.
@Drake – appreciate it, this was one of the most purely enjoyable studies yet.
Yumeji (1991)
Notes:
N/A
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki 3rd and final installment in the Taisho Trilogy
More of the same with beautiful images in particular great use of frames and colors
Like the 2 previous installments the narrative is thin, here even thinner than the first 2 which is why I did not take notes it was very experimental and difficult to watch and take conventional notes
Impressive use of collage and color
Verdict: R
Kagero-za (1981)
Notes:
Starts with serene image of water and montage of shots of water during opening credits
Set in Tokyo in 1926
3:10 woman standing on stairs near middle of frame wearing purple robe and holding flowers
5:50 characters in different planes of the frame
6:20 slow motion set to image of woman walking down stairs with flowers flying off
8:50 spinning heads in and out of shot
14:24 slow zoom out beautiful shot along water
19:50 series of shots with woman in seductive positions lying on red match leading to fragmented sex scene
26:48 shot of beautiful woman on stairs similar to shot near opening of the film
28 min haunting music
29:55 composition with person standing quietly in background, common trait in these films I’ve noticed
31 min frequent green in mise en scene
32:40 brief cutaway shot to stairs with flash of a purple umbrella
34:02 two subjects talking in foreground with dancers in background with Jazz music playing
37 min red and green in mise en scene during slow dance scene
51 min private section of train transitions to inside of Japanese house
54 repeated shots of same women in a boat moving along water
55:18 close up shows doll like figure
55:45 green again in mise en scene along with multiple frames
57:27 well-choreographed shots of Geisha dancers, symmetrical frame
1:04:15 beautiful shot of Geisha surrounded by white flowers and quick zoom out
1:05:10 low angle shot of woman in pink robe
1:08:08 several beautiful shots using reflections in pond as images are distorted
1:15:20 “a mysterious woman? Then die with her”
1:15:30 painterly shot of lake with bright green grass in foreground
1:22:48 overhead shot indoor ceremony
1:26:10 Montage of sexual images on stage
1:32:34 color palette change to purple and light blue
1:38:00 magnetic repelling
1:39:30 bright blue eyes
1:40:27 beautiful colored silhouette image
1:42:24 great montage of architecture in houses throughout this town
1:43:47 bright colors and primary colors in mise en scene
1:44:33 frame using stage and floor of theatre, primary colors in background
1:50:55 slow zoom out followed by beginning of children’s play on same stage
1:56:12 play just as strange as everything before it in this film
1:56:58 one of best shots of film with multiple layers of depth and frame within frames, really just a great composition
2:00:15 single actress on stage, bright colors in background
2:04:42 stunning use of color in frame
Thoughts:
2nd installment of Taisho Trilogy
Similar to the 1st film the editing and lack of continuity immediately stands out
There are beautiful images throughout the film which admittingly is quite challenging, again to some degree you have to except that much of the film can’t be understood in any conventional way and this can be difficult to get through at times so I mainly tried to just enjoy the imagery and experience the film rather than trying to make sense of it all
Verdict: R/HR
Zigeunerweisen (1980)
Notes:
Starts with classic music and close up of record playing during opening credits, already seems like something different from everything in this study prior to this one
5:20 exterior shot of train moving with mountains in the background
6:40 slow motion shot of group of about 15 people moving in unison on a beach
This film focuses on 2 friends; a professor named Aochi and his former colleague, Nakasago, who is now living as a nomad
7:20 bizarre, animated image of cartoon looking red crab moving out of woman’s pants and onto the beach
12:50 strange quartet of musicians play along the beach
20:32 trio of musicians with middle playing a banjo like instrument
24:44 camera drops back to a long shot of the pier
27:07 cutaway to waves crashing upon rocks
34:38 all dishes are a saturated red
36:08 slow zoom from record player from opening credits
38:08 open door as frame
38:23 thumping score with slow zoom
40:20 beautiful geological structure makes humans tiny by comparison
44:38 gorgeous shot of window frame with solid orange in the background
44:44 great shot using blocking
45:46 stunning shot with hallway field of depth
48:08 long shot with camera held in place
54:10 great using of multiple frames using doors
1:00:55 a bizarre chase seen through a house with narrow hallways
1:11:25 haunting image with 3 dead bodies below Nakasago, all captured in low angle shot in underground tunnel
1:18:59 clever mirror shot places Aochi on opposite side of frame
1:20:05 Antonioni style shot with physical barrier between 2 characters on opposite sides of frame, shortly after this is juxtaposed by close up shot on both faces next to each other
1:22:22 3 characters form triangle with female Geisha in the middle of two men although in foreground
1:30:55 beautiful low angle shot with use of color, purple, in mise en scene
1:32:02 colorful frame with primary colors
1:33:52 shot of Nakasago on top of hill near top of frame looking down on children singing has a fairy tale
image
1:36:28 cutaway to shot of Sun taking up entire frame
1:37:37 thumping noise returns with gliding camera through a number of beautiful images of nature
1:46:50 camera moves back with shot through a white sheet around the bed which turns green and other colors over the next couple of minutes
1:59:24 shot of 3 characters in hallway, triangle
2:01:21 painterly image with trees in foreground and water in background
2:08:42 title reference, which refers to classical music
2:11:24 beautiful shot with subject in middle of frame and water in background, shot from inside residence and through the glass door
2:12:35 repeated shot through film
2:16:18 great mirror shot
2:16:44 close up on 2 beers while music from opening scene plays
Thoughts:
This is the 1st of films known as The Taisho Trilogy named after a Japan Era that last from 1912 to 1926 and gets its name from the ruling Emperor Taishō although this period is known for its liberalism. After being fired by Nikkatsu Studios following Branded to Kill in 1967 Suzuki didn’t get a chance for another feature film for 13 years with this trilogy and here Seijun Suzuki goes with something entirely different here in terms of content, style, and the fact that all the other films so far in the Study were approximately 90 min or less while this one is 144 min
Perhaps the editing is the most interesting aspect of this film as Suzuki defies the rules of continuity with abrupt transitions of characters and objects into and out of the frame, there is a surreal aspect to it, resembling to a certain degree David Lynch films as the story feels like its drifting in and out of consciousness,
Jump cuts and unusual editing throughout the film, the characters here are often positioned looking in different directions or having physical barriers like walls in between them
Making sense of this is near impossible, like some of Godard’s work in the 60s there is little to no concrete plot and even attempting to make sense of it all is basically a waste of time, instead best to just try to experience it like watching something like Stalker
Verdict: HR/MS
Branded to Kill (1967)
Notes:
Starts with leisurely piano score and theme song set to opening credits
Back to black and white
2:15 Joe Shishido as Hanada in back seat rocking sunglasses despite it being night
3 min Shishido ordering steam white rice at bar
3:32 “booze and women kill a killer”
5:20 profile shot close up with Hanada
6:50 “the glory of # 1” hilarious the way they talk about Hitman’s rankings like they were having a conversation about College Football
8:30 Jazz score kicks in
11:15 camera moves to long shot as car crosses bridge before a POV shot used from Hanada driving
14:32 slow motion
17:37 window as frame for mounted gun
20:20 profile shot of femme fatale character named Misako Nakajô played by actress Annu Mari
21:15 love triangle montage of sorts with Shishido character sniffing white rice, his girlfriend from the opening nightclub scene showering, and cutaway shots to femme fatale in the rain
30:23 Misako’s head shown in isolation in pouring rain as she speaks to Hanada about a job
31:58 butterfly interrupts the hit with sniper rifle
33:13 “you’ve lost your ranking and will be killed”
34:21 Suzuki using pans across apartment more frequently
34:55 “we’re beasts” said during sex scene with soft focus
36:32 camera tracks Hanada
36:57 zoom in on Misako through the waterfall
38:34 pan across apartment with butterflies covering wall
39:20 Misako with perfect femme fatale line telling Shishido why he won’t kill her yet “but you won’t until you’ve ravished me”
40:53 keyhole as frame with butterflies along wall and gun on the floor; amazing composition
45:16 rifle almost the length of the frame
46:08 bizarre collage of butterflies in various frames
50:10 low angle silhouette image with Shishido standing in doorway frame
55:30 Misako shown on projector being interrogated for not killing Hanada
57:03 great shot with projector image of dead Misako over Hanada’s head as if burning into his mind
1:04:44 we finally see “# 1” with appropriate low angle shot building up his reputation
1:06:53 camera pans around the entire city in a night vision as a panicked Hanada is taunted by # 1
1:13:46 Hanada meets # 1 again face to face, the classic bad guy talking and philosophizing instead of killing protagonist
1:15:20 “your training is inadequate” # 1 says to Hanada after explaining that he can literally sleep with his eyes open, hilarious
1:19:16 the two hitmen eat together at restaurant is just as comical as it sounds
1:23:04 training to battle # 1 like a boxer getting ready for fight
1:23:44 hallway long shot
1:24:30 empty boxing arena, dim lighting as tension grows
1:27:10 lights blinking as # 1 toys with Hanada along with tape recording “this is how # 1 works; he wears you down”
1:28:35 the absurdity of this situation is so funny after all the build up
1:30:30 the theme song returns shortly before final shot
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki was fired after this film by the Studio, tension had been building for a while as the Studio ordered him to make more conventional gangster movies, advice he wisely ignored even if it did get him fired. Like Tokyo Drifter this is so utterly unpredictable and near impossible to describe to someone not familiar with Suzuki
Absurd for sure but if Tokyo Drifter had elements of Godard in its playfulness, Branded to Kill has elements of Jean Pierre Melville’s meta-awareness; Melville’s characters frequently understood their place within the film whether they were a cop, thief, informer, etc. Like Melville’s characters the characters in this film understand their place with their hilarious hyper focus on their hitman ranking # “the glory of being number 1” like they were boxers talking about getting their title shot
Similar to Park Chan Wook sex scenes are graphic but not (in my opinion) exploitative which I would define as sex used for either shock value or for cheap thrills but here sex is intrinsically linked to violence, I love the “we’re beasts” line as sex is undeniably one of the most animalistic things people do
There is a fever dream vibe throughout the film, I particularly love how the film transforms into a psychological thriller of sorts in the last 20-25 min with # 1 toying with Hanada leading to the inevitable showdown
Around the 21:15 mark of the film there is a series of images, a sort of love triangle montage sequence of 3 shots; Shishido character sniffing white rice, his girlfriend from the opening nightclub scene showering, and cutaway shots to femme fatale in the rain who he is clearly attracted too more than his girlfriend. This is just one example, but you have these rapid sequences in the film
There are creative framing and angles throughout; one of my favorites is a keyhole shot with the keyhole as frame with butterflies along wall and Misako standing in the room with a gun on the ground
Verdict: MP (in my top 100 list at # 95)
Fighting Elegy (1966)
Notes:
Set in 1935
Starts with classroom full of High School students although the actors are probably in their 30s
4:26 lead character behind wooden bars, frequent shot with Suzuki
8 min Kiroku starts training as a way to refocus energy and angst
13:30 an intense fighting session, basically a Fight Club
20:48 zoom in on Kiroku through the fence
23:30 fighting scene uses high shots per second
29:48 montage of close up shots on the various weapons the approaching combatants were holding
30 min gusts of wind present in several scenes so far with occasional sandstorm
34:30 profile shot
35:12 character behind wooden bars again
38:17 strong composition with Kiroku standing in foreground holding his rifle while facing commander with his fellow soldiers standing in unison in background of the frame; Kiroku is clearly a rebel of sorts which naturally gets him into trouble as he resists conformity
39:42 Kiroku again isolated in frame, here in the background with fellow soldiers standing unison in foreground
41:55 rapid pellet like shots fired at officers inside office using slow motion and extreme close ups
47:07 low angle shot of Kiroku sitting on rock having talk with his father
48:05 Welles style low angle shot
50:18 strange sequence with alternating aspect ratios but with each only covering about half the frame at a time, I haven’t seen this before
54 min dissolve edit used shortly after Kiroku leaves school in disgust
55:10 interesting framing using roof of building on slanted angle
1:04:50 gorgeous low angle shot as camera pans in woods with Sun poking through a la Kurosawa in Rashomon
1:06:30 tracking shot of Kiroku approaching fearlessly despite being massively outnumbered
1:11:00 after the fight in which many were hurt badly, we see a Suzuki trait of disorientation by way of close-up shots and a stretch with high number of shots per second
1:16:58 shot of soldiers hanging upside down from clothesline then camera pans to sign “Principals Office”
1:18:33 jump to Winter with snow, window as frame as camera slowly zooms out
Thoughts:
Quite hilarious intentional or otherwise with a great satire on fascism and the Japanese Imperial Army, Suzuki, himself seemed to have a rebellious streak, he was a bit of an iconoclast so not surprising that he would be drawn to this material
A bit of mediation of teenage angst (despite many of the actors probably being in their late 20s and even early 30s) and conformity
Some strong compositions showing Kiroku as a rebel with Kiroku positioned away from groups of young Japanese men positioned together whether in line of seated in classroom
Verdict: R
Drake,
What did you think was stronger Tokyo Drifter or Branded to Kill? I had seen both more than once prior to study but was really impressed by recent viewing of Tokyo Drifter
@James Trapp – Tokyo Drifter is the highest graded film for Suzuki
What are your grades for Tokyo Drifter and Branded to kill?
@Alt Mash- I’d like a chance at a few of them again – hopefully before the director’s page updates where I’m sure Suzuki will finally get his own page
@Drake@Alt Mash – smart to wait for another viewing, for Tokyo Drifter especially as it’s a stylistic blast that even at 83 min is a lot to take in
Tokyo Drifter (1966)
Notes:
Starts with black and white grainy image of Tetsu walking along train track
1:28 symmetrical frame with Tetsu on left side of frame and his contact on right of train
1:56 line of five men walking with Tetsu in the middle wearing white shirt and others black
2:31 extreme close up on sunglasses then cut to color images of Tetsu shooting a gun
3:30 montage of abandoned loading docks
4:22 red in black and white image
4:32 beautiful black and white shift to color with Suzuki go to green lettering that he uses in several opening credit shots
5:52 low angle shot of Yakuza watching Kurata Building
6:32 close up on Chiharu, the beautiful young singer present throughout the film who loves Tetsu
8:44 Tetsu wearing flashy light blue suit
9:44 fence around with Tetsu in foreground trying to negotiate his way out of life of crime
10:45 close up on girl giggling
11:00 Manhole Jazz Club, purple is dominant color inside, young and vibrant atmosphere inside the club which is shot with unusual angles
13 min Tokyo Drifter song in surreal looking club room with solid yellow walls and white piano , stairs leading up to a single door
13:44 canted angle of roads
15:08 neo lights with close ups on city at night
18:13 light blue in mise en scene matching Tetsu suit
21 min cutaway shot to giggling girl
21:39 low angle close up of face on phone calls
22:03 shallow focus over the shoulder shot
23:06 trapped door underneath elevator shaft
24:23 Otsuka “Money and power rule now. Honor means nothing!” says standing above with face not in the frame followed by extreme close up on Otsuka’s mouth
27:03 Otsuka’s bright red suit in foreground, over the shoulder shot of Yoshii in background
28:48 floor as ceiling shot
30 min Tatsu the Viper
30:20 Tetsu and Chiharu sitting at bar in Yellow Room
31:57 whistling theme song during car crushing montage
33:52 room above the club’s purple da
35:07 main villain in bright red suit sitting calmly in lower right corner of the frame surrounded by green in mise en scene
37:30 body positioning in frame not on same level
40:40 Chiharu descending stairs singing in yellow room
41:19 switch from Yellow Room to dark blue color palette in long shot of training traveling along tracks in Winter
42:46 hilarious how gangsters refer to the organization they work for like they were lawyers or accountants
43:26 Tetsu shown in room surrounded by wood bars resembling prison despite the beautiful architecture
45:40 song returns with Tetsu walking through mountain terrain
46:30 zoom in on X marked window
48:33 profile shot proceeding Western style standoff with approaching train, great close up shot followed by an immediate rapid zoom in
56:54 dissolve edit from Tetsu leaving in Train during Winter to skyline shot
57:27 nighttime shot of Japan’s metropolitan area
59:47 nice use of door opening as frame and blocking
1:00:30 brawl at club breaking out with American women and soldiers present along with Japanese
1:06:06 profile shot of Tetsu with green in background
1:07:07 over the shoulder shot with Kurata in foreground with back to camera
1:07:27 beautiful composition; low angle shot in club in purple background and four men meeting with Kurata and Otsuka flanked on right and left and other 2 men’s faces not visible
1:14:14 walk through empty streets, feelings of regret
1:15:39 Kurata and Otsuka surrounded by solid black wall
1:15:45 Chiharu loyal to Tetsu and refuses 8to sing theme song after his “death”
1:17:45 Tetsu in white for the first time
1:22:00 neon lights used to perfection with closing credits
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki gives us an 83-minute expressionist Masterpiece
I actually watched this 2 nights in a row, the first one my brother watched along so I wasn’t really taking notes, so watched again tonight
There is almost no point in trying to make sense of the plot aside from the very basics, you have a young and fiercely loyal Yakuza hitman trying to give up a life of crime after his bosses criminal organization is dissolved but the powers that be won’t allow this to happen, that is all you need to know as beyond that it is absurd to the max, actually some similarities to some of Godard’s 60’s films like Pierrot le Fou (1965) and Made in USA (1966) with the playfulness and absurd storylines and with Wes Anderson’s dedication to color which alone is worthy of its own essay.
The use of color and shifting set pieces are magnificent from Night Clubs to isolated trains in Japanese Winter and a compound that reminded me of the location of the Final Battle between The Bride and O-Ren in Kill Bill Vol 1. There are also all those color-coded rooms; The Yellow Room, Purple Room, or Green Room, the White Room
The use of color is gorgeous as mentioned but the creative framing and compositions deserves recognition such as the immaculate low angle shot at 1:07:27 in the purple room with the blocking of the four gangsters meeting with only Kurata and Otsuka flanked on right and left and other 2 men’s faces not visible
The compositions in many of the cutaway shots to Chiharu singing are beautiful. There is a dreamlike nature a la David Lynch to many of these scenes, hard not to think of Blue Velvet even if the tone is quite different, I love the title song repeated throughout the film similar to what Altman would do in The Long Goodbye (1973) 7 years later
Verdict: MP
Story of a Prostitute (1965)
Notes:
Starts with shots of hills followed by zoom in with narration
Film is set during The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945)
2:50 apparition like image on right side of frame
6:12 overhead shot of dead soldier
7:55 longshot with sky taking up over half the frame in background
8:13 Tarkovsky style camera turning 90 degrees into a doorway frame
13 min brutal violence
15:05 cutaway shot to valley
18:36 sitting military man leans out of darkness
20:10 shot of female from neck up while giving internal dialogue
22:23 slow motion shot used for the 1st time
25:12 metal frame of bed shot to look like prison bars
32 min rainfall fitting with the bleak atmosphere
35 min camera positioned low with subject in background, frequent shot throughout study
38:50 dreamlike images with heavy white coloring
42:56 overhead shot of brutal images, skeletons
44:08 frame using hole in wall with enemy soldiers attacking in background near center of frame
47:07 four women captured in frame, nice use of blocking
54 min dream like images of young couple lying in field at night
58:40 village under attack with heavy gunfire and explosives
1:00:45 excellent tracking shot during heavy gunfire as young woman runs without fear to find her man
1:08:30 cave like setting with religious imagery in background
1:11:02 longshot used to convey isolation as couple left behind
1:11:42 Antonioni like use of body positions to convey loneliness even in the presence of other people
1:12:52 rare use of dissolve edit
1:15:20 cutaway shot to long shot of valley
1:19:35 profile shot from multiple angles
1:22:00 prison cell prior to planned court martial
1:27:37 camera pan prior to court martial
1:32:00 series of freeze frames of Mikami and Harumi in courtyard prior to death
1:35:10 great low angle shot of soldiers marching on elevated area
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki returns to black and white, fitting as this film is bleak and unlike previous films in study there is little in way of a score, Obvious connections with Gate of Flesh, similar subject and focus on working girls but without the humor and occasional lighter moments. The film is more realism than standard melodrama although there is one relationship in particular that becomes the films focus. Still the focus is more on this village during wartime in the Japanese post in Manchuria and relationship between soldiers and women
There are some strong compositions throughout the film, particularly during enemy attacks on the village, in particular the scene starting around the 56 min mark of the film
Verdict: R
Gate of Flesh (1964)
Notes:
Starts with beautiful but haunting montage of images with red lettering and faded colors during opening credits
2:20 tracking shot of woman moving through the streets at night during a police raid of a brothel
3:50 Joe Shishido character whistling and walking through the streets
6:12 great camera panning through daytime crowd near brothel
7 min red dress standouts with few primary colors
8:35 close up on injured Japanese woman lying in field with the cross of a priest standing over her with the cross in focus
10:52 interiors of broken-down building used as brothel
13:24 transition to bright day time street and shot of working girls lined up along the fence
16:10 quick zoom in on working girl tied to a boat for working outside her territory
17:25 camera set near waist level with unfaced John getting dressed in foreground and working girl in background in darkened room
19:45 cutaway shot to American Flag
20:34 great composition of two working girls in foreground and American soldier in between the two but in the background as they argue over “turf”
22:36 overhead shot of injured soldier carried through a crowd
24:20 internal dialogue
25:40 great blocking with woman in red dress and ghostlike image of Shishido character as drumbeat continues
27:30 slow zoom out as camera glides through house at night
33:01 Shishido’s character is shown again as ghostlike figure on far-right side of frame
34 min great montage with each of working girls shown in isolation for a few seconds with saturated color in background; red, yellow, blue/green, and purple
37:40 new working girl wearing black shows up for the first time
38:11 brief ghostlike image of Shishido character again
39:54 blocking with all 5 working girls in background and Shishido in foreground with back turned to the camera
42:20 series of dissolve edits during torture/whipping scene as working girls take out their anger and jealousy on the newest girl after Shishido’s character shows an interest in her
44:52 close up on face of girl being tortured
45:25 great 360 camera movement on working girls sitting in middle of frame
51:21 shot with girl in green standing with back to outside of the house
54:42 ghostlike image of Shishido character on right side of frame and girl and John is falling for her on left side of frame
57:34 close up on girl in green’s face displaying anger before camera transitions back with abandoned houses in background that may or may not be a dream
59:50 painterly background with girl in green standing in isolation and then transition to shot of empty village in morning with muted colors
1:07:37 Shishido places Japanese flag over his face, yet another War reference along with the frequent presence of American soldiers
1:09:32 extreme close up on girl in green
1:11:16 one of film’s rare long shots
1:13:20 close up on razor
1:13:40 overhead shot of girl in red storming out of house
1:15:06 close up on girl in green’s head with face looking up toward ceiling
1:16:24 extreme close up on girl in green’s eyes followed by the attacking Shishido’s character
1:21:24 shot with most of face covered by dark
1:24:11 green lighting fillings up entire frame other than girl hanging from rope in the middle of the frame
1:25:05 similar to prior shot with green frame only overhead shot
1:28:10 eerily quiet, profile shot of girl in green
1:29:40 underpass used as frame of tragedy followed by working girls walking streets
Like opening credits red lettering and faded colors
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki with an impressive social drama, I had seen this once before about 4 years ago but did remember it being so strong visually, I probably would have given this a R at the time but with this rewatch my opinion of it was improved dramatically (see grade below)
This is like a horror version of Italian neorealism, it’s a brilliant character study only instead of one character it is set on a group of 4 or 5 working girls but they live by a set of rules and brutally punish any dissenters and where as other films about working girls might view them strictly as victims of society but that is not the case here; some might critique that but I actually think its progressive as its allows female characters to have a full range of humanity, the good and the bad
Great use of lighting, much of film set at night and interesting use of bright colors and primary colors mainly in the clothing worn by the working girls and later in film use of green lighting almost haze like
There is great camera movements throughout the film, especially in the interiors of the torn down house they live in, some tracking shots through the town are used effectively as the films setting is one of its strengths; Suzuki creates a distinct world
Shishito appears as ghostlike image in several scenes, usually when he’s not physically present almost as if he has created a break in the girl’s routine
The score is appropriately different from other films in study so far as the Jazz score would not work here given the bleak tone and atmosphere
Verdict: MS
Youth of the Beast (1963)
Notes:
Starts with shot of street in black and white but with green lettering for introduction credits set to a jazz score and 2.35 to 1 aspect ratio
2:33 shot of table with scattered items including a red flower in an otherwise black and white shot
3 min switch to color with Jazz score
2:52 switch to color as film maintains the jazz score
3:47 profile shot of Joe Shishido, playing Jo, smoking a cigarette and wearing fedora, actually looking quite a bit like Belmondo in Breathless (1960) in the scene outside of the movie theatre when he’s looking at the Bogart poster
6:48 low angle shot through glass floor above
7:38 topless dancer waving pink feathers moves to background of composition with Club Owner threatening Jo for not paying his tab at Nightclub moving into foreground
8:44 “however much they’re paying you I’ll double it” I love the dialogue in these kinds of films
9:02 Shishido as “Jo” and Boss isolated in the same frame for first time
10:13 higher level boss holding a cat and knife
10:48 Jo gets acquainted with a gangster named Minami who seems to admire his skillset
14:33 handheld camera in street
16 min camera positions changing rapidly as alternates on who has upper hand
17:50 great use of dissolve as addict chases the fading image out of the door
24:17 “kill the boss’s 6th mistress” hilarious
27:53 great composition of the three characters
29 min low angle shot with protagonist elevated in background
32:28 Jo in foreground and Minami in background, fitting with Minami hero worship of Jo growing
35:06 great pan across identical looking frames
39:18 beautiful painterly like shot with yellow air in background
44:04 noir-esque night shot in rain
50:35 long shot makes use of wide aspect ratio
52:28 shot of cars riding side by side using both windows as framing
54:49 creative frame using highway underpass
57:07 3 depths of field
1:07:05 mini planes used to frame Jo
1:11:45 two shot connects Jo and wife of man murdered by mob
1:14:17 another shot using window
1:16:57 camera which was POV from Jo pulls back to reveal Jo with several guns on him he didn’t see coming leading to revelation that the Boss is aware of Jo’s intentions to sabotage both gangs
1:23:17 cross cutting revealing narrative twist
1:23:53 another window shot
1:25:10 cutaway shot to hallway
1:25:58 close up on Jo’s face upon discovering betrayal
1:30:55 pan to video recording
1:31:37 color fades to black and white with exception of red flower and green lettering just like opening scene
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki with another Yakuza Film, his specialty, the plot is intentionally generic a
Suzuki’s films are often hilarious not only in absurdity but just the comical delivery of the lines like after Shishido’s character kills or severely injures several of his guys the Mob Boss with his back turned to Shishido casually says “however much they’re paying you I’ll double it”. These are movies characters with movie character dialogue and its so much fun to watch
Elements of buddy film although a little usual as its kind of one sided with Minami’s hero worship of Jo, although to be fair Shishido’s Joe is awesome
Suzuki alters perspectives in an impressive manner, the viewer rarely has all the visual information making violence and potential double crosses present throughout the film
I love the bookend use of black and white with green lettering in credits and color in flowers
Verdict: HR
Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! (1963)
Notes:
First film in Color for this study, wide aspect ratio again
1:30 trucks full of gangsters get into crazy shootout in middle of a road including a Pepsi Truck (love the shameless product placement)
4:26 Joe Shishido makes first appearance playing in poker in cardroom
7:37 nice close up on faces each on opposite sides of the frame with middle of frame out of focus
10 min wide shot of the city
Shishido as Tajima, a detective investigating Yakuza criminal activity
16:58 great frame in frame in frame shot using car window and police station front door as Manabe exits building
17:39 transition to a black and white TV taking up most of frame where the same events are playing out as potential shoot out is inevitable and starts up shortly after; woman watching black and white TV like she is watching a cops and robbers TV show for entertainment
24:54 watching events play out on the black and white TV again
25:28 great use of red lighting creating highly sexualized image
26:52 Tajima captured in same red lighting
28:07 yellow lighting in the foreground with red lighting in background of shot inside apartment
29:20 gray/blue color palette
30:36 over the hip shot
31:56 frame using overhead shot from trap door located above Tajima
34:34 double close up
36:50 close ups back and forth between Tajima playing an undercover detective and the mob boss, without both in same frame
38:12 saturated green car
41 min church used as part of elaborate backstory for Tajima to convince mob boss he is not police
41:55 meeting in church confessional with Tajima in background of frame behind bars
43:43 what would be gangster film without beautiful dancers, red and blue clothing of dancers contrasts with gray and black in the rest of the frame
45:52 Tajima spontaneously gets up and starts singing along with performers in nightclub
47:15 wide shot of club during end of performance
51:13 overhead shot of club
53:24 close up on love interest of Tajima
53:53 great frame of heads in foreground
56:01 curtain blocks part of frame, wide
1:04:56 red lighting returns when Manabe returns to apartment from earlier
1:06:06 maybe best composition in film with double profile shot at different depths of field with half the frame using red lighting
1:07:04 night club shot with heavy use of silver in mise en scene and Christmas decorations
1:07:55 performer singer looking into camera
1:15:45 broken mirror creating multiple reflections as she details her despair
1:18:50 high angle shot through ceiling door
1:21:26 smoke filled frame enhances claustrophobic atmosphere as fire spreading through basement
1:23:01 free for all battle similar to opening scene only on a much larger level
1:25:30 newspaper headlines as narrative
1:28:03 ends with shot overlooking city
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki with another Yakuza classic, this was my first time watching this one; I found Blu Ray from Arrow Video with great quality, one of his films in color
88 min run time is ideal for this film with the narrative blasting along with a tone that is lighter than many other Yakuza films I have seen, this one is a lot of fun start to finish. There is a terrific scene about halfway through the film where the Joe Shishido character goes the lead performer at a night club in song and dance, he is incredibly charismatic and can pull off scenes like few others
The shootouts are ridiculously over the top, especially the ones that bookend the film, hilariously the opening scene involves a team of Yakuza opening fire from a Pepsi Truck, Suzuki must have had fun with this film and all its absurdities
Expressionistic use of color, especially red lighting used in a couple of scenes involving a sexualized environment, also during the club scene the lead singer is wearing a bright red outfit
I’ve noticed Suzuki likes to use these close ups and profile shots then quickly zoom out, in many of the action scenes the viewer has limited information about how much danger the character is in, creates tension effectively
Verdict: HR
Everything Goes Wrong (1960)
Notes:
Starts with war footage with boxier aspect ratio that changes to wider aspect ratio about 2 min in
2:16 changes to main story with low angle shot with teenage protagonist, Jiro, isolated in frame
3:27 camera movements and Jazz score capture vibrant youth in streets
6:29 rapid zoom from surveillance angle
8:15 camera panning along stage with band performing
13 min Jiro in foreground with mother in background during argument over mother’s new boyfriends as husband was killed during WW2
15:18 Jiro isolated in frame upon leaving house
21:28 camera panning 360 at close distance
22:18 low angle shot with great blocking as teens/young adults hanging around
25:45 Jiro standing behind fence taking up most of frame as kids walking by on right side of frame
26:08 distorted images at a sort of funhouse as Jiro goes on rides alone
30 min Coleman Hawkins poster
32:40 Jiro POV driving car
39:25 slow zoom out with camera set low
40-45 min family drama escalates with each of 4 characters isolated in frame 1 at a time throughout much of the scene, tense throughout
46:41 camera panning along shoreline
54:04 panning through street as Jiro drives off
55:28 Jiro’s mother and boyfriend in background of frame with teens in foreground leading chant
55:50 close up and camera pan inside youth club where an earlier scene was shot
57:50 series of jump cuts
1:00:20 boyfriend of mother standing in background trying to have a serious conversation with Jiro who resists all attempts at civility while kissing girlfriend
1:03:00 anger brewing throughout film turns violent
1:04:10 framing though vehicle windshield
1:04:44 slow pan across to otherwise empty house until Jiro’s mother sitting in corner
1:08:28 after accident immediate transition to bar room
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki going with Jazz score as was popular during this time period in Japan, its fitting for a story about post war youth
This is one of 8 Suzuki films on Criterion Channel right now along with the following; Take Aim at the Police Van, Youth of the Beast, Gate of Flesh, Story of a Prostitute, Fighting Elegy, Tokyo Drifter, and Branded to Kill
This film can be viewed as a sort of tragedy with Jiro’s immaturity dooming everyone in his life who is trying to help him
Some great camera work throughout film capturing the youth of this film in a post war society
Verdict: R/HR
So seven years ago (I was 14 then ) I was on a streak of watching controversial pulpy horror movies. Most of those films were either found-footage Or pure B-grade pulpy stuff. But two of the most artistically superior films I saw were The Devils by Ken Russell and Possession by Andrzej Zulawski. I liked The Devils more because it was available in a better quality but your recent thoughts on Possession made me check out if I missed something as it was anything but a masterpiece until then. I seeked some modern trailers and the quality in them is something that just wasn’t there in the version I saw 7 years ago back in 2016. It’s much better. I saw Possession again and this time I got everything. I have more knowledge of cinema now. At that time I was all about Adjani’s performance, atmosphere, the ambiguity, strangeness etc. It was all there in my recent viewing as well but the the three new MAJOR additions are here,
1. The camera movement- Zulawski’s camera floats, flies. It’s evident and certainly impacts as much as the steadicam shot of Jack Nicholson approaching Shelley Duvall (with a bat in her hand) in The Shining.
2. The color palette- the greys, dull blues, purples
3. The overall theme- it’s a movie about Zulawski’s own divorce. It’s not an outer observation of what couples go through…the crying, argument, heart break, etc etc (Marriage Story/ Scenes from a marriage) . It’s an inner exploration of what couple feel…. The craziness, the hysteria, the horror. The wife is having sex with a monster (literally). The hurt in the movie is the physical manifestation of immense heartache. How much would it hurt if you put your hand in a chopper… Well it hurts that much. That’s the image Zulawski’s trying to create. Just compare the fight scenes here with those of Marriage Story, Blue Valentine, Marriage Story etc.
It’s a sure set Masterpiece
So now let me get to the point I cought up another Zulawski film. It was recommended to me personally by George (a fellow cinephile and admirer of this side my good friend).
That Most Important Thing: Love
Well all I can say is that it’s by the same director who directed Possession… First frame to last. This was a clear revelation for me. An astounding piece of filmmaking
The same camera movements (stylistic supernova- it’s Zulawski being an auteur) as Possession but not as many open spaces and streets as Possession. Impeccable production design better than possession.
Romy Schneider is the lead here. Almodovar dedicates Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown to her performance in this movie and it shows.
It’s a “TOUR DE FORCE”. Just like Adjani’s work in Possession her performance belongs in the same universe as possession. Just like how specific WKW Or Antonioni film performances are. She’s without doubt the best 1975 has to offer as far as female acting performances go. She’s more mature than Adjani. I don’t know where you might have seen her. She’s in The Trial by Orson Welles and really great in it.
That Most Important Thing: Love is a HR/MS for me. On my first viewing.
I suggest you stop what you’re doing and seek it out. It’s a great companion piece to Possession and establishes Zulawski as master of camera movement.
@M*A*S*H- Great work here. That Most Important Thing: Love is on Criterion streaming until the end of February
Will you get to it?
@M*A*S*H – I saw it a few days ago actually. I may try to get to it again. I have it graded out lower than you. I agree with much of you have to say here about her performance and the camera movement. I’m not with the “Impeccable production design better than possession” comment. But I miss things – or have in the past for sure.
@Drake- Okay so what did you make of it? Is it in the archives? If yes, then what grade did you assign it?
@M*A*S*H- Oh yes, in the archives. I thought highly of it and like I said, agree with most of what you said. That production design comment compared to Possession stuck out. But I have it as a R/HR or maybe HR with a little more time to sink it. I do love the connective tissue between the two films.
@M*A*S*H – what do you make of Klaus Kinski’s performance? Haha. He’s playing himself – a complete madman, an actor. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
@Drake – I prefer Kinski’s late period performances:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmUpGKGDH90&ab_channel=rusamene
@Harry- haha- amazing. I had not seen this. Thanks for sending
I liked him.
He knows 5 languages. Has worked in all of them.
@M*A*S*H- Me too, he is hypnotic
I knew u would ultimately get to it change ur thoughts abt Possession.
@M*A*S*H, How have u been mate?
Hey @Ric,
Please contact me personally.
A friend of mine is a big Suzuki fan he introduced me to his films.
Unfortunately I have only seen four of his films l, which are pretty popular –
Youth of the Beast
Tokyo Drifters
Branded to Kill
Zigeunerweisen
I have not seen much of his earlier films, but they get more and more surreal. Branded to Kill is my favourite.
Anyways I love your reviews and regularly check them out, looking forward for more.
This comment was for James.
@Alt Mash – thanks again, l got 12 films planned including the one I just posted about, I have seen 8 of the 12 previously and think extremely highly of Branded to Kill and Tokyo Drifter in particular
@Alt Mash – thank you much appreciated, how many Suzuki films have you seen? I am trying to watch as many as I can find
Starting Director Study for Seijun Suzuki. Will post to this page since he does not have his own page
Take Aim at the Police Van (1960)
Notes:
Starts with shot of man holding gun then switch to POV shot through sniper rifle before transitioning to opening credits
2:45 to 1 aspect ratio
4:50 repetition used as foreshadowing
5:15 sniper POV shot
6 min story moves to next day after a brilliant opening showing a coordinated taking down of a Police Van emptying out prisoners, this results in Van’s prison guard Daijirô Tamon, getting suspended for 6 months
10:20 close up on gangster then set about 20 feet back with the same gangster in background
12:12 internal dialogue from Tamon, the films protagonist
12:47 camera panning along photos of the girls at the “modeling agency” aka brothel
13:45 great overhead shot of surrounding mounts and the city which is located along the water
15:08 nice frame within frame
20:02 great framing using 2 windows
22:20 self-referential “I prefer mysteries set in Japan”
23:10 camera set near ground level at pool
26:50 sniper POV shot
27:26 great composition and use of lighting in the underpass
28:25 shaky camera from vehicle POV
29:13 narration with flashbacks of the crime
32:20 camera panning rapidly creating a disoriented sensation
38 min shot reserve shot
40 min camera goes to low angle shot
41:01 overhead shot
42:19 flashback used for explaining narrative
43:20 eerie score during driving scene
45:21 great blocking and use of framing
53:43 nice framing with 2 different depths of field
54:55 great composition with lonely Yuko on far-right side of frame and the rest of frame empty and at 55:05 when injured Tamon returns home camera moves in on relieved Yuko
56:02 back and forth close ups on faces one at time
56:16 great close up on both faces in the same frame, great blocking here
57:24 multiple depths of field
58:48 camera panning up on window showing waiting gunman
1:03:18 landscape shot with mountains in background
1:03:30 great camera movement with pan across the room
1:06:24 great low angle shot of 3 men forming triangle watching the Van with Tamon and woman inside moving toward what seems like a sure death
1:08:00 suspense mounts with the score
1:10:02 great location for climax of film, very Western vibe out near the mountains in isolated area
1:11:53great camera zoom back from gangsters playing cards inside bar
1:12:50 train takes up half the frame, as characters now at final setting
1:14:23 another close up on same dark sunglasses
1:16:14 camera pan as police sirens ring out
1:17:03 dramatic close ups on faces
1:17:45 rapid edits used to dial up the suspense
Thoughts:
Seijun Suzuki explores Japan’s underworlds in his films similar to Shōhei Imamura, there are some elements of Noir with the character Yoko serving as a sort of Femme Fatale and some of the visuals including shadows, dim lighting, and nighttime setting
The pacing is perfect for this type of story which is for the most part in constant motion with one man, Tamon, investigating the shooting incident as he travels through the streets dealing with various criminals. The films narrative set up works great as Tamon is suspended for 6 months for Van being hijacked so when he sets out to investigate what happened he doesn’t have anyone to report to so he has the freedom of a private investigator
There are many shots with the camera positioned low and some impressive framing with frame in frames and use of windows, doors, and even trucks
Close up shots and slow zoom outs are used to great effect as we the viewer have limited perspective as to who is present in many locations giving off vibe of danger throughout the film
There are a few scenes that foreshadow upcoming events, none better than the opening 6 minutes which is masterful in a sort of montage of people involved both inside and outside of the Police Van
The final set piece at the train is probably the best 5 min stretch of the film along with the opening 5 min
Verdict: HR
Great review as always. Love Seijun Suzuki films, can’t wait for your review of Branded to Kill.
How high do you think Walt Disney would be on the list if he directed all Disney’s animated work released while he was alive (top 150?) ?
@RujK- Interesting question – I think that’s a fair approximation. I’d have to rework all the numbers and spend some time running out the projection.
With an MS/MP in Pinocchio, a good number of HRs to back him up, and a fair few Rs, I would estimate possibly even around the #100 mark where Miyazaki is sitting. I think their resumes more or less line up in that way, though obviously its not the only criteria.
Starting Seijun Suzuki Study – I watched 7 of his films in 2019 and graded them but did not actually go through and take notes back then. Going to rewatch those 7 plus 3 additional ones
@James – haven’t seen any of his films yet but I love this quote “I make movies that make no sense and make no money.”
@Harry – If you like the work of any of these directors there is a good chance you will like his work:
Quentin Tarantino
Micheal Mann
Park Chan Wook
Jean Pierre Melville
John Woo
Shōhei Imamura