best film: I Am Cuba or Soy Cuba from Mikhail Kalatozov. It took me a long time to get to Kalatozov’s I Am Cuba. I didn’t get to it until 2016 and when I did, I saw it again the next night I was so blown away. It is a landmark work of art in terms of camera movement. Its roots can be found in Murnau, Renoir and Ophuls—yet this is different—even more muscular– less about invisibility. The film has had a long lasting influence- you can see it in contemporary cinema– directors like Iñárritu (specifically Birdman and The Revenant), PTA (I mean the pool scene in Boogie Nights) Chazelle (La La Land). In fact, it’s kind of wild how much Chazelle’s masterpiece is influenced by two different masterpieces and films of 1964: I Am Cuba and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Not trailing far behind (I had them in consecutive slots on my top 100 of the 1960’s list) Kalatozov’s film is Gertrud from Dreyer and Red Desert from Antonioni. Dreyer’s work is a miracle of meticulously designed mise-en-scene. I was wrong on it for years and that is readily apparent in the first 10 minutes of the film— this is one of the most assured artistic examples of mise-en-scene in cinema history. While praising a poet character in the film, the Gertrud character actually says “each sentence is well-constructed and considered”—that is describing Dreyer to a T. Antonioni, like Bergman, Fellini, Kurosawa, Ozu and the other early masters who started in black and white, uses color like a weapon- expressive. Antonioni actually painted part of the landscape here (red of course), goes for very bold primary, a blue shack, yellow smoke from the factory. Antonioni is wrapping up a five-year run (1960-1964) that includes four films easily in the top 10 of their respective years– in the most competitive/loaded stretch of films as far as top 10’s are concerned.
as if the roving camera weren’t enough- Kalatozov’s frame design is downright expressionistic
canted angles- from I Am Cuba. It is reminiscent of Eisenstein’s work– and hear me out- it isn’t simply because they were both Russian/Soviet– that would be lazy. But Eisenstein is known for his editing (and rightly so)- but throughout his work you can easily find immaculate frame after frame. Ditto for Kalatozov- who is primarily known for his camera movement– yet here we are above and below
…another from I Am Cuba
Red Desert – Antonioni’s auteuristic trademarks in theme—alienation, anxiety in the modern life and modern relationships, (influenced by surroundings) industrialized landscapes
Monica Vitti’s character deteriorates—at 110 minutes in she’s getting overtaken by the oppressive mise-en-scene like Lang’s Metropolis, von Sternberg’s mise-en-scene work or Welles’ The Trial
Antonioni and Vitti — achievements as part of the year’s best work together in 1960, 1961, 1962 and now 1964
yet another from Antonioni- the hazy shallow-focus formal choice set up in the opening credits
most underrated: There are numerous options here for 1964 sadly. Both My Fair Lady and A Fistful Of Dollars are left off the TSPDT consensus top 1000 altogether. That’s a shame. But I had to single one out it would be Imamura again with Intentions of Murder – completely left off the TSPDT top 1000 as well and ranked slightly higher than Cukor and Leone’s film on my list.
- Imamura isn’t undone by the longer running time which is pretty special—150 minutes—it’s almost unfathomable how he did this the year after The Insect Woman in 1963—this is long, detailed, and so carefully and beautifully crafted in nearly every frame
- The lamp in the foreground during the robbery and rape—(there is where style and content break with Imamura being in the Ozu style)—this is seedy, brutal, ugly—typical Imamura
- Imamura actually uses Welles’ low-angles with some foreground background work as well. Kô Nishimura in the foreground, Harukawa in the background tied up—we have the shoji door creating a frame and giving depth—and then a hanging light swinging back and forth in an otherwise dimly lit room giving occasional light to her
- A dazzling overhead 360 camera movement shot of Harukawa in the aftermath of the crime
- Sparsely used experimental score
Formal and stylistic bliss—the strongest effort from Imamura to date in 1964
most overrated: I was not able to locate a decent enough copy to study it properly- but my recollection of Pasolini’s The Gospel According to St. Matthew is that it is not deserving of #144 of all-time (current TSPDT ranking)—for now that may be the single most overrated film of 1964 though I look forward to finding it again and rewatching.
a great set piece from Kubrick’s Strangelove– I am a great admirer of the film and have seen it a half-dozen times at least- but would be remiss if didn’t mention that the #46 ranking on TSPDT seems a little high (this is Kubrick’s #2 ranked film according to TSPDT—which is incorrect).
gems I want to spotlight: Charulata from Satyajit Ray
- Amongst Ray’s best work
- Brilliant shot of camera attached to a swing to capture Madhabi Mukherjee’s face- this would be picked up by others including Truffaut and Wes Anderson
The finale is justifiably famous. It’s a series of freeze frames of open hands. It’s up there with (and of course echoes The 400 Blows).
- A long gorgeous tracking shot going up from the ground to Charulata’s unblinking eye which turns into a long dissolve montage mix of her getting ideas to write her great article
- The film doesn’t have the devastating form and symmetry of The Music Room
- Ray does his own music—which is wonderful and re-used in Darjeeling Limited from Wes Anderson
Blood and Black Lace from Bava is another one to highlight from 1964
- Mario Bava’s work is a fascinating blend of high and low art. The script is putrid, and the acting is just straight bad, but Bava’s gliding camera, and especially his use of color, is a major artistic achievement
- He often uses neon lighting and heavy shadow work in the same mise-en-scene. It’s gorgeous
- Heavy neon with posing characters for the intro title montage—jazz score—it’s a very inspired opening
- The story is a slasher and a who-done-it set in the fashion industry (which gives Bava plenty of excuses to go nuts (and I love it) with the décor
- Flashing neon green from Vertigo
- The film is proof a good director can make an archiveable film from any source material
- The fast motion photography sequences are unfortunate choices
- The second murder set piece, about 20 minutes in, is the main spectacular sequence- it’s about five minutes—there’s another one at the end with a superb tracking shot long take through a neon lit house filled with colorful mannequins… if these sequences had been more than 15 minutes of the 90 minutes or so we could’ve been talking about a top 5 film of 1964—its about ratio here and there are 20 minute chunks here and there where it’s a really weak movie filled with bad acting—even without the dubbing—some of the bad dubbing, simple genre story stuff with spectacular visuals remind me of John Woo’s work
Clearly influences Argento, mainly Suspiria- and a precursor to Refn’s Neon Demon and Only God Forgives, and Greenaway’s The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover
trends and notables:
- If we’re tracking stylistic cinematic moments- I Am Cuba is one of the most important 5-10 films to discuss when talking about camera movement—and Gertrud does the same on the mise-en-scene side
- With The Umbrellas of Cherbourg below this marks the fifth straight year we have a French New Wave film in the top five of the year. In 1959 it was #1, in 1960 it was #2 and #5, in 1961 it was #2, in 1962 it was #2, and in 1963 it was #4. As you can see it would continue below at #4 and for a quick preview of 1965—the streak will continue.
1964 is a Dreyer year and every year Dreyer has a film released (1955, 1943, 1932 and so on) is important—this is Dreyer’s final film (and certainly one of his best). He would pass away in 1968 at the age of 79
- I mention it above but Antonioni experimenting in color is worthy of noting— he certainly isn’t alone. Demy’s Umbrellas is a color-bomb—spectacular. Bava’s use of neon is important, Hitchcock is very color-focused in Marnie.
a color explosion in Demy’s masterwork
whether it is yellow, or red- Hitchcock uses color as very important tool in Marnie
A Fistful of Dollars is not only a great film, and an inspired remake of Kurosawa’s Yojimbo, but it gave us the birth of Sergio Leone, Ennio Morricone, Clint Eastwood (first archiveable film for all three– Morricone worked on Bertolucci’s Before the Revolution as well in 1964) and the arrival of the spaghetti western
The Beatles and Richard Lester had major impact on 1964 and beyond with A Hard Day’s Night (cameo for first time actor Charlotte Rampling). Performance, Blackboard Jungle and others have some claim over the birth of the music video but certainly Lester’s film has a claim as well
- From a political/global standpoint- the threat of an atomic bomb is clearly having an impact on cinema with both Dr. Strangelove and Lumet’s Fail Safe
- It does feel like sort of the end of an era for Hitchcock- this is his final top 10 of the year film– his final film with DP Robert Burks (Rear Window, Vertigo, North By Northwest, The Birds) and final film with the great Bernard Herrmann
- It is worth observing that this is really the beginning of a 35-year run for Kubrick which ends in his death in 1999– Paths of Glory is genius, but then Spartacus and Lolita are a little less exceptional (certainly in comparison with what is to come from Kubrick). But starting in 1964 with Dr. Strangelove Kubrick (with often long gestation periods between) goes MP, MP, MP, MP, MP, MS, MP
- It was also a very big year for acting firsts (which makes me think the lack of them in 1963 was just happenstance). We have Catherine Deneuve in Umbrellas, Gene Hackman in Lilith, and the great Michael Caine in Zulu. Perhaps with not quite that level of impact, we also have the first archiveable film for Maggie Smith who would go on to be in at least one archiveable film in six straight decades. This may be a record it if weren’t for Caine himself who with Tenet has his count extended to seven consecutive decades
best performance male: Peter Sellers gives the best male acting performance of the year in Dr. Strangelove. Of course, he actually gives three performances in the film (playing three different characters) and they’re all perfect. Morphing into roles like this isn’t new– Lon Chaney back in the silent era– even Alec Guinness had been doing it for a long time— but none of Guinness’ vehicles were quite to this level. Sellers has A Shot in the Dark as well- and there’s paper to be written comparing Sellers (portrayal of a Frenchman) being a big hit in the US/UK and Jerry Lewis being a smash in France (sort of portraying a buffoonish American). One of the major competitors for this top slot in 1964 is Strangelove co-star George C. Scott who steals every scene he’s in. He usually plays a straight actor so to see him cut loose like this is a treat to see. Rex Harrison gives the best performance of his career in My Fair Lady. Also worthy of recognition here in 1964 is Sean Connery in both Marnie and Goldfinger. Goldfinger (along with maybe Skyfall about fifty years later) is peak Bond. I also have to tip the cap to Eastwood with his striking work in the first leg of the man with no name trilogy. Lastly, and again I don’t like to dip to HR-level films or lower, but Rod Steiger gives the performance of his career (his work in On the Waterfront is right there) in The Pawnbroker. It’s a tragic and devastating performance and film. Steiger didn’t get a mention in 1954 for Waterfront and he’s also fantastic in 1965’s Zhivago so I feel good about getting him at least one mention here among the best performers of the year.
best performance female: 1964 is a big year for female led films and strong female characters. Monica Vitti is sublime wandering through Antonioni’s Red Desert in a post-traumatic (think of every Lynne Ramsay film) haze. This is Vitti’s fourth mention in five years in this category and this is her finest single performance. Madhabi Mukherjee in Charulata is next- I mean all three leads in the film are good but Mukherjee in particular gives a spectacular performance- there many standout scenes—but when she realizes that she loves her cousin-in-law and she is in trouble—very fine acting. Catherine Deneuve is an instant star in Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Anna Karina is here for the second time in three years with Band of Outsiders and though it is a very different performance that takes some adjusting (and is the boiler plate for every Roy Andersson film)- I’m giving a mention to Nina Pens Rode in as Gertrud in Gertrud. Next, I have Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins respectively. Those two roles will always be tied together because Hepburn got the role everyone thought should’ve gone to Andrews (I think she played Eliza on stage) and Andrews ended up winning the Oscar for Poppins to get the last laugh. The last mention is for Tippi Hedren in Hitchcock’s Marnie. Hedren isn’t an overly talented actress (and she is green- Hitchcock scooped her up—this is only her second real performance after The Birds in 1963) and no- she’s not Grace Kelly- but she certainly deserves a combined mention here for being the central role in the last two last great Hitchcock films.
Vitti in Red Desert- a highlight shot (amongst a seemingly endless series of them in this film) is the camera from behind Vitti’s head showing her POV and everything is in shallow focus like the opening credits
Madhabi Mukherjee as Charulata
the Catherine Deneuve-era begins in 1964
Nina Pens Rode in Dreyer’s final film
Anna Karina in Band of Outsiders
top 10
- I Am Cuba
- Gertrud
- Red Desert
- The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
- Intentions of Murder
- Dr. Strangelove
- My Fair Lady
- Charulata
- A Fistful of Dollars
- Marnie
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors– Parajanov throws the kitchen sink at it so to speak stylistically—it doesn’t all land, you don’t always feel like you’re watching a cohesive whole. However, the cinematic ambition on display is flabbergasting and worthy of study and praise
Masaki Kobayashi’s Kwaidan— phenomenal diorama landscapes…
…. another one here– there are no shortage of these from Kwaidan
a beautiful cinematic painting from Mary Poppins
Cukor’s 65mm triumph– décor and costume (this is the ascot horse race scene) in pristine large format photography
from Onibaba— director Kaneto Shindô
Archives, Directors, and Grades
| A Fistful of Dollars- Leone | MS |
| A Hard Day’s Night- Lester | R/HR |
| A Shot in the Dark- Edwards | R |
| Band of Outsiders- Godard | HR/MS |
| Becket- Glenville | R |
| Before the Revolution- Bertolucci | R |
| Black God, White Devil – Rocha | |
| Blood and Black Lace – Bava | HR |
| Charulata – S. Ray | MS |
| Diary of a Chambermaid- Bunuel | R |
| Dr. Strangelove – Kubrick | MP |
| Fail-Safe- Lumet | R |
| Gertrud – Dreyer | MP |
| Goldfinger – Hamilton | HR/MS |
| Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte- Aldrich | R |
| I Am Cuba- Kalatozov | MP |
| Intentions of Murder – Imamura | MP |
| Kwaidan- Kobayashi | HR |
| Lilith- Rossen | R |
| Marnie- Hitchcock | HR/MS |
| Marriage, Italian Style- De Sica | R |
| Mary Poppins- Stevenson | HR |
| My Fair Lady- Cukor | MP |
| Onibaba – Shindô | HR |
| Red Desert – Antonioni | MP |
| Robin and the 7 Hoods- Douglas | R |
| Seven Days in May- Frankenheimer | R |
| Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors – Parajanov | HR/MS |
| The Americanization of Emily- Hiller | R |
| The Best Man- Schaffner | R |
| The Carpetbaggers-Dmytryk | R |
| The Gospel According to St. Matthew- Pasolini | HR |
| The Man From Rio – de Broca | R |
| The Naked Kiss – Fuller | R |
| The Night of the Iguana- J. Huston | R |
| The Pawnbroker- Lumet | HR |
| The Pumpkin Eater – J. Clayton | R/HR |
| The Tomb of Ligeia- Corman | R |
| The Train- Frankenheimer | |
| The Umbrellas of Cherbourg- Demy | MP |
| Topkapi- Dassin | R |
| Woman in the Dunes – Teshigahara | HR |
| Zorba the Greek- Cacoyannis | R |
| Zulu- Endfield | R |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-See- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
The Glynis Johns character in Mary Poppins is even more awful than the David Tomlinson character. This film is aimed at neglectful parents. And Feed the Birds – Tuppence is a brilliant song.
I would still stand by the fact Mary Poppins (1964) isn’t the most engaging watch. It’s rather directionless and gets a bit repetitive and boring and feels long at 139 minutes (which is crazy long for a Disney film). But it’s a very rewarding film after watching the entire film. I admire the narrative swing/risk here of basing the entire film around a character’s character development rather than relying on plot and one dimensional characters. But it doesn’t make for the most engaging of watches until the last section unless you really love to watch these characters and see them do over-the-top things at their whim rather than any overarching goal. The sequence of Mr. Banks going to the bank to receive his firing is a great piece of cinema. And Tuppence is a great song (it was apparently Walt Disney’s own personal favourite). The interior decoration in the films of this era are absolutely marvelous. The costumes. HR feels like a solid rating for the film. I’m fine with it.
I gave it my best with Mary Poppins (1964). But this film is just pure fluff. It doesn’t take long for me to get utterly bored with it. The sequel/remake had good sense to attach a solid story into it.
Woman of Straw (1964)
https://imgur.com/a/woman-of-straw-1964-6uFmiew
Sorry, the previous link is broken.
Woman of Straw (1964)
https://imgur.com/a/woman-of-straw-1968-4qxjGGQ
@Malith – another boat film from Dearden
Ralph Richardson is extraordinary in Woman of Straw. It’s a DDL Phantom Thread like character but much more vile and entertaining with his love for Beethoven-haha.
No mention for Richard Attenborough in Guns at Batasi among the best performances of the year?
@Drake- Have you seen Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)?
@Malith – my brother just asked me about it. I had not heard of it so I looked at this page. Have you seen this?
@James Trapp- No
Kinji Fukasaku
Final Ranking and Grades:
Study Summary:
Kinji Fukasaku entered my radar via Quentin Tarantino and his love of Battle Royale (2000) which topped his list of his favorite films since 1992 (the year he made his first film). Fukasaku influenced other filmmakers including William Friedkin. There are numerous similarities with Fukasaku’s work and The French Connection (1970) in terms of the use of handheld camera, the pacing, and even narrative similarities
Kinji Fukasaku did not invent the genre, but he is perhaps the first name that comes up in regard to Yakuza films. Yakuza refers to Japanese organized crime and thus Yakuza films are often compared to American gangster films like those of Coppola and Scorsese. However, from what I have seen I would sooner compare the Yakuza films of Fukasaku more akin to Sergio Leone Westerns crossed with Jean Pierre Melville French Gangster films. The wild shootouts of these Yakuza films resemble the Dollars Trilogy or Sam Peckinpah’s 1969 film The Wild Bunch. The mystique of the Yakuza resembles Melville’s gangsters who were always aware of their place in the underworld such as François Périer’s character in Le Cercle Rouge (1970) who refuses to cooperate with the police because “it is not in my nature to be an informer”. The Yakuza gangsters have a similar level of hyper awareness of their status and mythology
While I think the top-level work of Seijun Suzuki’s Yakuza films are superior, there is no denying Fukasaku’s argument as perhaps the king of the genre via incredible volume. And regarding Suzuki’s two best films, which are Tokyo Drifter (1966) and Branded to Kill (1967) it could be argued they are almost in a different category than the more gritty realism of Fukasaku’s Yakuza work
Battles Without Honor or Humanity (1973) became an entire series and eventually franchise of sorts totaling 11 films. Fukasaku directed 8 of those films with the first 5 films compromising of one running storyline and then 3 additional films with similar subject matter but separate narratives. For the purpose of this Study I covered the first 5 films which is all one storyline covering nearly 25 years with a main character in all 5 films Shozo Hirono (played by Bunta Sugawara), an ex-soldier who becomes involved with the Yakuza. There are several characters who are in all 5 of the films but there are many characters who come and go. The sheer number of characters combined with the blistering narrative pace makes it challenging to follow but it is well worth it
What makes the Battles Without Honor or Humanity Series special is the marriage of narrative and style. The film, which has a gritty documentary approach, uses handheld camera work to capture the brutal and chaotic violence. It is much different from say the masterful choreographed and stylized action of John Woo.
Fukasaku puts the viewer right in the streets with the characters. Fukasaku does not slow things down or add exposition to scenes just for the sake of catching up the viewer. Again, this makes it challenging to follow but enthralling to experience
Fukasaku often employs Guerrilla filmmaking. There are a number of stylized traits in his work; the bold red lettering title credits, the freeze frame montages to open the films, freeze frames used for character deaths or significant arrests accompanied by the series theme music. The handheld camera movements as well as camera tilts during fight scenes and rapid camera movements in general
Before the Yakuza Series there was The Threat (1966) which was a different type of crime film, which involved desperate criminals targeting a wealthy family for ransom. It is quite different to the Yakuza films in some regards as Fukasaku is able to transfer the protagonist’s inter angst onto the screen with unprocessed photography and use of blurry imagery of the city at night. However, the visual style that would prevalent There is the use of camera tilting during ransom exchange with frequent canted angle shots and shaky camera used capturing the chaos of the situation. There are quick cuts, whip pans, and rapid camera push ins that are increasingly prevalent in the 2nd half of the film
The final film that I covered was the last film directed by Fukasaku, which was Battle Royale (2000). The film was adapted from a novel written by Japanese author Koushun Takami. Battle Royale is a dystopian film that follows 42 junior high school students selected to participate in the government’s annual Battle Royale program which brings them to an island where they are forced to fight to the death until one person is left standing. The critical and commercial success of Battle Royale (2000) the film made it a pop culture sensation that resulted in the creation of a Manga Series. In 2012, the American film director and screenwriter Gary Ross directed the first Hunger Games film. Several sequels followed, all the sequels were directed by American film director Francis Lawrence
# 1 Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1973) – MP
# 2 Battle Royale (2000) – MS
# 3 The Threat (1966) – MS/HR
# 4 Yakuza Graveyard (1976) – HR
# 5 Police Tactics (1974) – HR
# 6 Street Mobster (1972) – HR/R
# 7 Hiroshima Death Match (1973) – HR/R
# 8 Wolves, Pigs, and Men (1964) – HR/R
# 9 Final Episode (1974) – R
# 10 Proxy War (1973) – R
** I made a few errors, I upgraded The Threat to MS and Battle Royale should be HR
Should be:
# 1 Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1973) – MP
# 2 The Threat (1966) – MS
# 3 Battle Royale – HR
# 4 Yakuza Graveyard (1976) – HR
# 5 Police Tactics (1974) – HR
# 6 Street Mobster (1972) – HR/R
# 7 Hiroshima Death Match (1973) – HR/R
# 8 Wolves, Pigs, and Men (1964) – HR/R
# 9 Final Episode (1974) – R
# 10 Proxy War (1973) – R
@James Trapp-Have you done a Michael Mann study?
@Malith – I have not but it is funny that you brought it up since it is one of the auteurs on my list for next up. I am going to do one of the following three
Michael Mann
Christopher Nolan
Fritz Lang
Battle Royale (2000)
Notes:
Starts with magnificent opening credits playing grand opera music
The film starts with a hectic sequence as reporters are all over the place. There is a shot of a girl about 10-13 years old smiling with blood splattered on her face and holding a doll, reporters are in background yelling questions
2:40 monochrome photo of teacher surrounded by students, as camera zooms in on photo is gains color
4:48 flash back to school basketball game with bright lights and primary colors used in uniforms of teams, red and blue
7:00 an adult in purple uniform wearing a gas mask on bus with all the school kids passed out
7:27 cut to shot of rough waters with island in the background, shortly after school kids have device around their necks
8:19 overhead pan across the bus of kids passed out from gas
9:09 disorienting lights from helicopters flying over the area
10:15 the teacher from the photo in the opening walks with armed military men
12:30 the premise is explained including a title name drop
14:50 disorienting camera movements as camera is panning 360 degrees clockwise, the teacher is moving counterclockwise
At 21:10 the games begin as students listen to the instructional video and start taking their bags one by one to prepare for the battle
26:56 cut to a memory with orange/yellow rays of sunlight entering the room as two friends talk about girls they like
30:21 machine gun executions with dark blue tinted screen
34:14 haunting image of two dead kids hanging from a tree next to each other
34:24 blooding spraying out of necks of two characters as one was accidental suicide
35:03 role call like it is a summer camp
37:50 kid with glasses reciting math equations while attempt (and failing) to kill 2 students
39:47 long shot and zoom on top of hills
44:16 low angle shot showing power dynamic, this changes when one student gets the gun before they look at each other eye to eye
54:16 orange sky and green trees in frame
56:37 fade out with classical music
57:04 wide angle shot of military helicopters and personnel
1:10:17 slow motion dream sequence with aftermath of brutal violence
1:17:40 gods eye view shot of aftermath of brutal violence
1:24:54 slow motion basketball bouncing
1:34:44 cinematic painting of silhouette light house with intense orange sky
1:35:55 slow motion memory of basketball game
1:39:57 character walking from background of frame which is covered by fire leading to a shootout
1:41:07 cut to next day with blue and purple sky
1:44:14 long shot from a high angle of Kitano isolated in the frame listening to recording
1:46:12 Kitano and final 3 kids in the room
1:46:27 montage of animated pictures of all the children and their deaths
1:48:00 shot over Kitano’s body after being shot
The film ends on a freeze frame
Thoughts:
This appears to be Kinji Fukasaku’s most well-known film outside of Japan. It is famous for being the primary inspiration for The Hunger Games, which I have not seen
Early in the film just before the 15-minute mark there is an effective disorienting camera movement as camera is panning 360 degrees clockwise, the teacher is moving counterclockwise
There is dark humor including the instructional video featuring the cheery instructor and really just the overall absurdity of the situation including the casual manner of certain life or death scenarios. Some may disagree but I thought there was an effective mix of camp, humor, and genuine emotional sequences. While the game begins about 20 minutes into the film, it is not immediate all-out warfare. If it was the film would be much less effective. Instead, it builds the characters up giving them backstories and reasons to care about their fates
The operatic score is effective, creating a grand expectation. The deaths are numbered on the screen with text in white lettering. I would have preferred the bold red text Fukasaku uses in the Battles Series. The grand music would be better suited with a bit more stylization, but it is a small complaint
There is an unsettling photograph in the opening of the film showing the head instructor Kitano (played by Takeshi Kitano) and the 42 students featured in the film all dressed in identical school uniforms
The desaturated colors and lack of primary colors throughout much of the film are appropriate to the bleak atmosphere. There is a flashback sequence where a flash of 56 with orange/yellow rays of sunlight entering the room as two friends talk about girls they like. Yellow and orange are colors associated with childhood and happiness in films. In flashbacks to school basketball games there is much brighter lighting and uniforms as saturated primary colors of blue and red. At 1:34:44 there is an incredible cinematic painting of silhouette light house with intense orange sky
One of the strengths regarding camera work is in the way power dynamics are portrayed. Low and high angle shots are used for illustrating character power dynamics, and in many cases change several times in a single scene. For example, a character holding a weapon over another only to lose or drop it which alters the power dynamics. The fast-cutting style and unusual camera angles of Fukasaku work well
Fukasaku uses several gods eye view shots following brutal violence. He also uses an overhead pan when the kids are knocked out from gas on the bus on the way to the island. Given that the film is not told through the perspective of any one character these shots work well
There is a particular visual dissonance created by viewing innocent looking middle school kids using powerful weapons and committing savage violence. The winning student of a pervious Battle that is shown in the beginning of the film returns to a media mob who sees the young girl who is tightly gripping her toy doll and still has braces…and blood splattered over her body along with a disturbingly evil smile
There is a contrast between the innocence of childhood and the brutality of War. There are flashbacks to middle school basketball games during the film before returning to the brutal reality of the battle
As a 15-year-old Kinji Fukasaku worked in a factory that made ammunition used for WW2. The factory was attacked by US navy warships and he witnessed friends of his killed leading to a strong resentment toward adults. This seems relevant given the films generational bitterness. The film’s main villain Kitano repeatedly demonstrates anger and resentment of the younger generation who in turn hate him
Verdict: MS
Yakuza Graveyard (1976)
Notes:
Starts at baseball stadium, after a home run there is a quick cut to shot of young punks vandalizing the stadium followed by cut to police chief
1:18 photos of individuals involved in organized crime
4:00 freeze frame of undercover cop shot horizontally with the bold red lettering for credits
6:00 undercover cop named Kuroiwa Ryu is played by Tetsuya Watari who played the lead character in Seijun Suzuki’s Tokyo Drifter (1966) confronts the young punks revealing his badge
6:23 handheld camera used during chase sequence
11:38 triangle composition from low angle with Kuroiwa standing intensely over his superiors as he is reprimanded for being too violent with suspects
18:50 nice blocking with this two-shot, using character positioning in frame to show disconnect between Kuroiwa and his girlfriends
20:35 nice blocking with this two-shot, using character positioning in frame to show disconnect between Kuroiwa and his girlfriends
28:57 obstructing foreground with red/orange lamp in dimly lit room
29:40 camera tilt used at start of fight sequence
31:51 Kuroiwa tries to light the cash handed to him on fire, showing he won’t be bought off
39:41 camera fade out to high angle shot of Kuroiwa and his girlfriend walking on the beach
43 voiceover with brief montage of arrests
46 min Kuroiwa listening to American/British rock music in his apartment
48:45 Kuroiwa smacks another police who tries to reprimand him for playing his music in his apartment too loudly
49:34 camera slowly panning behind speaker of ceremony and throughout the room
51:13 bright red dancer’s costume and neon lighting stands out given the desaturated palette so far
52:23 bright red light from projection briefly splitting the frame horizontally, followed by brawl
55:40 bizarre sex scene
1:04:57 close up on Kuroiwa as he is being reprimanded by his superiors
1:06:28 Kuroiwa in foreground as his superiors all leave the room, camera is held static showing the lone wolf Kuroiwa
1:07:21 blue lit lighting in background with Kuroiwa and his girlfriend inside car during rainy night
1:17:20 rapid camera push-out from boss who goes from talking on phone to giving orders
1:19:10 great scene; psychedelic scene after Kuroiwa is forcibly drugged, flashing colors with the Yakuza standing over him, the audio is trippy as well
1:23:50 canted angle followed by shaky camera capturing chaos of situation
1:24:58 blue lighting in Kuroiwa apartment seemingly lying by himself
1:25:30 camera pan up to girlfriend
Thoughts:
Fukasaku with another thrilling Yakuza tale. It has many of the same traits as Battles Without Honor and Humanity Series as you have handheld camera sequences, rapid camera movements in general, freeze frame montages, chaotic violence, amongst other similarities
The main character here is a police officer who is not scared to throw down vs the Yakuza. He has a bit of a lone wolf mentality as his tactics make him something of a rebel in comparison to his yellow officers who are frustrated by his actions but seem to respect his abilities. Around 66 min there is a shot of Kuroiwa in foreground as his superiors all leave the room, camera is held static for several seconds with Kuroiwa standing in the room by himself looking distraught. Tetsuya Watari is great as the lead character Kuroiwa, who has a defiant streak in him throughout the film. As the film progresses, he begins to act closer to a Yakuza than police
The film might be closer to a character study than I expected. It is a “cops and robbers” film to an extent but it is arguably more so about this one character who finds himself sort of trapped between the police and Yakuza. The troubled police officer is a common trope but it is well performed from Tetsuya Watari. There is a scene where another police officer knocks on his apartment door due to a noise complaint as Kuroiwa is blasting a song that is either an American or British Rock Band. Kuroiwa ends up punching the other officer in the face
He does not do it consistently but every once in a while, there will be a great two-shot where characters share the frame but clearly are disconnected psychologically. Kuroiwa’s apartment is dimly lit and the film uses blue in several night scenes highlighting the character’s isolation
There is plenty of violence, but it is not as intense as the films of the Battle Series although that has more to do with just how crazy the violence was in those films
Around 79 min there is a great psychedelic scene after Kuroiwa is forcibly drugged with truth serum resulting in flashing colors with the Yakuza standing over him, the audio is trippy as well. While it does stick out compared to the more gritty realism, yet, it is so aesthetically pleasing that I can overlook this minor formal weakness
Verdict: HR
@James Trapp- haha- great title for a film
@Drake – haha for sure, Kinji Fukasaku seems to be the king of the genre
Final Episode (1974)
Notes:
Starts with summary of previous 4 films of the Series
This is the final film of this storyline which has spanned 5 films including this one
1:34 switch from color montage to the usual bold red lettering in opening credits over a monochrome image of a march through the streets
5:03 wild fight
5:58 camera pan up in desaturated image before light
6:18 surveillance angle image of the gangsters eating watermelon, the red/pink watermelon color stands out given lack of primary colors in this series
10:25 assassination with handheld camera and freeze frame explaining the man killed
10:52 bars in foreground resemble prison cell during funeral scene
11:25 Joe Shishido as Katsutoshi Otomo
17:18 in 1966 there is a government crackdown on the Tensei Coalition, which is organized crime
19:15 Otomo in foreground, great use of framing showing Otomo’s power in this layered composition
31:12 overhead shot of Shozo Hirono inside prison cell
40:30 Masakichi Makihara appears and his reputation as a snake remains intact
49:20 great camera movement as it pans up and floats through a seemingly empty house to the top floor following a phone ringing to the boss
51:10 wide angle shot of gangsters coming out of headquarters as police are surveilling
52:14 gangland hit with handheld camera
52:57 canted angle before the final shots fired
54:39 Joe Shishido’s Katsutoshi Otomo arrested in freeze frame indicating 6 year prison sentence
56:40 monochrome montage with voice over narration
59:12 the new recruits not exactly stacking up
1:01:55 low camera set up in this two-shot with nice use of foreground/background
1:02:54 nice use of framing to show the power dynamic with the boss in the foreground with his back to the camera
1:08:20 nice blocking in this shot of 3 heads of significant power players of the series
1:09:36 glass coca cola bottles must be popular in Japan, I see them in a lot of Japanese films
1:12:43 canted angle shots used throughout the murder scene ending with Masakichi Makihara killed by a couple of young punks in the street
1:13:25 Hirono released from prison, followed by an ariel shot of the city from a high angle
1:15:47 nice frame in frame as Akira Takeda and Hirono meeting alone in hotel room
1:17:43 great acting from Bunta Sugawara throughout this scene, as Hirono has seen it all and just does not trust anyone yet seems relaxed
1:19:04 bars in foreground followed by a door over foreground indicating secretive nature of the scene
1:20:18 camera pan from Hirono over gun over to man in front of him at meeting
1:26:12 train track ticking noise as car stops followed by high surveillance angle shot of a hit involving multiple characters shot at and killed or injured including Eda’s death and Matsumura seriously injured
Matsumura still attends ceremony despite injury. Hirono attends but declines Takeda’s offer for a drink saying he feels guilt for all the deaths. After a member of Hirono’s family is killed due to the earlier murder of Makihara, Hirono finally decides he’s had enough of the life and accepts retirement
Thoughts:
Fukasaku with the 5th and final film of the series
Take as a whole, this series is quite a wild ride with brutal violence, dark humor, and an absolute blistering pace.
While the series has achieved a certain cult status the chief complaint lies in blistering pace of the narratives combined with the sheer number of characters. This series is difficult to follow on a first viewing which is why I kept a page of the characters on my computer open as a sort of reference/guide. While there are many murders, there are still enough main characters that appear in most of the films that you do start to get a better sense of who is who, at least for those main characters.
Stylistically, there is not a huge difference between the 5 films, though the first was easily the most impressive. The marriage of style and content is perfect as you have the handheld camera work and rapid camera movements which pairs with the chaotic world of the Yakuza and the dizzying levels of dealings, double and triple crosses, and general unpredictability in the actions of these deeply immoral characters
Despite the insane pacing Fukasaku does have impressive compositions at times. In particular he uses framing and blocking to show who has the most power and influence in scenes where there are Yakuza meetings. This is key given how much of the narrative is focused on these power dynamics
It is a solid film to end on as it wraps up the storyline of Hirono. Apparently, the last film was supposed to be the final one of this storyline and it could be argued this one was unnecessary but I was impressed that they were able to bring this one together and add some more great moments even if it was really just more of the same
Verdict: R
Police Tactics (1974)
Notes:
Starts with summary of the first 3 films of the series
This film opens in 1963 with police cracking down on Yakuza activity partially due to the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo
There is a war between the Yamamori Family and the Shinwa Group against an alliance of the Uchimoto, Hirono, and Akashi Families
2:13 bold red lettering for opening credits
9:48 Hirono Family members in abandoned warehouse creating cyanide bullets when Hirono drops in
15:30 Hirono on one side of table at meeting and all the other characters in the scene are on the other side, a symbolically familiar position for Hirono
16:47 Kawada is given responsibility over sports betting
17:52 black and white photos depicting violence
18:38 Noburo Uchimoto outside funeral
19:28 character positioning showing all eyes on Hirono both literally and figuratively
26:15 Yoshio Yamamori and Masakichi Makihara in bar with bright yellow lights in middle of frame standing out in the otherwise desaturated brown palette
29 min camera push ins effective in redirecting characters focus during club sequence
30:58 narrative via newspaper as public demands further crackdowns on organized crime
32:25 reporter gets photo of Yakuza violence in streets
37:19 car window used to frame shot of a set up involving a woman luring to his death
39:58 low angle shot of POV of man getting shot during late night followed by pan down over Christmas lights in streets and chaotic violence in the streets with theme music playing
41:50 montage of black and white photos of arrests due to fed-up citizens demanding a crackdown on Yakuza violence
44:10 back and forth exchange over phone between Hirono and Shoichi Eda. The alternating shots of these two use close ups of their faces in the foreground on their faces with underlings in shallow focus
47:29 Hirono demands that he alone will kill Yamamori due to their long history
49:29 surveillance angle shot as the two watch over the streets
51:12 a rare dissolve
56:00 slow zoom in as police have Hirono and his crew cornered outside and surrounded shortly after by a shot of Hirono inside close to wall showing he is trapped with no way out here
1:06:15 great low angle shot with frame obstructed by leaf
1:07:53 frame packed to the brim with Yakuza ceremony
1:13:24 Ambush with no build up showing the constant danger the characters are in this world
1:16:16 chaotic violence in the streets with camera tilts, pans, and other movements at rapid pace
1:22:40 chaotic violence in the streets with camera tilts, pans, and other movements at rapid pace
1:31:17 canted angle following the murder of Fujita
131:51 nice use of silhouette in tunnel chase sequence leading to arrest
1:34:14 Hirono in prison but told he should work in Kobe after release
The final stretch of the film shows Yakuza members being arrested, the final scenes are actually quiet as pace slowed significantly while narrator gives fate and prison sentences of the mass arrests
Thoughts:
Kinji Fukasaku and screenwriter Kazuo Kasahara wisely switch up here, introducing the police into the storyline after 3 films of gangsters fighting each other with the focus almost solely on the underworld even with characters occasionally being arrested and sent to prison. The police and law enforcement were always on the margins while the Yakuza seemed to exist in a contained separate world so there is a new dimension with the impact of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics
Another key difference with this film is that Hirono and the other main players from past films are now high-ranking Yazuka bosses and have underlings to do the fighting for them. Of course, Hirono can still dish out violence if need be but for the most part does not
While there are new elements with this film, there are still many of the traits of the previous films of the series; the bold red opening credits, the shaky handheld camera, chaotic violence, huge cast of characters, fast cuts, theme music, freeze frames, voice over narrator, amongst other similarities
Camera moves in rapidly to change focus on a different character in the frame. This is present in other films, but I have noticed more in this film which fits Fukasaku’s frenetic style of filmmaking. I prefer the mix of dialogue and action to Proxy War which had too much dialogue in my opinion
There is an emotional impact to seeing the gangsters arrested and imprisoned at the end of the film, they obviously are getting what they deserve but after seeing them operate with impunity throughout the first 3 films it is a bit jarring to see them finally having to deal with some level of consequences though their prison sentences are laughable compared to what they actually deserve. William Friedkin, who was a big admirer of Fukasaku’s work, notes that he admires Fukasaku’s restraint in not giving the audience what they want and his tendency not to attempt to redeem his amoral characters
Verdict: HR
Proxy War (1973)
Notes:
Starts with voice over narrator summarizing the events of the first 2 films
bold red lettering titles along with the theme music
The film’s crucial subject matter is announced in the opening: Events around the world were happening “As all these wars reflected the interests of either the US or the Soviets”. Essentially this is a reference to the concept of a proxy war which serves as the major theme of the film
This film begins in 1960 with recently paroled Boss Hirono Shōzō and Muraoka underboss Uchimoto Noboru walking through the streets when Sugihara Fumio (respectively second and first in line to the prosperous Muraoka family) is murdered
5 min freeze frame and voice over instead of the usual credits labeling the death
11:55 Saijo, who works for Hirono, cut off entire hand after being caught stealing scrap metal
12:46 Humorous sequence with Hirono is foreground deep in thought while men in background pass around the cut off hand
18:25 street brawl in the rain with handheld camera movements and close ups on blood splashed faces
20:48 gangster eating watermelon like in Pale Flower (1964)
23:33 Hirono is still out on parole and his parole guarantor is his former boss Yoshio Yamamori
24:55 sweeping arial shot over the city
25:23 Akashi Family in Kobe
25:47 The Akashi Family’s major rival in Kobe is the Shinwa Group, a series of brutal violence is carried out with zoom ins on a map followed by the violent incident
30:19 Muraoka is retiring, and they propose to make Yoshio Yamamori the Boss, thus merging the Families to which Hirono is skeptical
34:01 rare collection of primary colors with bright colored flowers outside for ceremony as Yamamori is made boss of combined family which now has over 200 members and rules over Hiroshima
41:00 violence begins to erupt in the streets
43:09 Yamamori crying somehow does not invalidate his position
45:55 zoom out to shot of characters drinking at bar
49:17 green/blue smoke from smoke bomb that is ultimately just a prank
Noboru Uchimoto
Masakichi Makihara
57:17 triangle composition as characters facing different directions during meeting
1:01:58 black and white photo montage with voice over narrator
1:15:19 “dog eat dog world” telling rather than showing, this film is a bit too dialogue
1:19:36 magnificent shot with character blocking and Hirono in foreground, composition used to show Hirono’s power and respect from the other characters in the room
1:21:39 another composition showing Hirono’s power and respect from the other characters, here Hirono’s blue suit directs your eye to him as the other characters wearing black, brown, or beige suits that are less flashy
1:26:33 overhead shot of Hirono and Akira Takeda after everyone else leaves the room and Takeda faces Hirono
1:28:27 montage of still shots with narrator
1:35:38 crazy shootout
1:36:27 Hirono and his crew at a bar drinking
1:38:18 green/gray tint throughout hectic violent scene with shaky camera
Thoughts:
Fukasaku’s 3rd film of the series is even more plot heavy although by this point I am familiar with the major characters and their roles, for anyone interested in this series I would recommend the following website which I posted a link to a site below as it as it contains not only plot summary but photos of the key characters and images of them making it easier to follow along, this site contains a number of Japanese films from the 1960s and 1970s including this series
https://gamblersanddrifters.com/
As stated above this film is more plot heavy and contains more dialogue than the first two. A bit too much at times, for example at one point a character notes “it’s a dog eat dog world” which is true but the 1st 2 films showed that
Of course and to be fair the whole concept of a “proxy war” sort of implies less action as it is based on characters plotting and scheming against each other
Around 26 minute there is a great series of violent incidents carried out with a pattern where a zoom in on a map of Japan cuts to the violent incidents carried out in the streets. This montage using maps like this was a creative way to visualize the chaotic violence of the Yakuza
Verdict: R
The Hiroshima Death Match Threat (1973)
Notes:
Starts with narrator speaking over montage of images and the bold red lettering titles
Bunta Sugawara playing Shozo Hirono
Kinya Kitaoji playing Yamanaka Shōji
Sonny Chiba playing Katsutoshi Otomo
Starts in Hiroshima gambling house in 1950 in which Yamanaka Shōji tries to pull a fast one and is caught
4:35 freeze frame with Shoji Yamanaka arrested for assault and given 2 years in prison
5:18 Shozo Hirono from the 1st film is in prison at the start and helps out Yamanaka
6:55 Yamanaka insults the daughter of the Otomo Boss after eating his meal without having money
8:53 shaky handheld camera used to depict fight in the street
9:10 low angle shot of violence
9:28 freeze frame introductions of characters accompanied by theme music
13:05 obstructing foreground
14:40 intense sex scene with close ups
16:12 slow zoom in on photo of past Yakuza Boss
19:50 low angle shallow focus in this frame after Yamanaka does a hit to proof himself, he ends up disturbed by what he did
21:08 slow zoom in on photo of past Yakuza Boss
23:00 chaotic camera movements during tense standoff
29:19 creative circular frame surrounded by dim lit club
33:10 tilting camera during battle
40:33 great block in this two-shot with both characters shot in profile
42:53 rapid camera pushout
47:24 cut from freeze frame death to celebration scene
49:35 montage of stills with voice over narration
51:25 blocking with characters in two different depths
55:44 great overhead shot of the aftermath of brutal violence
58:08 narrative via newspaper
1:01:37 overhead shot in prison
1:05:15 great composition with characters in 4 depths of field
1:07:21 another strong composition with characters scattered across the frame
1:08:57 tender sequence unlike any other in either film
1:11:36 brutal torture scene shown from multiple angles
1:13:23 great shoot out using handheld camera and fast cuts
1:19:31 freeze frame death followed by theme music during chaotic arrest scene
1:22:50 close up two-shot with beer bottles in center of frame
1:25:39 profile shot of gunman lurking outside looking into room before carrying out murder
1:28:04 teal green tinted frame during night sequence
1:29:02 desaturated frame during hideout in dark warehouse
1:31:03 teal green tint used again in streets that resemble unprocessed photography
1:32:1 overhead shot in dark as he continues to hide out from police
1:37:33 close up on gun followed by memorial service for Yamanaka and the accompanied score
Thoughts:
Fukasaku 2nd film of the series
While certainly inferior to the 1st film, you still have a worthy film with many similarities. And similar to the 1st film Fukasaku never lets the viewer feel complacent due to fast cuts, handheld camera work, and non-stop violence and action. There is also the use of canted angles and camera tilts
Similar to the 1st film where Bunta Sugawara plays Shozo Hirono with an element of idealism, here you have Yamanaka Shōji doing the same thing although he is more naïve than Hirono. Yamanaka gives his loyalty to Muraoka
Bunta Sugawara plays Shozo Hirono again but he is not the main character, that would be Kinya Kitaoji playing the character of Yamanaka Shōji who is a down on his luck man looking for an opportunity for respect and purpose
The freeze frames that are used signify deaths or arrests of characters that was used in the first film is present in this film as well
Two-shots are used during most of the more emotional scenes or conversations
Verdict: HR/R