Tokyo Drifter (1966)

 Seijun Suzuki's "Tokyo Drifter"


1966's "Tokyo Drifter" is somehow both a prime example of the Japanese yakuza film while also being slightly a parody of it. It centers on a fiercely loyal yakuza operative who must travers through the countryside after a rival kingpin's hires a gun-for-hire to assassinate him. The film is highly stylized and often includes elements of absurdism, which aid in its quest to be entertaining. 

To me, the film has the feeling of a 'pop art' film. Definitely fitting into the categories of gangster flick and neo-noir, "Tokyo Drifter" somehow manages to really stylize its action. The action is often absurd - making it feel far more soapy and B-rated. 

Beyond its elements of style and camp, the film has underlying themes of corporate corruption through violence. Our characters are yakuza, but are working through the lens of corporate enterprise. One of the things the film seems to be saying is that this adherence to corporate money-making is stripping Japan of its traditional values. This is shown through our protagonist - who represents the traditional values of loyalty and service. This loyalty is ultimately betrayed by corporate greed.

Although there are many elements of the film worth admiration, I often felt disinterested by its excesses. It definitely is the kind of movie Quentin Tarantino would enjoy and perhaps even emulated. For what its worth, it still manages to be mildly entertaining. 



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