My introduction to the work of Seijun Suzuki was, in part, because of the book "Film Posters: Exploitation" in which appears the poster of "Koroshi No Rakuin" a.k.a. "Branded to Kill" and also a little description of how Suzuki films are. The other part of why I began to check the work of Suzuki was because of the Criterion Collection that released for the first time that mentioned film, so when I when I found that DVD it became in the first film of Suzuki that I watched.
"Youth of the Beast" is the second Suzuki film that I watch and although is not so strange and experimental as "Branded to Kill" is as great as that film. I really love the way that this film starts with Jo Mizuno, the character of the great Joe Shishido, being so bad ass that quickly gain the respect of one of the most important Yakuza bosses in Tokyo. He began to make activities for this Yakuza organization and after extort a man that has the protection of a rival organization he began to be the objective of the rivals. That scene is one of my favourites in all the film because is a resume of that bad ass personality of Jo, first with his unique methods of extortion, burning the hair of a man and later when he is in real danger because of the rival Yakuzas, his partner save him but instead of going out quickly of the scene he stay and beat those Yakuzas that a minute before almost kill him; An amazing sequence. So that rival organization soon contacts him and here is when we realize of the game that Jo is playing and the reasons of why he is looking out for revenge. The film turns in a game in which Jo is trying to put the two rival organizations against each other by being a spy in his organization and reveling details of their drug deals to their rivals. But everything has a reason and Jo reasons are to revenge a man who was very important and helpful when he went to prison but the final results are prove that they were part of a trap so he is like confused thinking in the real reasons of the dead of his friend and also because the revenge doesn't have the end that he was looking for.
Well I loved this unique film and is, definitely, more accessible than "Koroshi No Rakuin". The cast is great with Joe Shishido who is just unique in this roles and the music is really terrific giving the film a unique style.
Conclusion: watch this film, if you love any kind of crime films here's a unique tale of revenge set in the world of the Yakuzas. I love this film so there is nothing else but continue checking the films of Seijun Suzuki. 10 out of 10
Criterion Collection DVD: The best extras in this DVD are the interviews with Suzuki and Shishido. I found really interesting the words of Shishido, who even show the original script of the film, explaining some of the techniques of Suzuki, how he was as an actor and also talking about his cheeks.
Anyway is great to can watch this film and for me is confirmed the great quality of the Criterion Collection but Criterion needs to know that it's really difficult to can afford their DVDs editions and I think they should make single editions for all of their titles. I own about 5 Criterion editions and they are just beautiful, the one of "Dazed and Confused" includes even the original poster but I really prefer to spend the same money of one Criterion edition (about $50 in Mexico) in almost 7 titles of the collection but released in others editions like the films of Kurosawa. My point is that films like the ones of Suzuki doesn't exist in others editions so Criterion needs to reduce their prices for us to can watch this unique titles.
"Youth of the Beast" is the second Suzuki film that I watch and although is not so strange and experimental as "Branded to Kill" is as great as that film. I really love the way that this film starts with Jo Mizuno, the character of the great Joe Shishido, being so bad ass that quickly gain the respect of one of the most important Yakuza bosses in Tokyo. He began to make activities for this Yakuza organization and after extort a man that has the protection of a rival organization he began to be the objective of the rivals. That scene is one of my favourites in all the film because is a resume of that bad ass personality of Jo, first with his unique methods of extortion, burning the hair of a man and later when he is in real danger because of the rival Yakuzas, his partner save him but instead of going out quickly of the scene he stay and beat those Yakuzas that a minute before almost kill him; An amazing sequence. So that rival organization soon contacts him and here is when we realize of the game that Jo is playing and the reasons of why he is looking out for revenge. The film turns in a game in which Jo is trying to put the two rival organizations against each other by being a spy in his organization and reveling details of their drug deals to their rivals. But everything has a reason and Jo reasons are to revenge a man who was very important and helpful when he went to prison but the final results are prove that they were part of a trap so he is like confused thinking in the real reasons of the dead of his friend and also because the revenge doesn't have the end that he was looking for.
Well I loved this unique film and is, definitely, more accessible than "Koroshi No Rakuin". The cast is great with Joe Shishido who is just unique in this roles and the music is really terrific giving the film a unique style.
Conclusion: watch this film, if you love any kind of crime films here's a unique tale of revenge set in the world of the Yakuzas. I love this film so there is nothing else but continue checking the films of Seijun Suzuki. 10 out of 10
Criterion Collection DVD: The best extras in this DVD are the interviews with Suzuki and Shishido. I found really interesting the words of Shishido, who even show the original script of the film, explaining some of the techniques of Suzuki, how he was as an actor and also talking about his cheeks.
Anyway is great to can watch this film and for me is confirmed the great quality of the Criterion Collection but Criterion needs to know that it's really difficult to can afford their DVDs editions and I think they should make single editions for all of their titles. I own about 5 Criterion editions and they are just beautiful, the one of "Dazed and Confused" includes even the original poster but I really prefer to spend the same money of one Criterion edition (about $50 in Mexico) in almost 7 titles of the collection but released in others editions like the films of Kurosawa. My point is that films like the ones of Suzuki doesn't exist in others editions so Criterion needs to reduce their prices for us to can watch this unique titles.