Very stylish and innovative, this also moves at a furious pace. Excitingly and beautifully shot, this is a tale of four youngsters setting out on a career as blackmailers as they seem to have been passed by in the post-war Japanese boom. It can be a bit confusing with so many characters and the usual, bluff, double bluff and downright betrayal. The story is told both backwards and forwards and often the only way to tell of a flashback is that it begins in b/w, slowly turning to colour for most of the sequence, except for the times that it doesn't! There are so many stand out sequences but a colour sequence of consensual lovemaking intercut with one that is certainly not consensual in b/w is particularly effective. Outstanding camera-work and direction ensure that this looks and feels great all the time and if the ending is a little melodramatic, it is still enthusiastically shot with hand held and whirling cameras.
14 Reviews
Styling, 1960s Japan: Gritty Locations, Great Crime Noir Mood, Fast and Tragic
secondtake29 December 2009
Blackmail Is My Life (1968)
Well, the bad guys (four men and one woman, all young and good looking) have a lot of fun, and carry a lot of poise. As rank amateurs they are lucky and, between racing around in their car, show a lot of cool style. It's 1968 in Japan, and it feels like maybe 1964 in the U.S., with people still wearing suits and looking good doing it.
Eventually, they get in over their heads, but we don't really worry at first. They often say vague things like, "We'll go ahead with out plan," but they never say what they are planning. And then the plan happens, and it's fast and jazzy, in a kind of extended television way. The plot is kind of interesting, digging into the underworld of Japan in this sideways fashion. And visually it's fun, very nice wide screen compositions in a wide range of gritty Japanese locations. There is even a dramatic, spare electric guitar score, perfect for the period.
The more serious and deadly this movie gets, the more it loses it's lighthearted flaws. There is clearly (to me) an influence from Bonnie and Clyde (the previous year) with romanticizing bad guys and extended violence. There is some real poignancy built in, as well. There are lots of night scenes and dramatic lighting, and this has a late film noir kind of quality, somehow, dark and brooding between action scenes. If you don't mind some Japanese camp aspects, this might really make your night. And just a heads up: the second half is easier to like in a conventional way, even if the first half is more original and excessive.
Well, the bad guys (four men and one woman, all young and good looking) have a lot of fun, and carry a lot of poise. As rank amateurs they are lucky and, between racing around in their car, show a lot of cool style. It's 1968 in Japan, and it feels like maybe 1964 in the U.S., with people still wearing suits and looking good doing it.
Eventually, they get in over their heads, but we don't really worry at first. They often say vague things like, "We'll go ahead with out plan," but they never say what they are planning. And then the plan happens, and it's fast and jazzy, in a kind of extended television way. The plot is kind of interesting, digging into the underworld of Japan in this sideways fashion. And visually it's fun, very nice wide screen compositions in a wide range of gritty Japanese locations. There is even a dramatic, spare electric guitar score, perfect for the period.
The more serious and deadly this movie gets, the more it loses it's lighthearted flaws. There is clearly (to me) an influence from Bonnie and Clyde (the previous year) with romanticizing bad guys and extended violence. There is some real poignancy built in, as well. There are lots of night scenes and dramatic lighting, and this has a late film noir kind of quality, somehow, dark and brooding between action scenes. If you don't mind some Japanese camp aspects, this might really make your night. And just a heads up: the second half is easier to like in a conventional way, even if the first half is more original and excessive.
Great First Half Then Loses Steam....A lot of Steam
goods11615 July 2009
I really wanted to like this movie and for the first half hour it delivers. Interesting shots, flashbacks, cool stuff and innovative for the 1960s. Good backstory of the hero is shown, and interesting blackmail plot for the first 40 minutes. But then the writers and director lost focus, the plot got boring, and my urge was to turn the movie off. Now that's not a good instinct for a movie you want to like. I give it a 6 simply for the great beginning and interesting film style, but it could have been much better. Without this, the movie is below average, a 4 or 5. I do not recommend except for those interested in these kinds of movies, students, film buffs, etc. For most, this will be a big disappointment.
Early Fukasaku picture sees the great director still honing his style, on his way to greater things
chaos-rampant29 May 2008
Blackmail is my Life came in a transitional period for Japanese crime cinema and it shows that by being somehow stylistically confused. The genre was with one foot still set on the earlier Nikkatsu pictures that portrayed yakuzas as people who operated with some sense of chivalry (and BIML reflects that by having the blackmailers act as the heroes), the cool of Seijun Suzuki who bid the genre adieu with Branded to Kill one year earlier (and what an adieu that was) and one foot looking at the future.
The first half of the picture resembles the colourful pop air of Suzuki and anticipates the disjointed timelines and narrative style of The Yakuza Papers. Hiroki Matsukata is Muraki; professional blackmailer and quite successful at that. He lies on a bed and remembers. Flashbacks show us his humble beginnings. They start in black and white then colour kicks in. Frames freeze while he narrates in a voice-over. We go back and forth like that until after the half hour mark the story starts to shape up. His rise as a prominent blackmailer is seen through a series of incidents that lead up to the big con.
The second half is predicated more on character than style. Fukasaku puts the quirky flashbacks, stills and narration of the beginning to the side and focuses on the story in a straight-forward manner. He's just as good this way. The movie turns more cynical and gritty and the ending is particularly memorable.
The director is still not at the top of his craft (it's relatively still early in his career) but he shows that he's not willing to settle down for a simple, run-of-the-mill yakuza flick. He gambles; sometimes he wins, sometimes he doesn't. But he dares and as the saying goes, fortune favours the brave. If he hadn't taken a stab at a different approach like BIML, maybe The Yakuza Papers would have never materialized in all its glory. In that sense, Fukasaku deserves kudos for taking chances and following his vision.
Blackmail is my Life may not always be successful in its stylistic daring but it's entertaining and cool. As the missing link between the hard bop of the 60's and the grittiness of the 70's, it's an important part of the general picture. Fans owe it to themselves to check it out.
The first half of the picture resembles the colourful pop air of Suzuki and anticipates the disjointed timelines and narrative style of The Yakuza Papers. Hiroki Matsukata is Muraki; professional blackmailer and quite successful at that. He lies on a bed and remembers. Flashbacks show us his humble beginnings. They start in black and white then colour kicks in. Frames freeze while he narrates in a voice-over. We go back and forth like that until after the half hour mark the story starts to shape up. His rise as a prominent blackmailer is seen through a series of incidents that lead up to the big con.
The second half is predicated more on character than style. Fukasaku puts the quirky flashbacks, stills and narration of the beginning to the side and focuses on the story in a straight-forward manner. He's just as good this way. The movie turns more cynical and gritty and the ending is particularly memorable.
The director is still not at the top of his craft (it's relatively still early in his career) but he shows that he's not willing to settle down for a simple, run-of-the-mill yakuza flick. He gambles; sometimes he wins, sometimes he doesn't. But he dares and as the saying goes, fortune favours the brave. If he hadn't taken a stab at a different approach like BIML, maybe The Yakuza Papers would have never materialized in all its glory. In that sense, Fukasaku deserves kudos for taking chances and following his vision.
Blackmail is my Life may not always be successful in its stylistic daring but it's entertaining and cool. As the missing link between the hard bop of the 60's and the grittiness of the 70's, it's an important part of the general picture. Fans owe it to themselves to check it out.
Well made, but not as thrilling as it could have been.
davidhilley18 March 2018
The main character, Shun, characterized as a 'young punk' with his group of youthful, attractive social outcast friends, finds money in the business of blackmail in the underworld of an economically vibrant Japan. While riding high off a string of successful extortions of small time yakuza affiliates, their ill fated plot to steal a sensitive memorandum proves they have bitten off more than they can chew. I was initially impressed with the movie's style and pace and it seemed to be setting up a fun movie surrounding the exploits of this group of young bright eyed kids. I enjoyed how each character was given scenes that showcase them while Shun is still given the most back-story. That is all done in a pretty successfully stylized manner. But the main plot fails to really stimulate after the first 45 minutes of setup. I think the problem was that stealing a memorandum for money just wasn't as exciting as events that happened earlier in the movie and Fukasaku gets little heavy handed communicating themes in this later part of the movie, causing a few eye rolls on my part. A well shot movie- perhaps not the most realistic premise, and enjoyable, but not super thrilling.
Good, not great film from the Japanese New Wave
zetes15 January 2004
The story involves four people whose work is blackmail. They're successful in their "business," but their eyes eventually get too big for their stomachs when they think they've found a way to rip off the yakuza. The job proves harder than the easy money it initially seemed. While it is generally well done, its techniques reminded me a little too much of the annoying modern style with a lot of unnecessary freeze frames, chronological jumps, and shifts from black and white to color. I also felt that the characters ought to have been more well developed; the story is good, but the style overwhelms possible substance. My favorite part of the film is the fact that the characters whistle the theme tune to Suzuki Seijun's Tokyo Drifter, which means that Suzuki had to have had some popularity if his work was quoted like this. 7/10.
The Risky Business of Blackmail
Uriah432 July 2022
This film essentially begins with a young man by the name of "Shun Muraki" (Hiroki Matsukata) working for low wages as a waiter at a nightclub. His life then changes when he is severely beaten because he happened to overhear his boss telling another employee how he cheats his customers by substituting cheap alcohol for more expensive brands. Having just recovered from his injuries, he then has a meeting with three trusted friends and together they decide to get even by blackmailing everyone who had a part in his former employer's scheme. From that point on, they all decide to continue their blackmail operation by going after suitable targets who cannot afford to have their indiscretions disclosed. What they fail to take into account, however, is that there are some targets who carry a greater amount of risk than they may be able to handle. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this turned out to be a pretty good film which benefited from generous amounts of drama, suspense and humor. Likewise, having two attractive actresses like Yoko Mihara (as Shun's girlfriend "Natsuko Mizuhara") and Tomomi Sato ("Otoki") certainly didn't hurt in any way either. On the flip side, however, I didn't especially care for the ending which, I believe, could have been done much better. Be that as it may, I enjoyed this film for the most part and have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
Fun energetic cynical pop action film showcases corrupt 60s society.
amerh16 October 2005
How can a movie about low-lives using blackmail to get out of their scummy life be so much fun, and still carry a message about social corruption and racism? First, by being restlessly energetic. All the new wave film techniques are used here, jump cuts, flashbacks, moving whirling hand-held cameras, sharp angles.. The movie never slows down except for a few delicious very physical love scenes, the complex story is told through the action. A movie that seems made in a rush and is much better for it.
The stylish 60s fashions, amoral but sexy protagonists, pop art photography and snappy music make this movie fun. It also makes it easier to take the extremely cynical message underlying the whole film. The antiheroes on display are like rats in a sewer (a dead rat is a recurring image). They hang on to the memory of the few happy moments they had, and keep reliving it. They think they blackmail for money, but they are really acting to get back at the Big guys, to prove that even scum can rise above their station. Their friendship and bond comes out of necessity and common experience. But their chance at the big lights is fleeting: going out with a famous actress for a moment may be thrilling, but our heroes do not belong in that world .
The film portrays a Japan ruled by corruption, where mavericks and half-breeds have to scrape to survive. Nobody is good, starting with all of the seedy blackmail "victims". The film has very dark and cynical outlook, but don't let that description phase you, this is also an incredibly fun film to watch, with action, humor and overabundant style. Most critics rank this movie as one of the director's lesser films. I think it deserves much better. Definitely recommended to those who love 60s gangster movies.
The stylish 60s fashions, amoral but sexy protagonists, pop art photography and snappy music make this movie fun. It also makes it easier to take the extremely cynical message underlying the whole film. The antiheroes on display are like rats in a sewer (a dead rat is a recurring image). They hang on to the memory of the few happy moments they had, and keep reliving it. They think they blackmail for money, but they are really acting to get back at the Big guys, to prove that even scum can rise above their station. Their friendship and bond comes out of necessity and common experience. But their chance at the big lights is fleeting: going out with a famous actress for a moment may be thrilling, but our heroes do not belong in that world .
The film portrays a Japan ruled by corruption, where mavericks and half-breeds have to scrape to survive. Nobody is good, starting with all of the seedy blackmail "victims". The film has very dark and cynical outlook, but don't let that description phase you, this is also an incredibly fun film to watch, with action, humor and overabundant style. Most critics rank this movie as one of the director's lesser films. I think it deserves much better. Definitely recommended to those who love 60s gangster movies.
a great drama with a definite sense of humor
Cheesedemon2820 April 2004
I was skeptical about Blackmail is my Life before I saw it. I saw Battle Royale and didn't like it too much. I mean, some of it I'm sure was unintentionally funny. Blackmail is a much different movie. It starts off great, alerting you to its very intentional sense of humor. The movie unfolds with a plot similar to Goodfellas, with great acting performances and quirky music. Some of it is actually quite haunting. The dialogue is almost Pulp Fiction calibur, it's believable and witty. I was impressed, and I recommend it to any fan of 60's movies or Japanese crime flicks in general. 9.5/10
It's different but not especially distinguished.
planktonrules9 November 2011
I noticed that IMDb lists this as a crime film AND a comedy. Well, there's nothing funny about the film--it's not at all a comedy. Instead, the film is about four low-lifes who make a career out of blackmailing people and fighting various mobs (who SHOULD have been able to smash them like bugs but somehow didn't throughout much of the film). For them, it all seems to be for the thrills and laughs--the money is secondary. However, the deeper the risk the greater the thrills--so they keep biting off more and more and more. You figure that eventually they'll get in way over their heads. And that is when their friend Zero (a black guy--which is quite unusual for a Japanese film) is killed, things look really bad for these bizarre anti-heroes.
While this film is quite different from the usual mobster film of the time, it still is a pretty ordinary crime drama. It was reasonably entertaining but no more. For those who like the genre, it's worth seeing--for others, probably not.
While this film is quite different from the usual mobster film of the time, it still is a pretty ordinary crime drama. It was reasonably entertaining but no more. For those who like the genre, it's worth seeing--for others, probably not.
a great visual experience
jkheumann6 July 2006
Blackmail is My Life is one of four films that Fukasaku produced in that year and once again affirms not only his brilliant visual style but the incredible energy of the whole crew that worked with him. You have to see this film wide on a big screen to see how beautifully it is shot and composed. It moves fast but the visual strategies show Fukasaku's control over his world and produce a great viewing experience before you even have to delve into the brutal world of Japanese low lifes and the power of the political world that exists at the time. This film fits in comfortably with other films of the time from all over the globe where power and politics were being critiqued and examined from every angle and genre available.
Stylistic and awesome.
krachtm28 June 2011
Maybe I'm a bit of an oddball, because I thought this was better than Battle Royale, which is probably the director's most beloved (and famous) movie (at least, among Americans). Battle Royale was actually paced too slowly for my liking, and too much of it depended on you being surprised or amazed by the concept, whereas Blackmail Is My Life relies more on offbeat characters and the charismatic acting by the lead. I suppose I agree with other reviewers that this is something of a transitional piece, straddling the dopey 60s comedies and gritty 70s dramas. Again, I might be a bit of an oddball here, but I thought that it worked very well; for me, Battle Royale was the interesting-yet-ultimately-failed stylistic exercise! If I had one complaint, it'd be that the pacing does slow down a bit in the second half, as the story starts to become a bit more burdened with increasing plot elements, rather than the carefree first half.
The basic plot revolves around a modern day Yakuza who, as you might expect, is a blackmailer. Initially, things are pretty easy (and the movie is quirky and upbeat), because he's both skilled and lucky. When things start taking a turn for the worse, our protagonist slowly comes to realize what he's got himself into, and what kind of life he's made for himself. This is when the movie starts becoming gritty, turning into more of a revenge movie. The beauty of this movie is how the quirky first half effortlessly segues to the gritty second half, without you really ever thinking to yourself that either part doesn't belong.
If you're into stylistic or quirky Yakuza movies, this is certainly highly recommended. Even if you don't ordinarily watch Japanese movies, I'd still suggest you check this out, because it's a really great example of how you can break out of genre limitations to appeal to a wider demographic. I wouldn't oppose an American remake of this movie -- it deserves to be more well known.
The basic plot revolves around a modern day Yakuza who, as you might expect, is a blackmailer. Initially, things are pretty easy (and the movie is quirky and upbeat), because he's both skilled and lucky. When things start taking a turn for the worse, our protagonist slowly comes to realize what he's got himself into, and what kind of life he's made for himself. This is when the movie starts becoming gritty, turning into more of a revenge movie. The beauty of this movie is how the quirky first half effortlessly segues to the gritty second half, without you really ever thinking to yourself that either part doesn't belong.
If you're into stylistic or quirky Yakuza movies, this is certainly highly recommended. Even if you don't ordinarily watch Japanese movies, I'd still suggest you check this out, because it's a really great example of how you can break out of genre limitations to appeal to a wider demographic. I wouldn't oppose an American remake of this movie -- it deserves to be more well known.
Fukasaku does black mail with a structure like his 70's yakuza film
t-d-t-m828 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
A great film of the simplicity of black mail in all its glory. The Fukasaku trademark is in its essence of discovery. The film is a revenge flick yet keeps the story to a modern Yakuza tale. He shows the destructive lifestyle of an individual which is a great viewing and demonstration of his later 70's yakuza films ala Graveyard Of Honour and the Yakuza Papers. Fukasaku experiments with the same shaky camera work as used on the Black Lizard concept films and demonstrates some mastery camera work with awesome close ups and long pauses right in the thick of the action.
The camera work is varied and dynamic. The pauses are longer than the style used for the Yakuza films of the 70's so this is a period of discovery for the master director. The imprint of his work later in life. The film is about a renegade bunch whom see money as a way of escaping the social corruption of Japan. They resort to petit blackmailing with yakuza habits. There is a Yakuza; a Bartender, an ex boxer and a girl whose lives are turned into stories of black mail and revenge.
Story wise this film is quite simple. The group decide early on to form a blackmail way of life. They issue attacks on people with money and use force for success. Their antics are increased along the way to a state of alcohol firebombs and gasoline bassment stakes. They seek to revenge a sad circumstance and go all out war on a big politician. The four get rich quick schemes become an obsession which they end the end can not handle even though ignoring good advice from others. This concludes to a dramatic finale and a great suspense build up of the individuals whose character build up is first rate.
The score is a little synthesized and no way near up to the competence of the awesome Battles Without Honour soundtrack. The direction is superb. Cinematography of the city is awesome. Fantastic aerial shots of a bustling city. There are closes ups of superb measure and also shaky low budget action a plenty. I recommend this film as a film for people into vengeance and yakuza films. Or just a pure great epic 60's thriller. I find this film a great watch and really should be seen before the Yakuza films he made later. An awesome display of cinematic wonder to boot despite the storyline being a bit dated in places. Then again it has aged incredibly well for a picture from 1968. This film is a must.
The camera work is varied and dynamic. The pauses are longer than the style used for the Yakuza films of the 70's so this is a period of discovery for the master director. The imprint of his work later in life. The film is about a renegade bunch whom see money as a way of escaping the social corruption of Japan. They resort to petit blackmailing with yakuza habits. There is a Yakuza; a Bartender, an ex boxer and a girl whose lives are turned into stories of black mail and revenge.
Story wise this film is quite simple. The group decide early on to form a blackmail way of life. They issue attacks on people with money and use force for success. Their antics are increased along the way to a state of alcohol firebombs and gasoline bassment stakes. They seek to revenge a sad circumstance and go all out war on a big politician. The four get rich quick schemes become an obsession which they end the end can not handle even though ignoring good advice from others. This concludes to a dramatic finale and a great suspense build up of the individuals whose character build up is first rate.
The score is a little synthesized and no way near up to the competence of the awesome Battles Without Honour soundtrack. The direction is superb. Cinematography of the city is awesome. Fantastic aerial shots of a bustling city. There are closes ups of superb measure and also shaky low budget action a plenty. I recommend this film as a film for people into vengeance and yakuza films. Or just a pure great epic 60's thriller. I find this film a great watch and really should be seen before the Yakuza films he made later. An awesome display of cinematic wonder to boot despite the storyline being a bit dated in places. Then again it has aged incredibly well for a picture from 1968. This film is a must.
Old isn't bad. New isn't better.
diablo00718 April 2004
A fun movie. Discovering films like this is a constant source of knowledge for me. Knowledge that cinema, today, creeps forward rather than bounds ahead, as we insist on believeing. Just when you think that some director's style is an innovation you realize it's either a rip-off of, or is derived from, a school that is older and off the beaten track. Rather than criticize old movies for "reminding" us of new movies, it's better to see these movies in a historical context. And then we might finally get over our big old selves and see modern cinema in a more accurate perspective.
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