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Hito-kiri yota: Kyôken san-kyôdai (1972)
You can't tame a mad dog...
The plot for this bloody Yakuza film follows a similar formula found in director Kinji Fukasaku's other gangster flicks. Bunta Sugawara stars as Gondo, a low level hoodlum who murders a gang leader in order to achieve a higher status. However, after his release from prison, he soon discovers that the old ways have changed, and his place in the gangster hierarchy is uncertain.
"Outlaw Killers: Three Mad Dog Brothers" (1972) is more episodic in nature compared to some of Fukasaku's other genre pieces. In fact, the title is deceiving. Despite the brothers mentioned, this is really Gondo's story through and through. Something else different is the somewhat darker depiction of the Japanese underworld, with sequences of excessive rape and victimizing of innocent people that are hard to stomach. This harsher point of view makes it nearly impossible to root for our protagonist, despite a cool and confident performance by Sugawara.
Having said that, the director's usual stylistic choices are present as always. This ends up being the timeless story of a man (criminal) wanting to go out on his own, to be his own boss, and getting bogged down with tradition, ritual, and a lack of respect. Fans of the genre will not be disappointed, though viewers trying to get into early 70's Yakuza films might be better served starting with something like "Sympathy for the Underdog" (1971), which is also directed by Fukasaku and features several of the same actors.
Gendai yakuza: Hito-kiri yota (1972)
Yakuza Holds Barred
As can be expected from Japanese master Kinji Fukasaku, "Street Mobster" is a fast paced, stylistic and violent depiction of a low level Yakuza thug who punches to the beat of his own fist.
Bunta Sugawara plays Okita, a small time hood recently released from prison. Upon his arrival to the outside world, he finds the underworld he left behind changed. A new crew runs his old stomping grounds, and he is lost and abandoned. After teaming up with some hoodlums, Okita sets his sights on bigger things, which all leads to his downward spiral in the Japanese underworld.
Fukasaku directs this Yakuza flick with his usual visual tour de force. You can expect freeze frames, quick cuts, fast zooms, hand- held camera work, dutch angles, voice overs, a mixture of b&w and color cinematography, etc. The energy that the director supplies from behind the camera perfectly captures the momentum in which the lead characters react to their daily lives. There is a lot of action, with characters often breaking out into fights and chases at random. This kind of film needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The violence, like the melodrama and tacked on love interest, are over the top but enjoyable.
So sit back and relax. This lean, mean, fast flying fist machine of a film will keep you entertained and enthralled throughout.