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Released by: Artsmagic
Released on: 11/15/2005
Director: Rokuro Mochizuki
Cast: Shunsuke Matsuoka, Eiji Okuda, Yukio Yamanouchi, Yuna Natsuo
Year: 1997
The Movie:
Rokuro Mochizuki has made a few unconvential yakuza films, Another Lonley Hitman probably being the best example, but A Yakuza In Love is his most unconventional yet (or at least that has been released to the North American market). Films from the genre almost always deal with the question of loyalty to one's boss and conflict will inevitibly arise when that loyalty is called into question. Usually the lead is betrayed or decides to take control of the gang for himself and that's where the problems occur, but this time out, the loyalty of the lead is rocked not by greed or by backstabbing politics but by the love of a woman.
Matsui is in a gang but he's sick of taking orders from his current boss and so he asks his fellow gangster, Kinichi, to plot against him so that they can usurp power for themselves. Kinichi is traditional in the sense that when he pledges his loyalty, it's for life and he immidiately disagrees with Matsui's intentions. His loyalty cannot be shaken.
When Kinichi and another mobster, Hamauka, head into the city to stake out a café in hopes of making a hit on a rival mob boss, Kinichi becomes distracted by a pretty waitress named Yoko who works at the small establishment. He soon becomes enthralled with her, going back to visit her time and time again until finally he puts some narcotics into her drink one night and they end up going back to her small apartment. When they get into bed together and Kinichi disrobes, his full back tattoo is exposed and she becomes very upset, now realizing she has been with a gangster all this time.
While all of this is going on, Hamuaka is still trying to carry out his orders but without Kinichi there to back him up, he fails. Kinichi finally show up again, Yoko in tow and obviously drugged again, and the boss has heard about Matsui's plan to topple him. Yoko falls ill and ends up in the hospital where Kinichi learns that she has a weak heart and that the drugs he gave her have made her very sick. His boss has also been brought into the infirmary after spitting up some blood, and Kinichi learns that he has been diagnosed with cancer and won't be around much longer.
Eventually Kinichi's boss passes on and he heads out into the underworld to avenge him but before he does, Yoko, in her own strange way, acknowledges her love for him. Kinichi's mission of vengeance has come at the wrong time for their relationship is now finally starting to come into its own, but Kinichi made a vow when he joined his clan and it's a vow that he intends to keep regardless of the cost.
Rokuro Mochizuki plays with audience expectations throughout the film. While it comes off as a romance for most of the running time, we're reminded more than once that Yoko didn't start off in this relationship of her own free will and was in fact drugged into accomodating Kinichi's wants. Mochizuki also reminds us that we're not completely out of Yakuza territory throughout the movie as well, punctuating the film with some scenes of heavy violence and some rather dark imagery. It makes for an interesting contrast when juxtaposed with the oddly romantic focal point of the story and as such, it's a pretty engrossing film.
The movie is well shot (making great use of some nice and dingey location shooting) and well paced without having to rely on any over the top editing or flamboyant camera work. A Yakuza In Love unfolds at a good pace and in a way that holds your attention without bombarding you with unnecessary subplots of distracting visuals. It's a very lean film, and a well acted one at that.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Artsmagic gives A Yakuza In Love a very nice 1.78.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that boasts strong color reproduction and deep, stable black levels. Skin tones look lifelike and natural, there aren't any problems with mpeg compression artifacts, and edge enhancement is kept to a minimum. Some mild line shimmering is present in a few scenes but it's not overly distracting. There aren't any problems with print damage or heavy film grain and overall, things look very nice on this DVD.
The Japanese language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound audio track is pretty solid, though it is definitely lacking in the lower end. Dialgoue comes through nice and clearly and the levels are properly balanced to ensure that the performers are never buried by the sound effects or the score. A Japanese 2.0 Stereo mix is also included, as are optional English subtitles that are clean, clear, easy to read and free of any typographical errors.
First up for the extras is a decent video interview with director Rokuro Mochizuki, conducted in Japanese but subtitled in English. Mochizuki covers the origins of the film, discusses some of the performances, and provides us with his recollections on how things were on set while the movie was being made.
Up next is a solid little documentary entitled Rokuro Mochizuki And The Yakuza Film which is an overview of his work within the genre and what makes it stand out from the pack. This is interesting, but all too short to really go as in depth as it probably should have considering some of the complexity of the director's efforts.
The third and final featurette is an on camera interview with Japanese cinema scribe Tom Mes, of Midnight Eye fame, who covers some interesting ground relating to A Yakuza In Love and Rokuro Mochizuki's career in general. We get a bit of critical insight into his work as well as some nice background information making for a well rounded look at the man's career thus far.
Rounding out the extra features are text biographies and filmographies for the key cast and crew members, chapter selection, and some nice interactive menu screens.
The Final Word:
While a commentary would have been very welcome, this is a first rate presentation from Artsmagic. As far as the quality of the film goes? Well, it's not a masterpiece but it's very well directed and A Yakuza In Love is definitely worth checking out if you're into strong character dramas. The staples of the Yakuza genre are here, but they play second fiddle to the love story that takes center stage. Put your pre-conceived notions of what a Yakuza movie should be aside and enjoy the film for what it is.