The Yakuza

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Hector I Considered one of Sidney Pollack's most important films, it tells the story of a man who lived in Japan and returns many years later after rediscovering part of his past when he is called upon to free a young girl held captive by the Yakuza. The entire film revolves around this Japanese mafia and the values that result from it. The lead actor, Robert Mitchum, gives a very good performance, but I find his grimacing a little difficult to watch, perhaps too reminiscent of Ventura or an actor in a cowboy movie. Now for the story: Harry Kilmer, after serving in Japan after World War II, lives in the United States. One day, he is contacted by a former comrade who asks for his help. Harry reluctantly agrees and rediscovers part of his past. We are confronted with Harry's former love (Eiko), whom he wanted to marry, but she refused, causing Harry to return to the US. A film noir investigation thriller with a great atmosphere, it beautifully recounts this story of honor and revenge, which confronts us with a value system radically different from our own, without ever overdoing it. It can also be very violent in some incredible scenes, especially the last one. A good detective and crime film with the spatial architecture of the 1970s—what more could you ask for? ⅘ Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/18/25 Full Review geert v Rather dull and too long, looks a bit like a tv-movie, it got nothing to remember, even Mitchum looks bored in this movie Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/11/25 Full Review Blu B A Deep Cut 70's Crime Action Classic. You can see how this would influence the likes of Tarintino as well. Everything is really well done across the board. The plot is like one step below a Noir level complexity with so much complex and layered relationships between the characters. This is 100% a film you have to really pay attention to the dialouge as well because it contains lots of important information character background wise, not necessarily expose wise though. As with most Pollack films it's very slow and deliberate taking it's time setting up the inner workings of the crime plot, immersing you into the world of Japan, The Yakuza, and the character relationships. I have to say it does a great job setting it up and never really feeling jumpy. It's just very layered and slow but it does have multiple action scenes including a really good sword fight climax. The action scenes are really good and really well edited to. Lots of on location scenes do a great job showing Japan in that ransition phase of Post WWII and the modern era of Japan. It's a unique time for sure. Mitchum is great in this, every character is pretty memorable, the villians are good, and the physical acting is really good in the fights. It's kind of amazing how this goes very slow burn but will erupt with white knuckle action on a dime and it works really well. The only really other minor complaints is this becomes more about Ken it feels like in the second half than Mitchum focus wise but they keep them together so it works still. And after the climax it still goes another 15-20 minutes or so and it's really interesting stuff but it sort of drags too. I wouldn't change it though. Anyone who is a fan of any actors in this, the director, Hollywoood Japanese movies, or crime action flicks than check this out. Very suprised how layered, action packed, and interesting this was. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/25/25 Full Review thiago s Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajudou a melhorar o filme, a história é fraca, os personagens sao fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes para fazer o filme ser bom. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 04/27/25 Full Review KSCreative K Dry, slow, and meandering. Mitchum is dull and his neverending screen time is......neverending. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/19/25 Full Review DanTheMan 2 While old-school in its delivery, The Yakuza offers a jolting and sombre examination of man's acceptance of grief, one that gave me major Tokyo Vice vibes; a haunting melancholy where violence erupts at the speed of a Tokyo-bound bullet train. The pacing is undoubtedly slow, but deliberately so, it takes time to unravel its intricate weaving of people, conventions, and personal relationships. The writing is top-notch, rich and multilayered with a sadness that aspires to and nearly reaches the level of tragedy, where honour and loyalty become matters of life and death, all handled with the utmost respect for the culture it portrays. Sydney Pollack's direction is fabulous, contrasting hard-edge violence with romanticism. Samurai swords slash and guns blaze across the screen. It's made all the better thanks to Kōzō Okazaki's cinematography as bright and colourful as it is tonally cold, heightening Tokyo's neon-streaked coldness and radiating atmosphere. Dave Grusin's jazzy score is also worth mentioning, complimenting the film-noir aesthetics perfectly, there's just something so seductive about the film's opening sequence, its score and visuals working perfectly in tandem to draw you right in. However, the real winner for me here is the performances from Robert Mitchum and Ken Takakura, matching an aged and rugged Mitchum with Takaura's masterfully understated and dominating screen presence is a piece of masculine cinematic heaven. With enough double-crosses to satisfy even the most jaded fans of the genre, The Yakuza is a classic in every sense of the word, a saga of blood, love and honour. One that deserves a much larger audience, enthralling from the start to its heartbreaking conclusion with redemption and a hope of reconciliation. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/03/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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