Director- Suzuki Seijun.This is the sixth film I have seen of Suzuki.This film is a great double feature with Branded to Kill of Suzuki Seijun. One can see how Youth of the Beast went on to become Branded to Kill, a perfect combination of Yakuza, Noir and surrealism.Youth of the Beast is an excellent film in its own right as well and may very well be the quintessential Yakuza film. Its competitor for getting that crown from what I have seen is Battle without Honor and Humanity part one of Fukasaku Kinji.The way the film starts off in black and white and then abruptly changes to color feels like a gut punch. The film follows the protagonist as he tries to maximize his profits and get revenge on an unknown entity. Shishido Jo plays the protagonist perfectly and manages to be questionable but not to a level where we start to consider him to be excessive. The film's first half reminded me of Yojimbo of Kurosawa Akira due to two rival gangs fighting, a new person appearing who has enough skills for both the gangs to want him to align with them instead of the other, as well as the charisma of Shishido Jo reminding me of Mifune Toshiro. His bag of guns reminded me of Desperado of Robert Rodriguez though Jo doesn't go around carrying it. The stealing of money from the gang reminded me of Phir Hera Pheri of Neeraj Vora. Though just like with El Mariachi, Youth of the Beast again takes a different approach with this as well.The film features ample amounts of stylistically shot violence but manages to maintain its groundedness and believability. Not many films have done that let alone to this level.The way the film uses all the aspects of a yakuza film such as dope fight scenes, violent practices, betrayal by comrades, etc. makes this a complete yakuza film.The way the antagonist, the boss's sixth mistress, is built up for us without showing us who she is makes the film more interesting. The reveal in the second half is awesome and unexpected. It doesn't feel forced at all. This plot twist will alleviate my viewing of the film on the second watch, unlike several films that lose rewatchability due to twists that alter our perception of the story.The film's ending felt a bit rushed like it's knocking off wooden boards with plot points written on it.Overall, this is another great watch by Suzuki and with this, I am excited to watch more films of his. Maybe I will finally watch his other highly acclaimed yakuza film, Tokyo Drifter or the first part of his Taisho trilogy, Zigeunerweisen.
Director- Suzuki Seijun.This is the sixth film I have seen of Suzuki.This film is a great double feature with Branded to Kill of Suzuki Seijun. One can see how Youth of the Beast went on to become Branded to Kill, a perfect combination of Yakuza, Noir and surrealism.Youth of the Beast is an excellent film in its own right as well and may very well be the quintessential Yakuza film. Its competitor for getting that crown from what I have seen is Battle without Honor and Humanity part one of Fukasaku Kinji.The way the film starts off in black and white and then abruptly changes to color feels like a gut punch. The film follows the protagonist as he tries to maximize his profits and get revenge on an unknown entity. Shishido Jo plays the protagonist perfectly and manages to be questionable but not to a level where we start to consider him to be excessive. The film's first half reminded me of Yojimbo of Kurosawa Akira due to two rival gangs fighting, a new person appearing who has enough skills for both the gangs to want him to align with them instead of the other, as well as the charisma of Shishido Jo reminding me of Mifune Toshiro. His bag of guns reminded me of Desperado of Robert Rodriguez though Jo doesn't go around carrying it. The stealing of money from the gang reminded me of Phir Hera Pheri of Neeraj Vora. Though just like with El Mariachi, Youth of the Beast again takes a different approach with this as well.The film features ample amounts of stylistically shot violence but manages to maintain its groundedness and believability. Not many films have done that let alone to this level.The way the film uses all the aspects of a yakuza film such as dope fight scenes, violent practices, betrayal by comrades, etc. makes this a complete yakuza film.The way the antagonist, the boss's sixth mistress, is built up for us without showing us who she is makes the film more interesting. The reveal in the second half is awesome and unexpected. It doesn't feel forced at all. This plot twist will alleviate my viewing of the film on the second watch, unlike several films that lose rewatchability due to twists that alter our perception of the story.The film's ending felt a bit rushed like it's knocking off wooden boards with plot points written on it.Overall, this is another great watch by Suzuki and with this, I am excited to watch more films of his. Maybe I will finally watch his other highly acclaimed yakuza film, Tokyo Drifter or the first part of his Taisho trilogy, Zigeunerweisen.
