Finally got to see this in 35mm, although the print was a little dark and deteriorated. Seminal pinky violence classic with Reiko Ike and Christina Lindberg, featuring one of the coolest action sequences ever filmed, but not quite on par with the very best in the genre due to some programmer-type screenwriting. Since I've reviewed this more than once before, I shall refrain from going into more detail this time.
Theatre of Life: Return of Hishakaku (人生劇場 続飛車角) (Japan, 1963) [DVD] - 3.5/5
Beautiful and emotional closing half to Tadashi Sawashima's film adaptation of the famous, often filmed yakuza novel. Together with the first film, Theatre of Life: Hishakaku (1963), these are considered some of the earliest and most influential ninkyo yakuza films. They are, however, a little unusual entries because of their approach to the subject matter. This film picks up four years after the first film ended. Honourable yakuza Koji Tsuruta is just out of prison, but his love Yoshiko Sakuma has fled because she's ashamed of the relationship she had with Ken Takakura in the previous film. Tsuruta then falls in love with another woman, a gang boss' daughter. What is unusual is how the film depicts Tsuruta family life, happiness and rise in the ranks, eventually becoming an oyabun himself, as opposed to the stereotypical stoic ninkyo hero who neither gets to shows nor enjoy love or emotions. In terms of cinematic style and themes of honour among old school yakuza, the two films are however unmistakably everything audiences would come to expect from Toei ninkyo films, and serve as an excellent starting point for newcomers.
