Tattooed Life

1965 [JAPANESE]

Action / Crime / Drama

5
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 84% · 3 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 84% · 100 ratings
IMDb Rating 7.1/10 10 1226 1.2K

yakuza japanese new wave nūberu bāgu

Plot summary

After his own gang sets him up to kill a rival mobster, a hit man is forced to flee with his younger brother.

Director

Seijun Suzuki Photo
Seijun Suzuki

Top cast

Akira Takahashi Photo
Akira Takahashi as Anzo
Tessen Nakahira Photo
Tessen Nakahira as Gonji
Michio Hino Photo
Michio Hino as Tokuhira
Yûji Odaka Photo
Yûji Odaka
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
794.53 MB
1280*720
Japanese 2.0
NR
Subtitles jp  
23.976 fps
1 hr 26 min
Seeds 2
1.44 GB
1920*1080
Japanese 2.0
NR
Subtitles jp  
23.976 fps
1 hr 26 min
Seeds 8

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by elo-equipamentos 7 / 10

Seijun Suzuki enforces an unusual Yakuza-Samurai clash!!

It was made thru a small Japanese studio Nikkatsu the master Seijun Suzuki enforces an unusual plot of Yakuza-Samurai clash, where a former Yakuza killer aiming for protect his young brother a bright designer sponsoring his study at art school, sadly when the newbie guy sees his brother in jeopardy he aids him at deadly ambush that ends up killing a mob's leader ruining for good the prearranged life plan, so both move out quickly targeting reach at Manchuria where the outlaws can work and raise money freely.However they are misleading by a crook guy and it postponed the travelling, so that's left is working around at small constructing company, there the young one falling in love by Boss's wife meanwhile the older is harassed by Boss's sister, so between betrays, intrigue and hard work suddenly appears the opposite mobster asking for the souls of killer brothers, the craftsman Suziki as usually exploits it in strong colors sequences scattered along the offering.Thanks for reading.Resume:First watch: 2025 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.5.
Reviewed by amerh 9 / 10

A neglected yakuza classic from Seijun Suzuki

Part of the cycle of genre and Yakuza movies that Suzuki directed for Nikkatsu in the early to mid sixties, this film is one of his most memorable. It may not be as well known here as other films in this cycle, probably due to the period setting (1925), and the fact that the middle section has no fighting or action, as it focuses on the fugitive yakuza hiding in the crew of a tunnel construction project.Suzuki's design sense shines here, with bridges, trains, boats serving as a modern architectural counterpoint to the beautiful Japanese open vistas. It is interesting how similar the themes of this movie are to recent genre films such as Bangkok Dangerous, and how different the execution. The action scenes are short bursts of stylized fighting mixing gunplay with samurai action. The story is more engaging than Suzuki's other Yakusa films. I got the feeling that the director was trying his best to explode the strict confines of the genre, while delivering a commercial product. The buildup to the extraordinary final confrontation, a choreographed samurai style fight inside and outside a traditional Japanese house, is very satisfying. Also interesting are the weird touches like the red boots two of the movie's characters wear.In my humble opinion, another classic from Mr Suzuki.
Reviewed by kluseba 8 / 10

A Pragmatic Brother and an Artistic Brother Are on a Quest for a Refreshing Reboot

Tattooed Life, originally known as Irezumi Ichidai, is a historical gangster drama directed by renowned genre specialist Suzuki Seijun and stars Takahashi Hideki and Hananomoto Kotobuki as lead actors portraying two brothers going into hiding in a mining town.The story revolves around yakuza hitman Tetsuo who gets set up by his own family who attempts to murder him. He is saved by his artistic brother Kenji who struggles much with his crime. The two brothers are forced to flee to a coastal town and plan on setting sail to Manchuria. However, they are double-crossed by a charismatic gangster and end up penniless. They decide to earn the respect of the local miners to join their ranks. Kenji falls in love with his boss's wife while Tetsuo can't escape the charm of the boss's sister-in-law. Things however take a sour turn when an ambitious detective attempts to track them down and a jealous accountant tries to backstab them.This gangster drama convinces on several levels. First and foremost, the acting performances from the lead actors, lead actresses and even side characters are absolutely outstanding throughout. Up next, the script includes a few dynamic twists and turns to keep viewers interested until the very end. The film's settings are absolutely stunning and vary from desolate wastelands over port installations to mining locations in the mountains. The movie also uses costumes and make-up particularly well which helps distinguishing the different characters and their specific backgrounds. The quality of the light and sound techniques is excellent for its time and separates this movie from many other contemporary genre flicks. The camera work is calm and focused and the renowned director has done an excellent job while also offering some experimental segments in the movie's gripping resolution. Studio executives didn't appreciate said creativity back in the days but this imagination has aged particularly well and shows that the director was at least a decade ahead of his time in terms of style and wit.Few things deserve to be criticized regarding this very good genre film. The general story line doesn't offer anything new in terms of backstabbing among gangsters, the protagonists going into hiding and the survivors being on a brutal quest for revenge. Some of the characters' decisions seem completely unrealistic and pulled out of thin air as they will ask viewers for a suspension of disbelief. Those flaws are however so minor that they won't ruin this wonderful gangster drama for you.At the end of the day, Tattooed Life, originally entitled Irezumi Ichidai, is an entertaining gangster drama that entertains with great acting performances, clever scriptwriting, captivating settings, a wonderful use of costumes and make-up, stunning light and sound techniques, focused camera work and an experimental directing approach. The only noteworthy downsides are an overall stereotypical plot and several decisions made by the lead characters that ask for a generous suspension of disbelief. Since the movie itself portrays an era of the past, it has surprisingly stood the test of time and serves as a gripping portrayal of Japan's Taisho era of the mid-twenties of the twentieth century. Cineasts interested in intense personal dramas, gripping gangster movies and Japanese culture and history should definitely give this overlooked gem a fair chance.
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