Vanzi

Japan's Top Gangster

Not ugly enough to be a good jitsuroku, not poetic enough to be a good ninkyo. This film is more interesting to learn about than to actually watch, as it is pretty much the first film to explicitly confirm how much influence the yakuza had on Toei during this time period. It makes sure to portray the yakuza in the softest way possible and is honestly more of a straight drama than anything. I really enjoyed the brotherhood between Ken Takakura and Bunta Sugawara, there is an underlying explosiveness that truly pays off by the end. Kōsaku Yamashita really tries to make this story grand and epic, with its sweeping scope and deep soundtrack, and there are great scenes here in there its just missing the edge that I like from these kinds of films, it is definitely very sentimental. Honestly shocked this somehow outperformed Battles Without Honor and Humanity.