Three Yakuza

Three Yakuza is a surprisingly good anthology, a film with three unique and genre bending tales of men who live a drifter's life. The first tale stars Nakadai Tatsuya as a yakuza on the run, having killed two officials to avenge the death of his gang's boss. While on the run he encounters a man who appears to be a one eyed bandit on the road. Instead of starting a fight, Nakadai introduces himself, and gives him some money. While walking in the forest, amid the wind and darkness, he hears footsteps behind him. It is the bandit, and he attacks him, but is quickly killed by Nakadai's swift swordplay. He finds a village, and introduces himself to a man who works for the local gang. His reputation proceeds himself, and despite Nakadai's situation, the gang boss takes him in. A gang member staggers back into town, and dies from his wounds. Before he dies he brings word of an impending attack. Nakadai is asked to help out in return for their hospitality. There is a disturbance in the brothel as well, as a prostitute is wielding a knife and warding off the others from coming hear her. She is grieving for her love, who was a one night stand and had promised to buy her freedom. Nakadai subdues her and she is tossed into the basement, with Nakadai as her guard. He finds out that her love was the one eyed bandit whom he killed, and taken by her beauty and goodness, tells her so. She grieves, but has fallen in love with Nakadai. Meanwhile, the boss, in a conversation with a local official, sells Nakadai out in order to gain protection. The one eyed bandit's brother steals into the basement, intent on revenge, but Nakadai subdues him. He drags him outside, into a closet, and tells him he wants to make amends, and when the gang is away, to take her away to safety. Nakadai goes with the gang, into the forest, to battle, but a trap is set: Nakadai has double crossed them, surrendering to the officials, who are there to arrest everyone. However, Nakadai is himself killed during the scuffle.

The second tale is about two gamblers on the run: Matsukata Hiroki and Shimura Takashi, who flee in a snowstorm, and take refuge in a house in the woods. There is no one home, so they start a fire and cook some food. Later, a woman (Fuji Junko) arrives -- it is her place, and she is terrified by the two strangers. Shimura recognizes her name, and tells her a story of a man who would come by this house to see her and her mother, pointing out the wooden doll he made her. She remembers and welcomes them as guests. Her mother had died some time ago, and blamed her demise on her no good father, who had abandoned them. Shimura reveals himself to be her father; a tatoo on his arm reveals his past. Upset, she tossers them both out into the cold. Matsukata tell him not to run away from his past but to go to her, as she needs a father, even a no good gambler like himself. Shimura does, and Matsukata goes away, to face the pursuers who arrive and fight.....

The final tale stars superstar Nakamura Kinnosuke as a wandering yakuza who stumbles into a town, where, upon finding that he is a swordsman, treat him lavishly, offering shelter, food, and a beautiful woman. In fact, he is a yakuza in name only, as he holds dear to the code of a yakuza rather than living the life. Despite having a sword, he has never used it. To his dismay, he learns that the villagers' hospitality comes at a price: they want him to kill the official who comes to town every month to collect taxes. A dangerous swordsman and a cruel official, he taxes them ruthlessly to the point where they can no longer live. Nakamura has no choice but to accept. Despite his deception he is an honorable man - he refuses to touch the woman who stays with him that evening. She is attracted to his honesty and good soul. He steals away during the night, but is thwarted by a boy whom he had promised to go trapping with. The boy shows him his animal trap that he made in the woods. Nakamura decides to stay despite better judgement. In the morning, the official comes into town, and Nakamura meets him on the road. But watching the official's swordplay scares Nakamura, and he abandons any attempt to kill him. The villagers pounce on him, berating him, and they would have done more except another swordsman comes into town, and they pounce on him, lavishing the same attention and treatment as they did to Nakamura. Only the woman shows any compassion for him. The new swordsman agrees to the task, and with Nakamura following, confronts the official in the woods. To Nakamura's astonishment, the official buys him out, and the swordsman reveals that it was the village head that conspired this. The official runs back to town and arrests the leader. The boy happens to be the leader's son, and it is his grief that spurs Nakamura into action. In the forest he frees the villager by cutting the rope, and tries desperately to flee from the official's sword. They come near the boy's animal trap, and Nakamura manages to ensnare the official in it, killing him. Nakamura flees, leaving the villagers grateful and humbled by the appearance of this "goblin" who had been sent to test their faith. The woman searches for him in vain, but the ending is left open ended, as he tosses aside his yakuza gear and runs after her.

This is a gem of a movie. The stories are well told and smart, taking the conventions of the period tale and adding something new to it -- the final tale especially, as Nakamura was a well known star, playing roles of strong, daring warriors. Here he is a coward and a poor swordsman as well. The dvd I watched this on had decent quality, widescreen, however this deserves a Criterion treatment. How I miss Home Vision Cinema, a sister reissue program that disappeared last year! They would certainly reissue it. Fuji Junko shines as the daughter, looking quite different than the later Red Peony series that she became famous for. Shimura, the great actor from many Kurosawa films, is a welcome presence as well. I highly recommend this!