"Yakuza Graveyard" - Editorial Film Review
- wcthompson
- Mar 31, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 2, 2024
Written for The Soundview Media Partners (originally published June 2023)
"A gritty, fast-paced, booze-fueled fever dream. Recommended."
Released in 1976 and known in Japan under the title “Yakuza no Hakaba: Kuchinashi no Hana” (Yakuza Burial: Jasmine Flower), the film was first released in the United States in 2006, and is now available on Blu-ray from Radiance Films. It is critically acclaimed as one of the most iconic Yakuza films ever made and has influenced the genre's artistic expression.
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, and starring Tetsuya Watari as Kuroiwa Ryu, Meiko Kaji as Matsunaga Keiko, and Tatsuo Umemiya as Iwata Goro, Yakuza Graveyard is a classic 1976 crime film that is true to form; a gritty, fast-paced, booze-fueled fever dream. Historically accurate and full of high-octane action, the film captures the provocative nature of the time period’s culture, capturing the darkness and overt violence of the decade, which permeated societies worldwide. A definitive representation of the rogue cop trope which was frequently represented in these types of exploitation films. Kuroiwa is a morally questionable cop who does things his own way, disregarding the consequences for himself or others.
The protagonist is Kuroiwa Ryu, an investigator for the Japanese police force who has been tasked with taking down members of the organized crime syndicate, Yakuza. Though he is on the side of the police, he becomes entangled with the rivaling Nishida and Yamashiro crime families due to his rough-and-tumble investigation methods, shaking his stability with his own department, putting both his career and life at stake. Though he attempts to correct his course, the development of his complicated behavior causes considerable strife, leading to tumultuous conclusions. What starts off with good intentions takes a chaotic turn involving a perilous affair with Keiko (Kaji), the wife of the Nishida crime boss. Ultimately, there is no freedom from corruption when allegiances and loyalties are crossed.
Fukasaku's filming style is jerky and frantic as if finding a paradox between a modern and classic tone. The story, however, builds interest in Kuroiwa’s fall from grace. Although the action choreography is often lacking in clarity, the melodrama, charm, and humor give it a cool vibe, with a fitting ending for the character and his exploits.
Who is the real criminal when law enforcement is in bed with the enemy of the public?
Recommended. - C. Sterling for The Sound View
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