Kiyoshi Saeki—Reflections on the power of the spirit and armed resistance Five sequels were shot for this film. And for a reason. The prototype was too expressive. Just remember a few scenes:
A car crashes into a building. Ken Takakura strenuously takes a bullet to contain all his physical pain. The equanimity of the unarmed suppresses the will of an entire gang with pistols. And the apotheosis here is the finale. Eight minutes of selective killing of criminals. Ken Takakura bares his torso, showing tattoos and talks about the strength of his family's spirit. Showing the skill of kendo, he is ready with a katana to speak against the shots at point-blank range. And it's remembered.
And if we detach ourselves from emotions, then similar militants began to shoot in large numbers in the United States and Hong Kong 20 years later - in the mid-80s. The violence was due to the fact that the bandits simply did not allow many people to live. It was the only choice. That is why most of the film is devoted to atrocities and fixation of crimes, and therefore at the end we are shown street pigeons as a vague symbol of peace and tranquility. These moments don't fit too much into everything else and look alien, just violence has to be justified.
However, Saeki's film stands out with several truly enchanting clashes. For the modest in terms of violence of the 60s it looks almost revolutionary.
7 out of 10