Underworld Beauty (1958)
"Ankokugai no bijo" (original title)

Director:

Seijun Suzuki

Writer:

Susumu Saji

Stars:

Michitaro Mizushima, Mari Shiraki, Shinsuke Ashida

Cast

Credited cast:
Michitaro Mizushima	...	Miyamoto
Mari Shiraki	...	Akiko
Shinsuke Ashida
Tôru Abe
Hideaki Nitani
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Setsuko Amamiya
Tomio Aoki
Akiyoshi Fukae
Ayako Fukuda
Kyôko Horikawa
Ryusei Ito
Bumon Kahara
Hiroshi Kato
Ichirô Kijima
Hiroshi Kondô

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

japanese noir

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

25 March 1958 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Underworld Beauty

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nikkatsu

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

A dangerously beautiful Japanese film noir masterpiece from Seijun Suzuki.

This is simply one of those crime films that transcends its pulp nature and becomes art. It comes from Nikkatsu Studios and the writing, sets, etc. are as good as anything coming out of Hollywood at the time.

'Ankokugai no bijo' is very much an American film in style, simply set in Japan. It's something like a Japanese master painting an incredible picture from an American photograph. The story is taut and sinuous, it's unclear to me who wrote it, but it reeks of Cornell Woolrich as is moves inexorably toward it's conclusion but with enough twists along the way that it doesn't feel preprogrammed.

The director, Seijun Suzuki, is an auteur of the first magnitude, which is already fully visible in this his seventh film. Suzuki gives us ingenious images throughout and uses the wide angle ("Nikkatsu Scope") frame like an artist. He's abetted by Wataro Nakao's beautiful black and white cinematography. Particularly well photographed are a scene in a sewer and the climactic shootout in a darkened building splashed with angular puddles of light.

The plot centers around some diamonds stolen by protagonist Miyamoto (Michitaro Mizushima, I assume) and left hidden while he spent three years in prison. Miyamoto is a morally ambiguous but honorable and seemingly independent yakuza thief. He swaggers through Tokyo in a black coat and hat, facial expression varying between a scowl and a sneer, it's clear that he's not unfamiliar with Humphrey Bogart. Akkiko (presumably Mari Shiraki) is the kittenish younger sister of Miyamoto's partner. She's on the verge of "going down the wrong path" and when her brother dies, not surprisingly as a result of Miyamoto and his diamonds, it's up to the black-hat hero to save her, and maybe save himself in the bargain (wink).