Kuro no tesuto kaa (1962)

Director:

Yasuzo Masumura

Writers:

Kazuro Funabashi (writer)
Yoshihiro Ishimatsu (writer)

Release Date:

1 July 1962 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Two car manufacturers spy on each other to try to find out details and prices of a new sports car each is about to launch. |

Plot Keywords:

War Veteran | Businessman | Boardroom | Sex Spies | Corporate Greed

Cast

Jiro Tamiya	...	Yutaka Asahina
Junko Kano	...	Masako Usami
Eiji Funakoshi	...	Kimio Hiraki
Hideo Takamatsu	...	Toru Onoda
Ichirô Sugai
Kichijiro Ueda

Also Known As:

Kuro no shisosha
The Black Test Car (USA)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Company:

Daiei Studios

Neo-Noir-Industrial-Espionage

Yasuzo Masumura's Black Test Car is a story about industrial espionage and corruption among Japanese car manufacturers. I consider this film to be the unofficial follow-up to Giants and Toys because Hideo Takamatsu reprises his leading role as the scheming executive. As in Giants and Toys, Takamatsu, this time playing Onoda, is calling the corporate shots. He is employed under the Tiger automobile corporation and has been assigned to develop an espionage unit. This unit is used to counteract negative media reports and most importantly, to steal secrets from the Yamato corporation. The Tiger and Yamato corporations are both producing Japan's first sports car, and neither company can risk the challenger gaining an advantage on the first day of sale. The history of the employees happens to be quite ironic. Through quick discussions we learn that many of the top brass in both companies were special soldiers during the Manchurian occupation. These men who are possibly linked with war crimes seem to have no problem contributing to Japan's economy.

Tiger is producing the Pioneer sports car and Yamato is manufacturing the Mypet sports car. Onoda is employed with Pioneer and his two right hand men are Asahina and Hiraki, played by the genteel-faced, Eiji Funakoshi. The tactics these men use are sickening. They resort to extortion, threats, bribes, and even sexual espionage. Onoda makes it quite clear that he is a madman. He is obsessed with making the Pioneer successful, as it will ensure his, Asahina's, and his department's praise and promotion. Asahina becomes the moral voice in the film, and a much needed voice at that. He becomes weary of Asahina's inhumane tactics, and confronts him on several occasions. He would rather make a good product fairly, rather than resort to such evil. Reputation and social position are an important leitmotif in Japanese literature. These characters seem to value their reputation over their own lives, and that resolve is the bait used by others to endanger them. Meanwhile, production of both sports cars continues, while reputations and lives are gambled with. It is all very gripping, and anyone who liked Kurosawa's The Bad Sleep Well, or Masumura's Giants and Toys, will enjoy this.

Thank you Fantoma!