Hana to dotô (1964)

Director:

Seijun Suzuki

Writers:

Keiichi Abe, Kazuro Funabashi,

Stars:

Eimei Esumi, Akiyoshi Fukae, Tamio Kawaji

Cast

Credited cast:
Eimei Esumi	...	Gorosuke
Akiyoshi Fukae	...	Sakurada
Tamio Kawaji
Akira Kobayashi
Naoko Kubo
Chieko Matsubara
Chieko Misaki	...	Yachiyo
Hiroyuki Nagato
Keisuke Noro	...	Boroichi
Osamu Takizawa
Yôko Yamamoto	...	Yoshiko, geisha
Akira Yamauchi

Storyline

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

8 February 1964 (Japan)

Also Known As:

The Flower and the Angry Waves

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nikkatsu

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Frenetic brilliance

I must back up the previous reviewer. This is easily one of Suzuki's best pictures and deserves a much wider audience. At the moment I am writing this it has only 1 IMDb comment - there should be essays and theses on this piece. This is a B movie but one where Suzuki enjoyed a freer rein than in others I have seen. He was also blessed with a charismatic lead and supporting characters full of the deviance he loved to explore.

The film itself is a frenetic exploration of modernity and corruption and the collapse of codes of honour in the face of commerce. Add to this gratuitous action and a love story told with a kind of melodramatic fury that stays with me today, despite the fact that it only takes up about 10 minutes of the films narrative.

This film is frantic at only 90 minutes long. Suzuki threw the pot the kettle the sink and even the camera at this film. And he caught it. I don't know what that means. I don't know what this film means. But if you like Suzuki watch it and piece it together and come to appreciate just how grand a scope a cinematic master can encompass in a 90 minute action epic.