Kawaita hana (1964)

A gangster gets released from prison and has to cope with the recent shifts of power between the gangs, while taking care of a thrill-seeking young woman, who got in bad company while gambling.

Director:

Masahiro Shinoda

Writers:

Shintarô Ishihara (based on the novel by), Masaru Baba (screenplay)

Stars:

Ryô Ikebe, Mariko Kaga, Takashi Fujiki

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryô Ikebe	...	Muraki
Mariko Kaga	...	Saeko
Takashi Fujiki	...	Yoh
Naoki Sugiura	...	Aikawa
Shin'ichirô Mikami	...	Reiji
Isao Sasaki	...	Jiro
Kôji Nakahara	...	Tamaki (as Koji Nakahara)
Chisako Hara	...	Yakuza's Lover
Seiji Miyaguchi	...	Gang leader
Eijirô Tôno	...	Gang Leader
Mikizo Hirata	...	Mizuguchi
Reizaburô Yamamoto
Kyû Sazanka	...	Imai
Hideo Kidokoro
Akio Tanaka	...	Patron

Storyline

Muraki, a hardboiled Yakuza gangster, has just been released from prison after serving a sentence for murder. Revisiting his old gambling haunts, he meets Saeko, a striking young upper-class woman who is out seeking thrills, and whose presence adds spice to the staid masculine underworld rituals. Muraki becomes her mentor while simultaneously coping with the shifts of power that have affected the gangs while he was interred. When he notices a rogue, drug-addicted young punk hanging around the gambling dens, he realizes that Saeko's insatiable lust for intense pleasures may be leading her to self-destruction.

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Plot Keywords:

release from prison | voice over narration | gambling | ex convict | prison | 

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

1 March 1964 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Fiore secco

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bungei Production Ninjin Club

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The release of this film, originally scheduled for 1963, was held up for nearly a year. Explanations for the delay vary. The movie's co-scenarist, Masaru Baba, apparently complained to the studio, Shochiku, that director Masahiro Shinoda had emphasized visual style at the expense of his more detailed script. Another explanation of the delay is that Japanese authorities were made uncomfortable by the movie's scenes of high-stakes (and illegal) gambling using "flower cards," which were filmed in great detail and in a way that they felt glorified this activity.

User Reviews

Different type of yakuza movie

Most of the Asian gangster movies I have seen, promote the brotherhood and the comradery between members, like Young and Dangerous, or have denounced gangster activity, showing if as degrading and evil. This movie does neither. It instead shows how gangster life has both good and bad; however in the end proves to be a pointless cause. The main character, is just released from jail, and immediately reunites with his own yakuza. His life is changed when he meets Saeko, a young woman who is addicted to high stakes life of the yakuza. Together they journey through a city and time, where everything is changing constantly; yet in the end, it becomes apparent that none of these things really matter. This movie is really good. I recommend it.