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Youth of the Beast (1963)

Yajû no seishun (original title)
Not Rated | | Action, Crime, Mystery | 21 April 1963 (Japan)
Youth of the Beast Poster
A violent thug plays opposing yakuza bosses against each other.

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Jôji 'Jo' Mizuno (as Joe Shishido)
Misako Watanabe ... Kumiko Takeshita
Tamio Kawaji ... Hideo Nomoto (as Tamio Kawachi)
Minako Katsuki ... Sawako Miura
Daisaburô Hirata ... Shibata
Eiji Gô ... Shigeru Takechi
Kôichi Uenoyama ... Masao Hisano
... Tatsuo Nomoto
Yûzô Kiura ... Takeo Minegishi
Naomi Hoshi ... Keiko
Hiroshi Kôno ... Seizô Honma
Eimei Esumi ... Gorô Minami
Shuntarô Tamamura ... Shôichi Maeda
Mizuho Suzuki ... Detective Hirokawa
Zenji Yamada ... Fujita
See full cast »
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Storyline

Joe Shishido plays a tough guy with a secret agenda. His violent behavior comes to the attention of a yakuza boss who immediately recruits him. He soon tries to make a deal with a rival gang a starts a gang war. His real motivations are gradually revealed as we find out how this all ties in with the murder of a policeman shown at the beginning of the film. Written by Fred Cabral <ftcabral@hotmail.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

yakuza | murder | surrealism | drug addict | gay | See All (17) »

Genres:

Action | Crime | Mystery

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

21 April 1963 (Japan)  »

Also Known As:

The Brute  »

Company Credits

Production Co:

,  »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Westrex Recording System)

Color:

|

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This is is the first of Suzuki's films to be shot in black and white in the opening and then in color for the rest of the movie. He would do this again in Tokyo Drifter (1966). See more »

Connections

Remade as Day of the Beast See more »

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User Reviews

 
Must see for James Bond and Dr. Evil fans
3 July 2006 | by – See all my reviews

Really good action packed stuff! Hitchcock meets film noir. Could the warped, cat-loving, uber thug lord, Nomoto be the inspiration for Bond nemesis, Blofeld, from You Only Live Twice(1967)? (Hold pinkie to corner of lip). Remember the Godfather also liked to pet his kitty while he plotted mayhem. Are all those characters derived from this film? Watch and decide for yourself. This film has a great jazzy score, too. The high energy music really makes up for the hassle of having to read subtitles and provides a nice upbeat counterpoint to the graphic violence. Definitely a seminal movie for lovers of Coppola, Scorcese, Tarantino, Peckinpaw,and the rest of the directors of the hardboiled visceral films of the later 60's and 70's. I think this film is an essential movie for any action film aficionado.
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