Tokyo Drifter

Original title: Tôkyô nagaremono

19661966
Not RatedNot Rated
1h 22min

Chieko Matsubara, Hideaki Nitani, and Tetsuya Watari in Tôkyô nagaremono (1966)

After his gang disbands, a yakuza enforcer looks forward to life outside of organized crime but soon must become a drifter after his old rivals attempt to assassinate him.After his gang disbands, a yakuza enforcer looks forward to life outside of organized crime but soon must become a drifter after his old rivals attempt to assassinate him.After his gang disbands, a yakuza enforcer looks forward to life outside of organized crime but soon must become a drifter after his old rivals attempt to assassinate him.

7.2/10

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Tamio Kawaji and Tetsuya Watari in Tôkyô nagaremono (1966)

Chieko Matsubara and Tetsuya Watari in Tôkyô nagaremono (1966)

Tomoko Hamakawa in Tôkyô nagaremono (1966)

Eimei Esumi and Ryûji Kita in Tôkyô nagaremono (1966)

Tetsuya Watari in Tôkyô nagaremono (1966)

Michio Hino and Tetsuya Watari in Tôkyô nagaremono (1966)

In Tokyo, the gangster Tetsu (Tetsuya Watari) regenerates when his yakuza boss Kurata (Ryuji Kita) decides to quit his criminal life. However, the mobster family leaded by Otsuka (Hideaki Esumi) threatens Kurata's legitimate business, and Tetsu decides to leave Kurata to relief the pressure on him. He leaves also his girlfriend Chiharu (Chieko Matsubara) and becomes a drifter moving to the country. When Tetsu is betrayed, he returns to Tokyo to resolve his situation. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

yakuza hitman principled man debt loan 21 more

Trivia
The colorful style of the classic anime Rupan sansei (1971) was inspired by this film; both feature characters in colored suits, have a very comical and playful undertone, and have a general emphasis on entertainment over logic.

Quotes
Tetsuya 'Phoenix Tetsu' Hondo: A drifter needs no woman.

Connections
Followed by Zoku Tokyo nagaremono - Umi wa makka na koi no iro (1966)

Top review

10/10

Seijun Suzuki's Masterwork...

I will argue until my death that TOKYO DRIFTER is superior to BRANDED TO KILL, but that's for another time...

I am amazed every time I see this film that Suzuki could take such an obviously inferior product -- as Nikkatsu Studios was churning out at an obscene rate in those days, giving directors a script and saying "Shoot it fast and cheap so we can give you your next job" -- and turn it into one of the most beautiful and intriguing films I've ever seen.

Best plot ever? No. Easy to follow? Yes. Beautiful? Yes. And that theme...I could never forget that theme if I tried, even after my first viewing.

I'd ramble on about history and plot and so on, but so many others have, I'll just leave it at this: TOKYO DRIFTER makes me happy every time I see it.

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