The Yakuza (1974)

American private-eye Harry Kilmer returns to Japan to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter from the clutches of the Yakuza.

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers:

Paul Schrader (screenplay), Robert Towne (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert Mitchum, Ken Takakura, Brian Keith

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Mitchum	...	Harry Kilmer
Ken Takakura	...	Tanaka Ken
Brian Keith	...	George Tanner
Herb Edelman	...	Wheat
Richard Jordan	...	Dusty
Keiko Kishi	...	Eiko (as Kishi Keiko)
Eiji Okada	...	Tono (as Okada Eiji)
James Shigeta	...	Goro
Kyôsuke Machida	...	Kato
Christina Kokubo	...	Hanako
Eiji Gô	...	Spider (as Go Eiji)
Lee Chirillo	...	Louise
M. Hisaka	...	Boyfriend
William Ross	...	Tanner's Guard
Akiyama	...	Tono's Guard

Storyline

Harry Kilmer returns to Japan after several years in order to rescue his friend George's kidnapped daughter - and ends up on the wrong side of the Yakuza, the notorious Japanese mafia...

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Plot Keywords:

japan | neo noir | katana sword | 1970s | tokyo japan | 

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Taglines:

100 years ago they were called Samurai.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sydney Pollack filmed everything in widescreen until 1985, and that includes interior scenes. Studios often questioned his judgment, but "it's such a great format for transmitting information. I can give you more story and content in widescreen than any other way." He eventually stopped when he realized that pan and scan edits on home video were killing his movie.

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Goofs

The plane that Kilmer is boarding at the end of the film is a Boeing 707, the one shown taking off in the last scene is a 727.

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Quotes

Harry Kilmer: Everywhere I look, I can't recognize a thing.
Oliver Wheat: It's still there. Farmers in the countryside may watch TV from their tatami mats and you can't see Fuji through the smog, but don't let it fool you. It's still Japan and the Japanese are still Japanese.

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Alternate Versions

First U.S. network television showing was on the late-night schedule of the CBS network, under the title, "Brotherhood of the Yakuza," and was edited to meet broadcast standards of the time. Even compared to subsequent syndicated TV prints, the editing was horrendous, so much so that one could not follow the story. For example, in the last scene, the uninitiated viewer would have no idea why Kilmer's hand is bandaged.

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Connections

Referenced in Black Rain: The Script, the Cast (2006)

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Soundtracks

Only the Wind
Japanese Lyrics Yû Aku (as Aku Yu)
Composed by Dave Grusin

User Reviews

The best East-meets-West movie you can see

Superb East-meets-West movie, I suspect largely due to Schrader's insight. Takakura Ken's performance really steals the show, though all actors are more than capable; Mitchum gives a great performance again. Not a martial arts movie, but contains a katana showdown that I can watch over and over again without finding fault [more believable than anything you'll see in 'Kill Bill'].

The story is gorgeously convoluted, keeping it's secrets to the very end, in a fitting Japanese manner. Action scenes are relatively restrained, and the story tells how Mitchum's character finally comes to understand Takakura Ken's character, and his apparently icy antagonism. When can we see a DVD copy?!

Details

Country:

Japan USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

19 March 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Yakuza

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1