Despite the first Japanese full-length talkie being released in 1930, as late as 1938 a third of that nation's films were still silent. This resulted in our being gifted some real gems, not least this proto-noir from director Tomu Uchida, sadly the only complete silent film of his to have survived.
The influence of early Hollywood gangster movies is evident here but it contains elements that make it years ahead of its time. As one critic has observed, it is only derivative in retrospect.
The realistic settings, the rapid cutting, the roving camerawork of Aisaka Soichi and his stunning use of light and dark, give the film a sense of immediacy which is missing from Ozu's polished 'Dragnet Girl' from the same year.
The core of this film is the relationship beween Isamu Kosugi as Itami the policeman and Eiji Nakano as Tetsuo the crook. Itami is faced with a tortuous moral dilemma and his extensive close-ups serve to show us how much his character struggles to choose between the bonds of friendship and his duty to bring a criminal to justice.
The one jarring note comes towards the end when the inter-titles spell out the 'Policeman's Oath' which not only states the obvious but gives the film an unnecessarily moralistic tone.
The storming of the crooks' hideout and the ensuing chase are thrillingly executed and the poignancy of the final scene between Itami and Tetsuo lingers long in the memory.
In short, a must for all true cinephiles.