Keisatsukan

This is a late silent film by Ichida, whose recent retrospective at Cinematheque Ontario seemed to herald another lost master, although I have testimony to the contrary. This is the only one I saw, his sole surviving silent. It tells of the repeatedly crossing paths of two old pals - one the titular policeman, the other a mastermind of Japan's communist underworld. There's beautiful compositions and memorable scenes and images, mixed in among the failed stuff - one brief, solitary scene suddenly gets all Underground with cityscape nervously juxtaposed with chain link fence, then it's back to the linear stuff like nothing happened. What I will remember, though, is the way the action-packed climax is interlaced with title cards to the effect of, "The only way to be a good cop is to understand that you were given your mission by GOD!" Someone should have given a co-writer credit to the Minister of Information.