The Yakuza (1975) | Rotten Tomatoes (original) (raw)

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker The script is humorless, and Pollack, despite his willingness to make action films, doesn't seem to understand how action-film mechanisms work. Oct 11, 2023 Full Review Variety Staff Variety A confused and diffused film which bites off more than it can artfully chew. Nov 6, 2007 Full Review Time Out The final show-down is one not to be missed. Feb 9, 2006 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com ‘…aims to submerge Western audiences in a different culture…The Yakuza showcases a sweat-free Mitchum in an unexpectedly deep and thoughtful role… Rated: 3/5 Jul 23, 2024 Full Review Q.V. Hough Vague Visages The interactions between Mitchum and Takakura offer a jolting look at man’s acceptance of grief, but the technical aspects of The Yakuza transform the film to a higher level. Jun 23, 2023 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It's a different kind of crime film, an overlooked gem. Rated: A- Jun 26, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Bahad j I really liked the characters and actions of the actors Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/11/24 Full Review David H I sometimes enjoy watching movies from the '60s and '70s which I was too young to see at the time they came out. This was an interesting foray into a foreign culture, and it reminded me of some of the old episodes of Hawaii Five-0 which deal with Pacific-Rim cultures and characters. Unfortunately, I got a little sleepy at one point, which caused for a bit of confusion about who was who later on. But the film featured a lot of Asian color and culture which I found quite interesting. The Yakuza are an interesting phenomenon, and I'm not sure quite what to make of them. I heard a radio program about the group just a few weeks ago (in 2024) which made me realize it's more complicated than good guys vs. bad guys. The situation with the Yakuza in Japan is definitely shades of gray. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/26/24 Full Review Jt P Brilliantly understated. The themes are consistent, and for those that understand older Japanese culture, are powerfully delivered with as little explanation as necessary. Mitchum and Takakura were awesome while Jordan and Shigeta were not too far behind. Keith was good, but his character wasn't well written or developed. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/24 Full Review Russ Worst thing I've ever seen Robert Mitchum in. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/24 Full Review Ben D The Yakuza (1975)→ (79) The pleasant surprise of this movie is that it avoids the orientalism explaining from a Westerner (i.e. Sean Connery in Rising Sun, where every other sentence begins with "The Japanese…") and allows for the plot to unravel everything — or, at a minimum, have Japanese characters explain concepts like giri and yubitsume. The Yakuza starts slow but is laying the foundation for a shocking bloodstorm to come. When Robert Mitchum as Kilmer starts yelling, "Tanner! Tanner!" it was as if I was transported into a different movie. Mitchum, with his reptilian stare, is firmly in my imagination as the ultimate plodding villain (The Night of the Hunter, Cape Fear), but here, he not only convinces but thrives as the honorable protagonist, returned to Japan for the first time since he was stationed there during the American occupation. Director Sydney Pollack wants you to know that the yakuza were covered in ornate, mesmerizing tattoos, as he gives us many shots of them. The film has one of the most somber love triangles put on-screen, which leads our already dour protag to reconsider his inadvertent influence on the spirit of those he encounters in Japan. It's a story concerned with high honor, guilt, and shame — plus plenty of close-quartered sword-fighting violence. After all has been revealed, you can't help but exhale for Ken (Ken Takakura), who just cannot seem to catch a break. It wouldn't be a yakuza movie if it didn't have some severed phalanges — just wait until the end. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/16/23 Full Review Liam D With Director Sydney Pollack (The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Fugitive) writers Paul Schrader (Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist) and Robert Towne (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) plus star Robert Mitchum (El Dorado, The Enemy Below) it need to be more than an decently entertaining crime drama Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/24/22 Full Review Read all reviews

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Synopsis When George Tanner (Brian Keith) does business with the high-ranking Yakuza Tono, Tono kidnaps his daughter, and George summons his old friend Harry Kilmer (Robert Mitchum) to Japan to investigate. Harry starts by visiting his old flame, Eiko (Kishi Keiko), and enlists her brother, Ken (Takakura Ken), to help him search. Together, they find the girl, but Ken wounds one of Tono's men and is subsequently marked for death by the Yakuza. Wracked with guilt, Kilmer tries to exonerate Ken.

Director

Sydney Pollack

Producer

Sydney Pollack

Screenwriter

Paul Schrader, Robert Towne

Production Co

Warner Bros.

Rating

Genre

Crime, Drama

Original Language

English

Release Date (Streaming)

Nov 18, 2016

Runtime

1h 52m