Intimidation

I wasn't aware of Koreyoshi Kurahara until I was introduced to him via Criterion's Eclipse Series 17: Nikkatsu Noir, which included his film I am Waiting (1957). It was an entertaining noirish vehicle for Yujiro Ishihara. Since then I have learned that he was a very commercially successful director and was active during the New Wave period, despite not being considered a member of that particular film movement. Criterion saw it fitting that he get his own series, Eclipse Series 28: The Warped World of Koreyoshi Kurahara. The first film in the collection is another film noir gem, Intimidation (1960). This lean film, it clocks in at a mere 65 minutes, tells the story of an arrogant bank assistant manager, Takita (Nobuo Kaneko), who rides his success over a former school mate and subordinate, (Akira Nishimura who also starred in Kurosawa's High and Low in 1960) before coming face to face with a rude comeuppance. It is a well-plotted film with several reversals of fortune. It is an entertaining genre piece executed with precision and artistry-there are some well crafted set pieces and scenes throughout the film. As a result I am looking forward to seeing what Kurahara will do in his other four films in this series.