I'm trying to track down all the available Seijun Suzuki films that i haven't seen yet before reading a book about the seminal Japanese filmmaker. The latest was Tattooed Life (1965) which maybe a conventional yakuza film on the surface, with a story of duty, revenge, and unrequited love. However, in Suzuki's hands, along with his infinitive art director Takeo Kimura, it becomes something memorable. He uses interesting camera angles and has a great sense of making a visual statement through primary colors, memorable costumes with large kanji (Chinese characters) that stand out. The last 15 minutes of the film in particular seems to have inspired Quentin Tarantino in Kill Bill. However, it would be impressive to any viewer with the light changing from a red backdrop, to a back-lit window to foreground lit on the vengeful yakuza Tetsu (Hedeki Takahashi) who has just pulled off his black robe to reveal his fighting kimono. It is another impressive film from an oeuvre full of fresh and inventive films.
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