Yasuo Masumura already had more than 10 films under his belt when he made Afraid To Die (1960) with author and media sensation Yukio Mishima as the lead actor and who also sang the film's theme song. I guess it was the studio's idea to cash in on Mishima's notoriety, but he is adequate at best as, Asahina, a yakuza released from prison with a price on his head. 60s starlet Ayako Wakao stars as the love interest. The film also boasts veteran actor Takashi Shimura (mostly known for collaborations with Kurosawa like Seven Samurai and Stray Dog among others)and the sinister-looking Shigeru Kôyama delivers a good performances as do Asahina's tattooed yakuza uncle Gohei and an asthmatic hit-man Masa. Visually the movie is up to Masumura's standards, but it feels somewhat generic and static overall.
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