38 - Branded to Kill

[captainofbeef]

- Exclusive interview with director Seijun Suzuki
- Vintage Japanese film ephemera from the collection of John Zorn

[blackmoses]

Loved this film! Very fun and a great ending.

[criterionmaster]

Koroshi no rakuin (Branded to Kill)
Review by: Dan Kinem



Style over substance is almost always a miss in a film but for Branded to Kill it works perfectly.

The film is about “No. 3 Killer” (brilliantly played by Sishido) who is obsessed with the smell of boiling rice! Who after a mishap, is forced to go up against the mysterious “No. 1 Killer.”

Normally a film with a script like this would turn out as a low budget B-film and not very good, but with Suzuki’s ability to turn scenes into works of art. The film is truly an amazing, beautiful film. Cinemascope has almost never been used as perfectly as it is here. Each shot a picture is painted.

Some say Suzuki’s films are incomprehensible which is why after filming Branded to Kill he was admittedly fired.

Like I said before, in this film plot is not even important, it’s more the mood and style the whole film sets. Having no character development has never been a good idea but for this they are able to show characters develop with certain moments. Within one scene a character can change completely without even saying anything. The way you are thrown into the film with really no back-story at all works great. Back-story would have just gotten in the way of my good time. The music in the film is great as well.

The film is truly a unique, interesting experience. If you haven’t checked out Suzuki, you really must. You will never see anything like some of the stuff in Suzuki films. It’s just a wild ride.



8/10

IMDB LINK

[criterionmaster]

I just was at the used DVD store and found a film by Suzuki that looked really good, Pistol Opera, but I didn't end up getting it. I read on the back of the DVD that it is a remake of this film, but with a girl in the lead (?). So if anyone likes Branded to Kill they should probably check this film out, it looks really good. Has anyone already seen it?

[wkw]

I think it's a sequel with similar plot to Branded to Kill, since Goro Hanada from Branded to Kill appears in the characters list.

[ie]

It's a newer movie by Suzuki. That's all I know.


How much was it?

[criterionmaster]

It was $10.99, I believe, or maybe $12. There were three movies I was thinking about getting, before I decided on that Criterion I posted about. On the back of the case it said "Suzuki's reworking of his original Branded to Kill."

Amazon says:

"From the Back Cover
As powerful and energetic as ever, 78-year old director Seijun Suzuki creates a stunningly lurid, extreme tale of a woman assassin’s (new sensation Makiko Esumi) surreal rise in the criminal underworld. Thirty-three years later, this master of the pulp thriller reworks his own Branded To Kill into a totally new, jaw-dropping experience! The original Branded To Kill (1976, Koroshi No Rakun starring Jo Shishido. Mariko Ogawa, Anne Mari) is the stylish action movie that has been the subject of homage from world-class directors such as John Woo, Quentin Tarantino, and Jim Jarmusch. Its eccentric, eye-popping images and extreme action is fast earning Pistol Opera a worldwide cult following.

Product Description
As powerful and energetic as ever, 78-year old director Seijun Suzuki, creates a stunningly lurid, extreme tale of a woman assassin’s (portrayed by new sensation Makiko Esumi) surreal rise in the criminal underworld. Thirty-three years later, this master of the pulp thriller reworks his own BRANDED TO KILL into a totally new, jaw-dropping experience! The original BRANDED TO KILL (1967, KOROSHI NO RAKUIN, starring Jo Shishido, Mariko Ogawa, Anne Mari) is the stylish action movie that has been the subject of homage from world-class directors such as John Woo, Quentin Tarantino, and Jim Jarmusch. Its eccentric, eye-popping images and extreme action is fast earning PISTOL OPERA a worldwide cult following. "