Monday, November 19, 2012

YOUTH OF THE BEAST (Japanese) (1963)


My third Seijun Suzuki film is his signature masterwork. Infact Suzuki once remarked that this was one of his first truly original pictures. It begins with ambiguous case of double suicide. A stranger violent beast infiltrates with two rival yakuza gangs and messing one against the other. The man is on mission and he’s wildest badass in form of Suzuki’s frequent collaborator Jo Shishido. It’s not exaggeration to say he’s what Belmondo in Godard films.
The film is so contemporary to French New wave cinema and Suzuki’s auteur to watch as far as form is concerned. Perhaps Suzuki is lesser popular filmmaker to his other contemporaries of Japanese cinema but one has to watch his signature use of flamboyant colors, striking framing and lighting in his films. It serves stylish visuals, slick editing and upbeat production design too. The hybrid pop score with glimpse of his irreverent humor still gives it contemporary feel to its viewers. An ugly underbelly of drug and call girl cartel, sadist mobster and downbeat ending gives it absolutely noir touch.  

Ratings-7/10 

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