Yakuza Wolf 1 and 2

Guaranteed to alienate female viewers, these ultra-violent (and ultra-sexist) Yakuza thrillers from 1972 are at times rather hard to stomach. That said, both films star the late great Shinichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba in the lead roles, with Yakuza Wolf 2 occasionally displaying his comedic talent.

YAKUZA WOLF 1, also known as YAKUZA WOLF 1: I PERFORM MURDER (dir. Ryuichi Takamori) sees Chiba in relentless mode as a mysterious, black-clad killer named Gosuke Himuro who has but one thing on his mind: revenge for the brutal death of his father by a ruthless gang who also kidnapped his sister Kyoko (Yayoi Watanabe) – this is demonstrated via a flashback sequence. Years later, Gosuke is now a grown man with the same attitude as Clint Eastwood in his ‘Dollars Trilogy’ – that is to say he’s a man of action rather than a man of many words. As Gosuke tries to find those responsible while at the same time hoping to locate the whereabouts of his sister, he is pitting two rival gangs against each other. Gosuke tries to maintain the upper hand with various success and indeed, ‘hand’ is the keyword here, for during the violent action, our anti-hero has both of his hands smashed with a pistol grip by the boss of one of the gangs. Not that this will stop Gosuke you understand!

Particularly harrowing is the moment when he spots his long-lost sister amid a drug-fuelled orgy and realises that not only had she been forced into prostitution shortly after being kidnapped years earlier, but clearly she’s now a drug-addict as well. The scenario is all the more harrowing when he manages to free her from the clutches of the Yakuza gang and drives her to apparent safety in his car, only for another traumatic incident to happen upon her stepping out of the car in a drug-addled daze.
Ultimately, Gosuke manages to exact his revenge but at a heavy price…

The film glides between cool action and unsavoury exploitation, with some graphic rape scenes making for particularly unsettling viewing. All in all, women in this film play secondary parts and are either victims of crime or subservient prostitutes. From a female/feminist point of view it would be unthinkable to release anything like this nowadays, and just as well! Sonny Chiba once again demonstrates his skill as an actor who can glide effortlessly between cool and controlled to raging animal. The film bears the hallmark of Takamori movies, namely a Spaghetti-western inspired soundtrack comprised of harmonica and percussion.

YAKUZA WOLF 2, also known as YAKUZA WOLF 2: EXTEND MY CONDOLENCES (dir. Buichi Saito) was made in the same year and an obvious attempt to cash in on the success of the first Yakuza Wolf movie. However, it’s totally different in tone, with the occasional injection of humour and sees Chiba as Ibuki, a criminal who ends up in the slammer after a Yakuza crime boss betrays him. While doing time, he makes friends with fellow prisoner Goro Yuki (Tatsuya Fuji) and the two pals plan a prison break which is both surreal and comical to watch! Their joy of freedom is somewhat short-lived however when an old ‘friend’ waits in the wings with an assassination plot – with both Ibuki and Goro saved by the skin of their teeth by another criminal complete with hearse! While Ibuki plans revenge on the gangster boss responsible for betraying him, he and Goro feel that the best way to go about it is by planning a heist and scupper the gang’s own plans.

During the action, the dynamic duo manage to recruit several other suitable candidates to form their own gang – once again, this is interspersed with occasional flashes of humour. The climax is particularly tense and entertaining when Ibuki’s gang tries to infiltrate the cliff top mansion of a gangster boss via a rope underneath a suspension bridge! There’s a sting in the tale but we won’t give that one away. More light-hearted than Yakuza Wolf 1, Chiba’s character Ibuki is much more likeable and displays real emotion. No Spaghetti-Western soundtrack here, instead we get a cheesy Japanese pop music soundtrack.

Released in Blu-ray format for the first time in the UK, the first 2000 copies are presented in a Limited Edition O-card slipcase with Collector’s booklet. Additional bonus material includes: various audio options / brand-new feature length audio commentaries / brand-new featurette by Howard Hughes on the Spaghetti Western influences on Yakuza Wolf / original theatrical trailers.