The Yakuza (1975)

[Neville]

My insomnia is getting a bit worse, so I end up many nights watching TV. You wouldn't believe how trashy the schedule is at, let's say 2 A.M. However, last week I was able to pick this classic. Believe it or not, I hadn't seen it yet, although it has been on my list for many years.

"The Yakuza" is a thriller starring Robert Mitchum and Ken Takakura, who play old friends. Mitchum is a private eye who is sent to Japan to negotiate the life of a young woman, who's been taken hostage by the Yakuza. His plan is simple enough: to trace his old friend Ken and use an old debt of honour he is owed to obtain his help. What is fascinating of the whole thing is the complex net of rules, debts of honour and loyalty bonds that the characters end up stablishing with each others as the plot progresses. As usual when talking about Sidney Pollack films, the narration lacks a bit of tension, but the tight script by Paul Schrader and Robert Towne introduces constant (and coherent) twists with enviable ability. Acting is also remarkable. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

[Funk, E.]

The part where he cuts off his own fingure was pretty intense. I couldn't do that.

[Deej]

I'm a big Mitchum fan and you're right, this is a cool flick. Ditto on the finger thing!

[Flangepart]

Say, Neville. I'm qurious about the movie scene in Spain.
What kind of stylistic diffrences are there,in Spanish cinema, as compared  to what most of us here have access to?
As i'm not too familure with Spanish cinema, it'd be nice to have a "Home grow" take on it. How does it compare, say, to Italian movies?

[Steven Millan]

               Get ready,folks'for the much dreaded Steven Seagal recently announced plans to remake this film(as a Franchise Pictures production)sometime soon.
              You've been all warned!!

[Deej]

Steven Millan wrote:
>
>                Get ready,folks'for the much dreaded Steven
> Seagal recently announced plans to remake this film(as a
> Franchise Pictures production)sometime soon.
>               You've been all warned!!

BLOODY HELL!

[Neville]

Until the 80s spanish filmmakers were more or less specialised in the genres Hollywood wouldn't touch, such as historical films and dramatic comedies (the same type as present independent US filmmakers do). With the 90s, producers moved the market towards other genres, such as more sophisticated comedies, thrillers and even sci-fi and horror. With this, spanish movies have obtained bigger audiences than ever, but many critics complain that this has been done at the expense of the filmmakers loosing their own personalities.

However, the only filmmakers that have become really successful are the ones that did not only had the talent, but also sealed their movies with their own personalities, such as Alejandro Amenabar, Montxo Armendariz, Vicente Aranda,  Alex de la Iglesia or Pedro Almodovar.  Now looks like we are on crisis again. There are too many spanish films screening at the same time, and instead of taking audience from the US movies they are competing between themselves. Even worst: looks like cable TVs are no longer interested on funding films, and they were co-producing lots of stuff lately.

About  stylistic differences, spanish movies are very cheap in comparison with american films. I don't think I have ever heard of any recent movie to cost more than $5 millions. This means a more static, dialogue based filmmaking when comparing with US counterparts. You can also expect less action, but more violence and sex, because there is no censorship at all in Spain and filmmakers have used themselves to take advantage of it.

Acting is also different. Compared with american characters, spanish characters look far more passionate, so acting is more visible. Screaming, making exagerate gestures, something difficult to see in american movies, is a constant here. About themes, there are still many movies that talk about ETA terrorism and many others concerning our civil war. Everytime the topic seems closed, new movies appear showing new sides of it. These are topics the spanish society still hasn't forgot.

Finally, a personal recomendation: "Box 507", the best spanish movie I have seen this year.

[Flangepart]

Intresting. Thanks, Nev.
I saw a story in the paper today, about the prolims Spain has regarding the war. It included a photo of a funeral for a Spanish police officer killed in  a a shootout with Basque Sepretist. Hope you never get involved in that stuff. When the bullets get flyin', they could go anywhere.

[Neville]

About the war, there are chances we finally get over it... at last. The parliament has approved that all the people executed without trial during the war are to be dug out, identified and the remains returned to their relatives. It was getting time. A few more years and all the witnesses would be dead.

About ETA terrorism, I have been hearing during all my life that their time was over. They are not taken seriously by most nationalists (a recent survey said that only 1% of bascs approve their activities) and they have become more a mafia than a serious terrorist group (they get their money from extorsions and kidnappings), but they just keep on killing. And the f**king conservatives at the government just keep on blaming the legit nationalist for the whole thing! Not that they haven't said and done lots of stupid things, the last one to propose an independence referendum even if ETA continues killing, but this leads nowhere and legit nationalists grow more and more angry with Madrid. Can't see a solution in the near future.