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Branded to Kill
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Branded to Kill

1967
Drama
Crime
1h 31m
The film's story centers on Hanada, a.k.a. "No. 3 Killer," the third-best hit man in Japanese organized crime... (imdb)
Directed by:
Seijun Suzuki Seijun Suzuki
Written by:
Takeo Kimura Hachiro Guryu
+1 more
Starring:
J么 Shishido J么 Shishido Mariko Ogawa Annu Mari Koji Nambara Isao Tamagawa Isao Tamagawa Hiroshi Minami Hiroshi Ch么 Franz Gruber Akira Hisamatsu Iwae Arai Hiroshi Midorikawa Tokuhei Miyahara
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Genres:
Drama, Crime, Action
AKA:
Koroshi no rakuin
Country:
Japan
Languages:
English, Japanese
imdb More information at IMDb
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Branded to Kill

1967
Drama
Crime
1h 31m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 65.19% from 738 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

(738)
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backwardsuitbackwardsuit
Rated 03 Mar 2019
81
83rd
Suzuki embraces cinema with loony abandon & a big pair of scissors. This definitely fulfills some kind of deconstructionist function & (unlike many) manages to avoid the pitfalls of hubris & come off timeless. Fresh anarchic sense of dark fun that actually opens up layers of ambiguous mood & subtext that constantly challenge you to reorientate & work with its abstract cartoony absurdities. It can feel like work but of the flexible & rewarding sort. I can't believe this is a peer to Le Samoura茂.
Rated 03 Mar 2019
magbMagb
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
94th
Absolutely bizarre, but with an internal logic that somehow manages to make sense. You can imagine the movie being really boring if it were told by a more conventional director, but since it's Suzuki, it's never even close to boring.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
nobletNoblet
Rated 07 Nov 2010
80
70th
What a strange movie. An ordinary crime movie that just goes right off of the rails into crazy-land. I liked it a lot. It was very entertaining, with some good action, weird characters, and great black & white imagery. Quentin Tarantino must have loved this.
Rated 07 Nov 2010
mentaculusMentaculus
Rated 10 Sep 2008
94
94th
Hallucinatory brilliance; probably Seijun's finest (and least accessible) film. A kind of existential nightmare and pulp art rolled into one.
Rated 10 Sep 2008
barthalenBarthalen
Rated 16 Dec 2011
82
86th
It's weird, cool, sexy, freaky, claustrophobic and moody. Unpredictable as well. Some wonderful imagery, some crazy editing and pacing (unfortunately making some scenes quite confusing), and it was over way too soon. Me likey.
Rated 16 Dec 2011
eveeluneveelun
Rated 12 May 2008
84
90th
Bizarre, pulpy brilliance. It's deliciously twisted and insane, and is full of dynamic camerawork, editing, and story-telling.
Rated 12 May 2008
spunkieSpunkie
Rated 19 Nov 2009
50
40th
Anti filmmaking that is randomly funny if you can stomach it. I forgot the WTF count I uttered now and then. Stupidity of editing is especially worth mentioning, things simply jump around in a weird cause&effect relation. I'm not sure this brainhack of a film will stay with me though. Mind you it's exclusively for film nuts who's willing to consider it in a referential frame, otherwise even -so bad, it's good- won't hold it together.
Rated 19 Nov 2009
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 19 Nov 2019
4
70th
Absurd comedy that somehow manages to position the third-ranked (I want to see the rankings body) killer in Japan - a rice-sniffing, bloodthirsty psychopath - as the epitome of cool. The plot is essentially Calvinball, but it's more or less an excuse for Suzuki to indulge in striking imagery, sexy femme fatales, and violence.
Rated 19 Nov 2019
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
87th
What a cool freaky weird movie! Turns the gangster genre totally upside down and inside out.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
hehejajahehejaja
Rated 30 Sep 2008
50
24th
An outlandish extravaganza of kinky and dark wit mixed with a bizarrely roguish depiction of cartoonish violence. What seems to be a lustful play with genres, pop culture, postmodernism and the film medium itself is only periodically a pleasure to inhale - far too often, this coffee's dry and bland... It's rarely genuinely interesting or exciting, despite the stunningly imaginative use of cinematography and mise-en-sc猫ne
Rated 30 Sep 2008
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 22 Feb 2011
66
18th
The delirious visuals and tone create quite a few great moments but it doesn't really come together as a whole. It's consistently confusing and gets rather tedious.
Rated 22 Feb 2011
staryarabbistaryarabbi
Rated 20 Aug 2015
85
88th
Pure excess both in terms of plot and narrative. I think in an unconscious way it depicts the expenditure of excess in post WWII countries in a very violent way. Can be easily interpreted as a critique of war but you can simply enjoy it as an absurd ans stylized thriller.
Rated 20 Aug 2015
obdurateObdurate
Rated 09 Feb 2012
85
80th
Big props for originality here. The editing is insane and takes it from what probably would have been a decent Yakuza/assassin movie and turns it into a batshit insane, weird, dream-like, incomprehensible mess... In a great way.
Rated 09 Feb 2012
desertpunkDesertPunk
Rated 18 Apr 2014
82
78th
I don't even know, man. I know I liked it. I think I loved it. For 90 minutes I was pretty much held captive in Suzuki's world as he broke every filmmaking rule I've ever studied, which makes Branded to Kill an extremely cathartic movie as well as an extremely well made one.
Rated 18 Apr 2014
twincinematwincinema
Rated 18 Jan 2021
80
75th
I love films where I am perpetually five minutes behind what's happening on-screen. I would not be surprised if this is Tarantino's favourite film.
Rated 18 Jan 2021
detoxDetox
Rated 22 Dec 2014
85
80th
What is this? Some kind of James Bond-Film noir-satire? Maybe. But what it is for sure is one piece of creative movie making. Visually striking and absurd, "Branded to Kill" never failed to grab my attention.
Rated 22 Dec 2014
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 14 Jul 2009
2
21st
When I first viewed this many years ago, I wasn't impressed, but I think I may feel differently now. Re-evaluation overdue.
Rated 14 Jul 2009
moody_mehdimoody mehdi
Rated 13 Oct 2012
92
56th
It seems Seijun Suzuki's genius was too hot for Nikkatsu to handle and the fact that he got fired for making this, is understandable. Any studio production,wont be exactly gung-ho bout a film like this, filled with symbols, innovations and abstractions. Dark, unsettling and visceral, this movie caught me completely off-guard. I could almost feel the character's alienation. Its a triumph of the style here.
Rated 13 Oct 2012
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 31 Oct 2010
8
82nd
Okay I understand why Suzuki got fired from the studio after this film, so bizarre... yet so awesome. The camera work and the editing is the real star of this film, it looks damn good. The acting is way over the top and downright bad a lot of the times. Yet delightful at the same time. If the women characters weren't constantly naked it would've bugged me more. This film is the kind of dream insane people have, totally surreal.
Rated 31 Oct 2010
svengaliSvengali
Rated 16 Aug 2012
42
23rd
The cinematography is so full of constant wit, I found the story quite hard to follow and I barely got the hang of it and usually just had a vague idea of what was happening. Lots of dazzling ideas and definitely one of the boldest gangster films ever, maybe not just gangster - the others are probably made by Suzuki as well. Repeated viewings will probably make me like it more but for now it all felt so... shallow, full of empty tricks...
Rated 16 Aug 2012
donquixoticdonquixotic
Rated 07 Sep 2014
40
23rd
The horrible 60s visuals and editing combined with the horrible dialogue made it unwatchable
Rated 07 Sep 2014
lepraLepra
Rated 03 Jun 2013
60
10th
Looks amazing and a few cool scenes here and there but otherwise boring.
Rated 03 Jun 2013
peyrinpeyrin
Rated 24 Nov 2018
75
69th
There's several moments of tonal whiplash between yee haw yakuza and experimental character study that wouldn't have worked if it weren't for the consistently excellent filmmaking.
Rated 24 Nov 2018
joojooJooJoo
Rated 11 Dec 2009
6
95th
*points to jacobb1313's review*
Rated 11 Dec 2009
kito1kito1
Rated 02 Feb 2017
40
10th
It's a weird, meditating, sometimes cheesy film. The score is very well done. The rapid cuts, even within a scene, make it hard to grasp what is going on.
Rated 02 Feb 2017
yotsugiYotsugi
Rated 14 May 2021
60
6th
Will rewatch after I have actually watched the movies they seek to parody because I have no clue
Rated 14 May 2021
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 02 Mar 2008
66
45th
# 690
Rated 02 Mar 2008
fra_paolofra paolo
Rated 20 Aug 2019
57
64th
Fascinating, but self-indulgent, and in that way archetypically 1960s.
Rated 20 Aug 2019
x_humanx-human
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
97th
Tokyo Drifter was admittedly a bit of a let down, but Branded to Kill was everything I was hoping for and MORE. It's got the shots and insanity I was looking for from Drifter. Makes me want to go back and revisit what I already considered a great flix.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
tabidotstabidots
Rated 11 May 2009
70
13th
...I didn't get it.
Rated 11 May 2009
ratedarghratedargh
Rated 18 Jul 2014
85
75th
A glimpse into the mind of an insane man. Your fate is sealed.
Rated 18 Jul 2014
astrakhanastrakhan
Rated 20 Mar 2017
75
37th
Not sure what to make of this. What started out as a gritty mob movie quickly began to show streaks of comedy and farce, and ended up as a series of surreal non-linear scenes, any or all of which could have been dreamt, hallucinated, part of the real story or not. The effect was too confusing to follow, but it's impossible to deny the film's style and creative visual imagery. The director pushed the boundaries, not only of genre but of his and his audience's imaginations.
Rated 20 Mar 2017
jmboschJMBosch
Rated 01 Jun 2009
76
56th
This is a director having a lot of fun with a stiff-collared studio and their little assassin-movie script. Pulpy, consciously uber-hardboiled, and just always with a sense of contained ridiculousness right below the surface. Interesting camerawork going on for '67, but the ending is really what sells the film.
Rated 01 Jun 2009
bownBown
Rated 15 Dec 2021
82
62nd
I didn鈥檛 find it quite as interesting or dynamic as Tokyo Drifter but damn is it fun to watch Suzuki turn the noir/crime genres inside out and take all the archetypes to their ridiculous extremes
Rated 15 Dec 2021
super988manSuper988man
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
95th
This is probably my favorite movie of all time.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
64
28th
717
Rated 19 Dec 2008
slaapaavSlaapaav
Rated 26 Apr 2007
45
8th
good but too trippy
Rated 26 Apr 2007
madmanMadMan
Rated 04 Dec 2020
93
79th
Part Bond flick, part Sam Fuller, all powered by J么 Shishido.
Rated 04 Dec 2020
eggbeatereggbeater
Rated 12 Mar 2009
67
61st
Stylish and surreal deconstruction of the Yakuza genre. Typically irreverent and subversive film from Suzuki is also fairly incoherent but technically dazzling.
Rated 12 Mar 2009
kenmeistersKenMeisters
Rated 18 Apr 2023
75
71st
Looks fantastic but rather convoluted story wise. Nonetheless a very interesting and deliberately cool gangster flick.
Rated 18 Apr 2023
theficionadotheficionado
Rated 14 Aug 2007
50
48th
The delirious ending is great, as is the cinematography. Otherwise, just kind of bland.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
slugslug
Rated 24 Jan 2016
9
89th
A relentless, masterfully-shot film.
Rated 24 Jan 2016
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 27 Feb 2024
90
95th
Now this is wild. Incredibly convoluted for its short running time, but hey, all that matters here is Suzuki's unique characterization -- horny, weird, boiling rice-addicted killer who becomes a target and is doomed right from the start -- and elegant, precise, unmatchable production design -- the interiors just make you wanna live with his characters. So boldly executed, so frenzy and hellish and also hilarious.
Rated 27 Feb 2024
beneBene
Rated 19 Apr 2022
75
59th
I envy anybody who got to watch this in the decade or so after it came out, it must have been mindblowing. As someone who at times seeks out strange movies on purpose, this was kind of a grail movie for me, and I鈥檓 sad to say that it probably hasn鈥檛 held up to all it鈥檚 charms. Still highly enjoyable and offering quite a few great moments, but I had expected something crazier and am probably too jaded by the Miikes, Tsukamotos et Al. of this world.
Rated 19 Apr 2022
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 31 Jul 2022
60
35th
Hard not to compare this with Tokyo Drifter, which had the style down pat. This movie seems a little cheaper with a lot of dark scenes hiding a lot of the background. There's a lot of craziness while the plot seems to tie itself in knots. Knowing it's a B-movie makes me almost want to give it 4/5 stars but the surrealism makes it hard to take seriously (or take as a parody).
Rated 31 Jul 2022
hulothulot
Rated 01 Mar 2014
80
81st
watched: 2014, 2020
Rated 01 Mar 2014
offlineozofflineoz
Rated 24 May 2020
80
75th
Under Quarantine Film Reviews #97: This movie is one of the most bizarre and surreal experiences I've sat through. Suzuki really said fuck you to the studio and created this delirious fever dream.
Rated 24 May 2020
treyatwoodTreyAtwood
Rated 17 Jul 2009
67
33rd
Kuroshi no rakuin: 8 // 6 // 6 // 7 // 7 // 7 // 6
Rated 17 Jul 2009
mrcimrci
Rated 14 Sep 2023
33
16th
Absurdist and satirical approach at yakuza movies. Not my cup of tea but an interesting approach and well shot.
Rated 14 Sep 2023
psimpsim
Rated 17 Apr 2023
67
20th
What even is this movie.
Rated 17 Apr 2023
oskarhuoskarhu
Rated 11 Jul 2023
77
54th
Unlike its cinematography, the style and goofery of the film age during the watch.
Rated 11 Jul 2023
syntheseizurSyntheseizur
Rated 18 Dec 2016
81
65th
A lot of manic humor, confounding plotlines, and madcap action that's genuinely well-shot make it a uniquely entertaining romp, and its anti-establishment bent makes it suitable for deeper interpretation. Most impressive is how ahead of its time it was; its continued influence and the fact that the tropes it satirizes are still ever-present are both a testament to the film's enduring relevance.
Rated 18 Dec 2016
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 28 Dec 2022
63
60th
Quirky and stylish to the exclusion of character immersion and plot cohesion. Suzuki seems to use yakuza shootouts and erotic thriller escapades as mere building blocks for his almost purely aesthetic experimentation. It's incredibly cheesy, but once I stopped expecting good text, I found this quite beautiful as a piece of pop art.
Rated 28 Dec 2022
space_popeSpace Pope
Rated 16 May 2013
85
89th
I've never seen anything that so perfectly acts as a film and a satire of itself at the same time. It's got twisted style pouring out the ears; the tonal shifts and spastic editing piece together an erratic, borderline nonsense gangster noir film that would not have worked at all if done conventionally.
Rated 16 May 2013
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 15 Jan 2010
62
24th
757
Rated 15 Jan 2010
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 25 Jan 2023
42
6th
"An action movie about ranked yakuza assassins going up against each other and others" seems like something that is ready made for me to at least enjoy, but this was just too weird for me. It's utterly unique, but the schizophrenic editing and just bizarre story just didn't do it for me at all. Feels like something that Tarantino probably would have loved as a kid. Not for me.
Rated 25 Jan 2023
andaghandagh
Rated 30 Jan 2009
77
50th
A totally outrageous and amazingly styled film but I had to read the Wikipedia article after watching it to find out what the hell happened.
Rated 30 Jan 2009
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 02 Dec 2011
62
24th
#759
Rated 02 Dec 2011
graveyardtangraveyardtan
Rated 22 Dec 2011
80
57th
There's no reason this should be good...but it is. It's so good.
Rated 22 Dec 2011
dvicknabbDVicknabb
Rated 16 Mar 2008
94
77th
Ridiculous. Incomprehensible. Brilliant.
Rated 16 Mar 2008

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