Yakuza Graveyard

Tetsuya Watari plays the ANGRIEST COP IN THE WORLD who happens to become friends with a yakuza boss during a gang war. Watari's character absolutely does not give a single fuck about the consequences of his actions throughout the film, making him wonderfully entertaining to watch. Stylish direction, a solid supporting role for Meiko Kaji, tons of frantic action, and an awesome ending. Kinji Fukasaku scores again. It seems like everything he touched in the mid 70s turned to gold.

A film that destroys facades. There is some telling stuff about a rapidly changing Japanese society here, with veneers like "cop", "yakuza", "half-breed", "traitor" and "whore" not meaning a whole lot against Watari's hyperviolent nihilism. I appreciate the ruthlessness of the staging and editing, too: everyone simply wails on each other, which is probably fairly realistic. That even a bit of redemption emerges in this shit at the end is masterful storytelling.

The pace is almost relentlessly frenetic, with fast and furious editing, fights breaking out every 3 minutes, judicious use of jump cuts and freeze frames, and a couple of nifty tricks (loved the psychedelic colors during the "truth serum" scene). Many movies of this ilk blur the line between good guys and bad guys, but this one seems to go the extra mile: some of the cops are utter scumbags, while some yakuza take delight in helping out Watari.

A depressing yakuza tale filled with great acting intense action and manic camerawork.

It's no Yakuza Papers, but this leaner and meaner slice of nihilism never slows down long enough to make you look at your watch. A gives-no-fucks protagonist, betrayals, cool camerawork, drive-by shootings, drugs, corruption, gambling, friendship and even a little twisted love... I can think of worse ways to spend an evening.

Action flies off the screen, and what TheDenizen says: has the angriest cop in the world. His review pretty much nails it. Punches fly off the screen right in your face. It's enjoyable and has a good story.

"There are more than enough corpses to fill a cemetery once the smoke clears in Yakuza Graveyard." - Fernando F. Croce