cult film freak: THE YAKUZA

Written by James M. Tate / 3/17/2011 / No comments / action , brian keith , japanese-based , paul schrader , richard jordan , robert mitchum , seventies

THE YAKUZA

3/17/2011 | No comment

title: THE YAKUZA

year: 1974

cast: Robert Mitchum, Brian Keith, Ken Takakura, Richard Jordan

rating: *1/2

It's amazing that the creator of CHINATOWN (Robert Towne), teamed-up with the genius behind TAXI DRIVER (Paul Schrader), could devise a script with zero entertainment value: centering on WWII vet Robert Mitchum returning to Japan to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter. The dialogue seems endless and pointless, especially between Mitchum and his old Japanese flame. And when action does occur, it feels rushed and awkward, directed by Sydney Pollack with the intensity of a daytime soap. And yet, beyond the miscasting of the usually comedic Herb Edelman, and the waste of Mitchum and Brian Keith's talents, Japanese actor Ken Takakura, as the only character with any purpose (or power), has potential: but is stuck in the wrong film to use it.

Share This Post :

Tags : action , brian keith , japanese-based , paul schrader , richard jordan , robert mitchum , seventies

James M. Tate

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

FAVORITES SHORTLIST

MOVIES 1)THE FEARMAKERS 2)JAWS 3)THE CROWDED SKY 4)RAIDERS FROM BENEATH THE SEA 5)ANATOMY OF A MURDER 6)VIOLENT SATURDAY 7)THE MAN FROM LARAMIE 8)CANYON PASSAGE 9)FALLEN ANGEL 10)HOT CARS 11)CURSE OF THE DEMON 12)HARDCORE 13)LOCAL HERO 14)SHARKS' TREASURE 15)IN HARM'S WAY 16)SWEENEY TWO 17)EASY LIVING 18)THE ROARING TWENTIES 19)AIR PATROL 20)THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN 21)THE SERGEANT 22)OTLEY 23)AL CAPONE 24)DUEL IN THE JUNGLE 25)ASH WEDNESDAY 26)DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS 27)SORCERER 28)MY BLOOD RUNS COLD 29)THE DEFECTOR 30)WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS 31)WICHITA 32)WILLIAM CONRAD'S BRAINSTORM 33)CANYON RIVER 34)MADISON AVENUE 35)THE SHARKFIGHTERS

ACTORS 1)DANA ANDREWS 2)JAMES CAGNEY 3)MARLON BRANDO 4)JACK NICHOLSON 5)ORSON WELLES 6)PETER O'TOOLE 7)TOM COURTENAY 8)CHARLES BRONSON 9)GENE HACKMAN 10)VICTOR MATURE 1)VIRGINIA MAYO 2)SUE LYON 3)GENE TIERNEY 4)MERRY ANDERS 5)FAYE DUNAWAY DIRECTORS 1)JACQUES TOURNEUR 2)RICHARD FLEISCHER 3)OTTO PREMINGER 4)STANLEY KUBRICK 5)ORSON WELLES 6)JOHN CARPENTER 7)MAURY DEXTER 8)JOHN LANDIS 9)MICHAEL WINNER 10)SAM PECKINPAH