The Kanto Scarlet Cherry
Gang
Year: 1972
Director: Masahiro Makino
Rating: 7.5/10
A.K.A. Red Cherry Blossom Family of Kanto
After having watched Ken Takakura in two
American films (Black Rain and The Yakuza). I thought I would watch him in
a Japanese film that I had been sitting on for a while. It turns out that
this was a last hurrah or commemoration for the actress Junko Fuji and they
bring in the whole gang to bid her farewell in retirement (which she did
but came back later to act again). Junko had been a huge star at Toei Studios
in the 1960's often in period films and often in an action role. Her eight
films in the Red Peony Gambler series were very popular. In many of her films
she was often teamed up with one of three other action figures and they all
show up in this one - Takakura, Koji Tsuruta and Tomisaburo Wakayama. Throw
in Bunta Sugiwara as well though he doesn't really get into the fun here
- but he starred in loads of Yakuza films - the series titled The Yakuza
Papers being the best known.
This film is a bit confusing. As best as
I can tell it takes place in the late 1800's as there are trams and pistols
but no cars. There are lots of characters, lots of sub-plots, lot of cliques
and it takes a while to figure out what the relationships of the people are
to one another. Even with four action stars in it for much of its running
time it is a "family" melodrama with sporadic instances of violence - till
the end of course where it explodes into a rampage of killing. Like so many
of the films of this period more is unsaid than said and honor, obligation,
loyalty and status are what the society is driven by. When people break those
rules there is hell to pay. I put "family" in quotes because I don't just
mean those related to you - but your group - your clan - that you have joined
becomes your family.
Junko is the daughter of the leader of
the fire fighters group - all ready to die for one another though they are
by definition part of the civil service. For a traditional and very polite
Japanese woman she has some unusal skills as shown in the first scene when
she battles three men in the street and sends them flying using a hair pin
and the Hoshi Single Sword Style. She can also entertain as a geisha, wield
a pistol, make men's hearts flutter and gamble like a professional. Trouble
comes to town in the form of a gambler who runs a gang and are intent on
spreading their power and not above murder to get it.
Takakura plays the former love of Junko
who had to leave town years before after killing someone in a fight. He returns
to pay homage to an old Boss. Tsuruta wanders into town and finds himself
in the middle of this fight but he has obligations that puts him reluctantly
opposite Junko and Takakura. Tomisaburo is a storyteller with an inclination
to step in when things get out of hand. Takakura and Tsuruta played similar
characters in many many films - honorable above all else - even though in
this case they are both Yakuza. Both were immensely popular. A nice send-off
for Junko as she gets to show many sides of her acting skills.