Tokyo Drifter (1966) Is Phoenix Tetsu The Coolest Gangster?

Revisited one of my favourite gangster movies of all time yesterday, the beautiful stylish, surreal and avant garde 60’s masterpiece from director Seijun Suzuki. A bewitching serene different approach to the tried and tested Yakuza formula. From the editing, to the skillfully thought out creative photography used on the set pieces, your eyes are always in for a dazzling treat. Everything is oozing ultra cool style but then you get the understated, too damn cool for school, Tetsuya ‘Phoenix Tetsu’ Hondo.

Is Tetsu one of the coolest hitmen to walk the planet? Hot on his heels is a certain Frenchman, Le Samouraï

Tetsu (Tetsuya Watari) is a young Yakuza hitman who now wishes to lay down his gun and violent ways to travel the world as a drifter. After his organization had disbanded, Tetsu still keeps fiercely loyal to his old boss Kurata (Ryuji Kita) who he sees as a father figure. Now that their gangster ways have been put aside they look forward to friendship together in retirement. Unfortunately for them there’s one gangster, Otsuka ( Eimei Esumi), who sees an opportunity to be had, with obtaining Kurata’s building estate for himself by any means necessary. With Phoenix Tetsu still hanging around though he knows he has to eliminate him.

Step forward Otsuka’s hitman Viper Tatsuzo (Tamio Kawaji) a ruthless skilled assassin eager to take down the fabled Tetsu. If only he can be taken out of the picture then Otsuka’s plan to scam Kurata out of his estate will become so much easier. With all the killing and fighting surrounding Kurata, he asks Tetsu to leave and become the drifter he wants to be. Under duress he agrees to leave to meet up with an ally gang called Umetani in the snowy outskirts of Tokyo. Viper Tatsuzo, the ever professional, recruits his gang of thugs to help chase down Tetsu on route, desperate to get his man by any means necessary.

Would you believe me if I said that there’s one man cooler than our Tetsu? an older, wiser professional hitman also on a drifter pilgrimage. A green coat wearing man going under the name Kenji “Shooting Star” Aizawa (Hideaki Nitani). Surely this young hitman wanting the quiet life is doomed. How will he be able to escape all the bad guys coming at him? And will he ever stop singing and whistling? Oh shit did I forget to say he sings and whistle too, hehe don’t worry he’s still damn cool.

Why is it so cool? I’m sure you can see from the images, the use of colour, the suits, the framing of shots. The beginning opening sequence is filmed in high contrast black and white, then bursts into colour. The editing features quick cuts and a few superb little chapter titles and shots of Tokyo as location place holders. Plus with three cool calm and collected hitmen called Phoenix, Viper and Shooting Star hey it don’t come much cooler than that. But stop! there’s more, the opening gangster walk through scene is pure Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs

I’ve read Seijun Suzuki film Branded to Kill he made the following year is as good, some say better, I can’t imagine how but it’s gonna be mighty fun to find out. I will be watching it very soon. Have you seen Tokyo Drifter? Let me know if you wish. If not I thoroughly recommend tracking it down.

Sing us out Tetsu’s club singing lady friend Chiharu (Chieko Matsubara)

Where is he, the vagabond?
Always drifting, always solo
Where will he be tomorrow?
The wind, his girl may know
The Drifter, from Tokyo
Drifting, drifting on and on
Till memories of Tokyo are gone

60’s Tokyo at night looks like Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner?