Outlaw Gangster VIP (1968/9) Making a star of Tetsuya Watari (Review)

The term ‘Studio film’ within the contemporary vernacular is used as a derogatory statement; a catch-all to encompass a focus on making money over quality cinema. While that is certainly also true in Japan, there are also a selection of studios that have gone down in legend – Toho, and Toei, being the most notable. The sleeping giant, Nikkatsu is rising through the ranks capturing the hearts and minds of a new generation of World Cinema fans thanks to Criterion and Arrow. Arrow’s recently released Outlaw Gangster VIP series is an ever-interesting release, being both a product of a studio willing to push out 6 franchise films in the space of 18 months and a key influence on Kinji Fukusaku’s now-legendary Yakuza Papers.

Arrow’s Boxset includes 6 films – Outlaw Gangster VIP, VIP II, Heartless, Kill!, Black Dagger and Goro the Assassin; directed by Toshio Masuda, Mio Ezaki and the remaining 4 helmed by Keiichi Ozawa – Tetsuya Watari (Tokyo Drifter) starred as the titular Outlaw.

Tetsuya Watari is real-life Yakuza Gorô Fujikawa, upon leaving prison he opts for the nomad’s life, appearing in a new town and quickly roped into serving as muscle for an old friend. The rough and ready machismo of the role made Watari a star off the back of these movies. Chieko Matsubara is the only other consistent within the franchise, with her being saved from local gangsters by Goro only for her character(s) to quickly fall head over heels in love with him despite his rough misogynistic Yakuza ways. Further down the line, it turns out Goro’s old friend or rival cannot be trusted, something expressed by the heartless murder of a young lovelorn clansman opting the leave his clan or more obvious betrayals. All this leads to Goro facing off against countless enemies, initially loosing he returns a second time to triumph before disappearing once more – reset and repeat.

These films were spaced out over 18 months, Japanese and Chinese studios never slept with their franchises – and you think Marvel Films are overkill. In spite of that, there is something more immediately interesting to the Outlaw series. Prior to them, Yakuza were packaged like your archetypical 1950s American delinquents, romantic bad boys that all the Women lusted after. Whereas Goro Fujikawa is not a pleasant person, he beats women and they stay with him regardless, a plot beat that makes the otherwise sweet Matsubara quite a unenviable presence. In reality, the general public ostracize any clan affiliates making the playboy persona of cinema Yakuza a work of pure fantasy – which is fine, that suits this series down to the ground.

Historical significance is one thing, having 6 films from the same franchise with the same plot is a bit much. On a purely narrative level, there is little to justify such repetition, but beyond that, there are several reasons to return. Watari may spend the majority of time with Tantō blade in hand rumbling with fellow Yakuza, murdering and maiming or treating his love interests as deadweight, yet he still finds humanity. While far from the subtlest of performances, he communicates much through a wry smile; eking away his status to unveil a man who tenaciously honours his allies. Even if he amasses a kill count comparable to Rambo’s, he is still on the right side of empathy.

The pool of actors used throughout these 6 films is understandably limited. Matsubara is forever falling in love despite being unceremoniously and melodramatically abandoned at the end of the previous film, the more interesting end of this arrangement, however, is the male roles. Actors switch from allies to enemies and vice versa, and while the immediate reaction is one of confusion it presents the supporting cast with the opportunity to play a number of conflicting roles within the same franchise, a possibility that has rarely if ever been replicated on the big screen. Japan has a history of this tactic. If a comparison was to be made, Outlaw is operating similarly to a stage play or pantomime in which the two leads swap roles – think Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller taking turns as the titular monster.

Being a nomad, Goro is forever moving from one town to the next and besides it appearing as if he knows all the clan bosses in Japan, it presents an interesting photographic malleability. From countryside to city, Okinawan beachfront to great white north; the director of photography is presented with a plethora of opportunities to capture the natural beauty of Japan. While the series spends its fair share of time inside Grey monoliths, this use of the landscape allows the films to breathe in a way contrary to gangster cinema norm.

Most of the fights take place inside warehouses, factories and brothels, but possibilities still exist to deviate from the norm. In the third film, Heartless, the final face-off takes place in a paint factory and the usual chaotic scrap has been replaced by Goro and his enemies flailing around in the mess left by spilt paint cans – the resultant scene is the most visually interesting enjoyed in Yakuza cinema. A scene where DoP Yoshihiro Yamazaki uses the expressiveness of colour to evoke emotional volatility through abstract means.

The typical Arrow Video release looks to American cinema for its classics, cult oddities and forgotten gems, for that same treatment to be given to Japan is invigorating. No-one would ever have expected an unassuming cult label to release titles as forgotten and obscure as the Outlaw Gangster series, kudos’ has been earned. Arrow has treated these 6 titles with the utmost respect and say what you will about the derivative nature of the franchise, it’s absolutely thrilling to see such a pure example of Yakuza cinema grace British shores.

Thanks for reading our review of Outlaw Gangster VIP

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