Across his filmography, Japanese filmmaker Seijun Suzuki was known for an irreverent style which prioritized entertainment over plot. At the most prominent era of his career, the creative mostly made B-movies for Nikkatsu Company, culminating with one of his best known works, 1967’s Branded to Kill. On the other end of that period, one of his early works was an effective noir known as Underworld Beauty.
After a recent release from prison, Miyamoto (Michitarō Mizushima) returns to the sewers where he stashed diamonds before his arrest. The gangster intends to help his old partner, Mihara (Tōru Abe), who was left crippled during their last job, but their former boss, crime lord Oyane (Shinsuke Ashida), secretly wants the stones for himself. Oyane offers to set up a deal with a foreign buyer, but the deal goes awry when a masked gunmen appear on the scene. Mihara reacts by swallowing the diamonds, but when an ensuing chase leaves him dead, the gang members see their former companion as a valuable corpse in the police morgue.
Adapting a script by Susumu Saji, Suzuki crafts a noir following an honourable gangster whose only concern is honouring his former partner. The prospective wealth does not cross his mind, as he wishes to atone for his hand in Mihara’s situation, and Mizushima effectively captures the guilt weighing on Miyamoto’s mind. He also looks out for Akiko (Mari Shiraki), Mihara’s wildcat sister, as she engages in self-destructive behaviour following the loss of her elder brother.
It is all part of the gangster’s efforts to respect his old partner’s memory, something which differentiates him from the other Yakuza members. The prospect of financial gain leaves these characters to cross ethical boundaries, showing how little they truly care for each other in the face of potential riches. This feels like an effective throughline for the film, yet it is anchored to a plot that feels so thin. When the film deviates elsewhere, it makes for an odd sensation which highlights how the film struggles to hold itself together for the admittedly short runtime.
One gets the feeling that Suzuki is biding time until the finale, as greed and backstabbing comes to the forefront before transforming, with the sweat-drenched characters engaging in a desperate battle for survival. It all makes for an effective starting point for the works of Seijun Suzuki, courtesy of Radiance Films giving Underworld Beauty a fantastic 4K restoration.
Underworld Beauty is out now on Radiance Films Blu-Ray
James’s Archive – Underworld Beauty
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