Yakuza Wolf I & II (1972) A Snapshot of a World long gone, Oozing Cool (Review)

TOEI were at their height of their Yakuza related movie output when the early 70s came around. They also had arguably the biggest star on the block in Shinichi “Sonny” Chiba, star power that was only matched by his vast output (37 acting credits across TV and Film between 1970 and 1975). Sonny Chiba was a hit with audiences and TOEI knew it. 

Often times these films would be shot back to back and released within months of each other, becoming almost serialised entries in a longer story, and whilst many of the actors would be seen in each entry, they wouldn’t always be playing the same role. For instance, all four of the Yakuza Deka films were released between May 1970 and August 1971, in which Sonny Chiba played Shiro Hayata in each entry, but Ryohei Uchida would play a different role in each one. So the links between each film could often be tenuous at best, or ignored with blatant disregard, and it is with the latter that we find ourselves at Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder and Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences.

Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder is a very different role for the handsome yet roguish Sonny Chiba. Hidden under a wide brimmed hat, a long duster and a full beard, Chiba is far more stoic than we are used to seeing him. Burnt by the world and out for revenge, there are no cheeky moments of humour here, for he has a thirst for murder and only the blood of those that have wronged him can quench it.

If there is a similarity to be had it would be with that of Meiko Kaji’s Sasori character from the Female Prisoner Scorpion series. All brooding with menace and filled with hate, it would be easy to argue that one film influenced the other, but seeing as they were released in the same year by the same studio just months apart (Yakuza Wolf in January 1972, Female Prisoner  #701: Scorpion in August), and considering both films would have sequels out before the close of 1972, it’s hard to see where this cross pollination could happen, but then this was a hit factory, churning out movie after movie with little concern for continuity, they just wanted to give the audience more of their stars.

In light of this, I Perform Murder is a gritty, grimy feature, at times verging on Pinku Eiga/pinky violence (see films such as Sex & Fury and Female Yakuza Tale as examples), it’s filled to the brim with sleaze, sex and violence, not giving the audience a chance to get comfortable. It almost feels like it wants to punish its audience for liking such gratuitous filth, but in a masochistic kind of way, because for all its grime and grimace, there is the kind of film we imagine these movies have to be right before we press play, and for once it gives the audience what they want, even if it makes them feel more than a little dirty.

On the flip side, Yakuza Wolf II: Extended My Condolences is much more familiar territory for Sonny Chiba. Gone is the hat, the coat and the beard, replaced with a clean shave, a sharp suit and a cheeky wink. Far more in line with his other output at the time (see my previous review for The Executioners set, also from Eureka), this follows a heist movie set up that we’ve seen a thousand times, but with a bit more revenge in the mix.

With zero connection to the first film in this series in terms of character, many of the actors return to fill gaps, because this is far more an ensemble caper movie. Whilst the focus is squarely on Sonny Chiba, each member of this rag tag band gets their moment to shine (even if it’s in a secondary way). 

Far more relaxed than its predecessor, Extend My Condolences is in diametric opposition with I Perform Murder in nearly every way, which does make you wonder how these films could be given the Yakuza Wolf moniker, but they were and thanks to that we have this wonderful (if tonally contradictory ) set from Eureka Entertainment.

Stuffed with commentaries on both features along with supplementary materials exploring the influence that both east and western cinema had on each other (particularly in genres such as the the Spaghetti Western and the Yakuza movies) all mixed with a fantastic 1080p presentation on two discs.

These films are fascinating and entertaining in equal measure, a snapshot of a world long gone, but what a world it was, just oozing cool, and with the rapid way Toei, Nikkatsu and other studios churned them out, I can’t wait to see more getting this level of treatment.

Ben’s Archive – Yakuza Wolf I & II