According to the code of the gamblers, Tokijiro, though he dislikes killing, has to join in the fighting when afforded a night's stay and meals at the home of a town boss. He will be tested again and again in the bloody tale.
Weary of the rigid codes of the underworld, gambler Tokijiro (Kinnosuke Nakamura, Goyokin) wanders Japan in search of freedom. But escape proves to be impossible when an obligation to a gang boss leaves him with no choice but to kill a man. To atone for his crime, he vows to take care of his victim’s widow and young son. But the gang won’t rest until they’ve killed the entire family - including the man who stands in their way. With this breathtakingly stylised film, Tai Kato broke all the conventions of the yakuza genre, fusing blood-spurting action with melodrama worthy of Japanese cinema’s greatest masters.
Radiance Films is founded on a passion for cinema. A series of films, books, merchandise and more curated from a variety of genres and modes of filmmaking, from arthouse provocateurs to genre classics.
Each release is created from the best available materials and includes a wealth of supplementary features on disc and extensive booklets featuring new and archival writing, where applicable.
Extras
High-Definition digital transfer
Uncompressed mono PCM audio
Interview with film critic Koushi Ueno about the film’s place in genre cinema history (2024)
A visual essay on star Kinnosuke Nakamura by Japanese cinema expert Robin Gatto (2024)
New and improved English subtitle translation
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by scholar Ivo Smits and a newly translated archival review
