Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! (Kutabare akutô-domo – Tantei jimusho 23)
Directed by Seijun Suzuki
Written by Iwao Yamakazi from a book by Haruhiko Oyabu
1963/Japan
Nikkatsu
First viewing/Amazon Instant
“Why make a movie about something one understands completely? I make movies about things I do not understand, but wish to.” – Seijun Suzuki
Director Seijun Suzuki’s gonzo style of filmmaking is really beginning to grow on me.
In this one, private detective Hideo Tajima (Jo Shishido) volunteers to infiltrate a gang of black marketeers. He must be constantly on his guard as the gang boss suspects a spy. Tajima will need all his wits and gun power to bring the gang to justice.
How could I pass up a movie with a title like this one? Shishido, who had plastic surgery to give himself chipmunk cheeks (!), is weird and super-cool at the same time. He also proves himself to be a fair singer and dancer in one scene where he joins an ex-girlfriend’s nightclub act to avoid detection. The whole thing is accompanied by an infectious jazz score. The violence felt less real to me than in previous outings and I really enjoyed the film.
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