Shokei Yugi (1979)

This 'Game Trilogy' by Murakawa is a cool triptych, with Matsuda as an unyielding loner. This final installment is actually the best, in my opinion. More restrained and balanced than the first part, and somewhat stronger plot-wise than the second. Fortunately, the slightly longer running time doesn't become a burden either.

In this trilogy, Matsuda plays both a misogynistic bastard and a chivalrous good guy. He could certainly count on my sympathy. His character comes across beautifully, particularly in the first part. The shootouts are characterized by long handheld takes and theatrical swan songs. Not believable otherwise, but that shouldn't spoil the fun. In any case, I didn't count how many suits soloist Matsuda managed to fire a fatal bullet through.

The dialogue, especially in the first part, will be synchronized for at most a quarter of the time, so you need to be able to handle that somewhat. The punches are also accompanied by delightfully tacky effects. Visually, it is all top-notch. Very consistent across the trilogy, but also pleasantly varied within the films themselves. The music is also superb, and in—I believe—the second part there is a brilliantly melancholic track that should certainly go down well in a karaoke bar. Let's see if I can find out the title of that one.

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Another weaker one. Trys to focus more on mood and atmosphere and is much too slow-paced. It also has less humor and is more serious in tone. Hardly a word is spoken in the first twenty minutes. Hitman Narumi, a criminal with morals, is kidnapped and blackmailed in this third film to kill another hitman. Once again, it is a woman who will make the difference. For me, a step backward. I found the playfulness in the first film, in particular, worked best.

Translated from Dutch · View original