Ankoku no ryoken

As a huge fan of film noir, I had to wait for several years before I managed to find and watch this rare Nikkatsu movie directed by the great Seijun Suzuki (Take Aim at the Police Van, Branded to Kill). It tells the story of a jazz trombonist who dives into Tokyo's sin-city after being accused of the murder of his girlfriend in order to find out who actually killed her. Fast-paced, dark and stylish, this lost gem will please film noir fans thanks to its atmosphere, soundtrack and expressionist shots. This is a genuine Japanese film noir, with the involvement of quite unusual topics for that time (heroin, homosexuality) but a rather disappointing ending.