Tokyo File 212

The cliches come thick and fast with this story of cops and gangsters in post war occupied Japan. American intelligence officer posing as journalist comes to Japan to find an old college classmate, Taro, who's mixed up with a crime syndicate involved in about every 1950's evil including labor agitation and spying for the North Koreans. Taro, who just missed becoming a Kamekaze pilot before the war ended, finally turns to help the police after his own band of thugs attack his ex-fiancee and father. Predictable and cheap film noir. Beautiful and dangerous dame with strange accent, villains hiding in the shadows, blah blah blah. Two things make it worth watching: the pace is quick and the location shots and re-creation of Japanese setting are remarkably good. Tokyo looks beautiful and mysterious. Many shots of street markets and public gardens. The scene in the Japanese-only bar complete with drunken tattooed men and hula dancers is a 1950's masterpiece of the ultimate den of iniquity.