Wolves, Pigs and People

This is a very underrated Kinji Fukasaku's gangster film, but made from a social point of view, not the yakuza style that Fukasaku will used one decade later, all built, edited on the same scheme. Here, nothing of the kind. It is a pure unknown gem from this great director, who precisely wanted to break the usual Toei productions standards; only the blues and downbeat atmosphere remains. I really love this movie, very poignant, gripping and complex character study. This three brother story is purely awesome, dark, bleak, a flawless Japanese film noir for me.

A finely crafted gangster film about three brothers, each with his own relationship to a powerful crime syndicate, and a heist the middle brother plans on that syndicate. The story and plot easily bears comparison with any in modern movies with a similar theme. Even the two song-and-dance numbers make sense, in that they serve to characterise the younger brother's gang as youthful and naive. Well worth seeing - even if you don't speak Japanese.