Kanto Wanderer (Seijun Suzuki, Japan, 1963)

Based on a book by Taiko Hirabayashi, one of Japan’s most famous female novelists, Kanto Wanderer puts a Suzukian spin on the classic yakuza movie conflict between duty and humanity. Akira Kobayashi plays a fearsome yakuza bodyguard, torn between defending his boss against a rival gang leader and his obsession with Tatsuko, a femme fatale who reappears from his past. Suzuki uses this traditional story to experiment with color and to indulge his interest in Kabuki theater techniques and effects, most notably in the stunning final battle, in which the scenery falls away to reveal a field of pure blood red.

Part of The Films of Seijun Suzuki at the BAMPFA.

Free gallery admission with same-day film ticket!