LIFE OF KURYUIN HANAKO
aka "Onimasa"
Directed by: GOSHA Hideo
Cast: NAKADI Tatsuya, NATSUME Masako, IWASHITA Shima
Set in the 1920's, gang boss Onimasa of the Kiryuin Family accepts a young girl,
Matsue, as payment for a debt, whom he then adopts. This story opens when
Onimasa's real daughter Hanako has just died, leading to Matsue's telling the
family's story in flashback form.
A decades long duel with Boss Suenaga is
kicked off when after the disputed outcome of a brutal dogfight between vicious
mastiffs, Suenaga, who lost kills the winner's dog and threatens Onimasa.
More
a character study than an action film, this is widely considered Gosha's best
"Woman Picture", and was nominated for 10 Japanese Academy Awards
(winning one for Art Direction).
An all-star cast highlights the movie with such
major stars as Tanba Tetsuro and Iwashita Shima giving strong support to
Nakadai Tatsuya as Onimasa.
Tension mounts as the two yakuza bosses snipe
at each other, leading inevitably to a violent conclusion. Meanwhile, Matsue grows
into a beautiful woman who still remains close to her adopted father, despite the
birth of his natural daughter.
Remastered Print
1982 - Color - 16:9 Widescreen
Japanese with English subtitles
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