Pale Flower review
Editor’s note: Since Musashi brought it up, we’re reposting reviews from our previous incarnation, Destroy All Monsters, of a couple of the flicks he mentioned. We’re kicking things off with Masahiro Shinoda’s Pale Flower. — Mazinga
‘Nihilism’ is a word that comes up a lot with regards to Masahiro Shinoda’s Pale Flower…fittingly so. The vast majority of yakuza film play to their audiences by providing their protagonists with relatively noble aspirations and motivations. Shinoda’s anti-hero Muraki (Ryo Ikebe) is disturbingly free of these notions. When, at the beginning of the film, Muraki describes the killing which sent him to prison for three years, he comments “What was so wrong about killing one of these stupid animals?” That’s a disdain for human life that’s rare in a Japanese protagonist. His motivations aren’t even fueled by any sort of righteous indignation; rather, he kills out of boredom.
So when, freshly out of prison, Muraki meets a young woman named Saeko (Mariko Kaga) whose thrill-junkie nature spurs her to greater and greater degrees of excess, it’s only natural that he sees a kindred spirit. Of course, when they begin feeding off each other’s nature, the real question is: who’s pushing who?
The centerpiece of Pale Flower are the numerous hana-fuda card games (so numerous, in fact, that family-oriented studio Shochiku shelved the film for eight months for fear of the film’s reception). Though the numerical stakes are never quite stated (piles of money change hands, but unlike many such films, an exact accounting is never made), its quite clear that there’s a limit being pushed. When Saeko prompts Muraki to introduce her to a group of high-stakes players, Muraki’s furtive nods tell you all you need to know. Saeko is clearly out of her depth.
Muraki’s problems aren’t limited to gambling, however. In the time that he was in prison, his gang made amends with the rival gang to whom his victim belonged, forcing Muraki to navigate an uneasy truce. Furthermore, his old girlfriend has eagerly awaited his return, and has even fallen in love with him, though Muraki knows a lasting relationship is ultimately doomed. As bad as Muraki is, however, there are worse beasts at loose in Pale Flower. For all his faults, Muraki represents a measure of control. His actions may be motivated by malaise, but he never kills for fun. On the other hand there’s Yoh, a half-Chinese madman whose penchant for intravenous narcotics and swords has made him an outcast even among the Yakuza. In the accompanying interview on the disc, director Shinoda discusses the competing themes of ninjo and giri which pervade and inform most Japanese cinema. Shinoda dismisses these two competing forces (one representing acts of love or compassion and the other acts of duty), proclaiming that Muraki’s actions are more than a function of these aesthetics.
Masahiro Shinoda’s effective minimalist direction, coupled with Masao Kosugi’s expert cinematography, perfectly captures Tokyo’s seedy underworld. In many ways, its’ reminiscent of Orson Welles’ stark noir masterpiece Touch of Evil, but without the moral anchor. There are few daylight shots. Most of the film takes place at night, among the gamblers’ nightlife. Aiding the visuals is a brilliant score by composer Toru Takemitsu. It can’t be overstated how integral Takemitsu’s score is to the success of the film. At times jazzy and at other abstract, Takemitsu’s dischordant strains set the tone for each scene perfectly.
Pale Flower is one of those one-of-a-kind films that makes you wish it weren’t. Though it’s hard bar to reach, it’s a pity all yakuza films can’t be this cool.
Hopefully an indication of more such films to come, HVE’s new DVD of Pale Flower is damn nice. Though relatively extra free, they did pack in a nice 10-minute interview with director Masahiro Shinoda in which he discusses many of his motivations for making the film, and the studio’s cagey reaction to its release. Thankfully, given the film’s wonderful stark photography, the film has received a near-perfect anamorphic widescreen transfer that should satisfy you no matter how nice your television monitor is. The soundtrack is monaural, which I assume is consistent with the source material.
I don’t think that fans of yakuza film could ask for more. Shinoda’s film is pitch-perfect, and HVE’s disc does it ample justice. A must buy.
Pale Flower
Directed by: Masahiro Shinoda
Starring: Ryo Ikebe, Mariko Kaga, Takashi Fujiki
Related Links:
Pale Flower at the IMDB
Learn how to play hana-fuda
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