Abashiri Prison aka Walls of Abashiri (1965) (Pt. 1)

Production: Toei
Color / Length: b/w, 92 minutes
Director: Teruo Ishii
Actors: Ken Takakura, Tetsuro Tanba, Toru Abe, Kanjuro Arashi

Review:
Abashiri Bangaichi/Abashiri Prison (also known as Walls of Abashiri) was the breakthrough role for Ken Takakura and the first Part of a long lasting series. Ken Takakura had already starred in a few movies that could be considered Yakuza-Eiga, but with Abashiri Prison he hit Gold. With the “Showa Zankyo-Den”-Series and the “Chivalrous Story of Japan”-Series he would later cement his status as leading man of Yakuza-Eiga.

The man behind the first batch of the Abshiri-Series was none other than Teruo Ishii, known in the west more for his Erotic-Grotesque movies, he made in the late sixties and early seventies. In the sixties, he was one of the leading directors if it came to Yakuza-Eiga, working with such talent as Takakura and Tsuruta regularly.

Ken Takakura plays a lone Wolf Yakuza who hasn’t yet given in to an absolute cynical view of life, values like honour and friendship still rank high with him and he lives for this code as he would die for it. In the first Part we meet Shin’Ichi (Ken Takakura) as he starts serving his prison sentence in the famous title-giving Abashiri Prison. The Abashiri Prison (which actually exists) lies deep in Hokkaido a part of Japan also known as the Japanese Siberia. But the cold weather is not the only problem, Shin’Ichi has to face. There are some shifty characters, who try to corrupt the rather serious and good hearted Shin’Ichi. Especially Gonda, a blueprint of a despicable ganster shit, who is chained to Shin’Ichi when they’re on outdoor labour, tries to provoke him every time he gets the chance to. But not all are bad in Abashiri. There is a wise old Oyabun (Kanjuro Arashi), who keeps to himself until he has to break into action and show the young ones, that he still can be a mean bastard, even in his old age. When Gonda makes for an escape, Shin’Ichi reluctantly has to join him, as he is still chained to the miserable psycho. The escape comes halfway through the movie and what was a male version of “Female Convict Scorpion” first, turns into a Japanese rip-off of “The defiant ones” (Tony Curtis/Sidney Portier).

Shot in b/w, the stark landscape of Hokkaido and the deep snow everywhere, seem like a nightmare of an arctic hell. Whoever built the Abashiri Prison there knew what effect the surrounding would have on the inmates. Strange, that a movie, that had such an unfriendly décor would be such a big hit (in Japan). But it works good for the movie, especially for the second part, when Shin’Ichi and Gonda are on the run. Though one can not really speak of running, as they more or less have to wade through the white stuff. And when they find other means of transport, it is by railway (watch for an extraordinary chase on the railways).

Half Prison drama, half Escape movie, Abashiri Prison is a hodgepodge of genres and in my opinion it doesn’t always work for its favour. Ishii’s direction is as always straight forward; you cant expect any visual gimmicks from him. So it’s down to the actors and here you really get the goods. Takakura gives a performance that would stick with him for the next decade, good hearted and calm but still rough enough if he would have to. Tetsuro Tanba (as a lawyer who puts his trust into Shin’Ichi) for once isn’t as stiff as in other movies and gives a believable portrayal of a man pushed into extremes, while Hiroshi Nanbara (as Gonda) is a perfect (if sometimes a little OTT) evil slime ball who rapes for fun and knows no boundaries for his immorality. Oh, and of course there’s good old “funny face” Kunie Tanake, who graced many a Yakuza-Eiga in the sixties and seventies by his presence.Over all not really a masterpiece, even though it has this iconic status, but a MUST for the Yakuza-Eiga enthusiast.

4 Katanas