Abashiri Prison: Duel at the Wharf (1965) (Pt. 3)

Production: Toei
Color / Length: Color, 88 minutes
Director: Teruo Ishii
Actors: Ken Takakura, Naoki Sugiura, Kanjuro Arashi, Toru Abe

Review:
This part of the long lasting “Abashiri Prison”-Series is generally considered the best part of them all (at least, that’s what I read), which makes me wonder if I want to see any of the other parts, because this one was such a disappointment for me. “Duel at the wharf” (also known as “Abashiri Prison: going home”) is a rather melodramatic, talky and very badly edited Yakuza-Eiga.. There’s not a lot of action and even the last fight is sub par compared to other Yakuza-Eigas of that time.

Shin’Ichi returns to his hometown to become a better man and to go straight. Out of obligation he helps out the Oyabun of the Asahi-gumi (Kanjuro Arashi reprising his role of wise, old Oyabun) to keep his men, who work at the wharf, out of trouble with the rivalling Yasui-gumi, led by Yasui (Toru Abe, once again in the role as the evil, corrupt Yakuza). At the wharf he befriends the little half-blood Girl Emi (annoying; a little Japanese girl with black make-up and curly wig) which leads to some soppy “I’m gonna take care of you”-scenes. Yasui tries to provoke Asahi’s men into doing something which would give him the right to strike against the Yasui. He sends in white-clad Killer Joe (Naoki Sugiura) to build up the tension and get the wanted reactions. At first Shin’Ichi can keep the men out of trouble, even burning his Tattoo as a sign that he isn’t Yakuza anymore and that he has chosen a way without ….

Though Joe seems to watch this with respect, it is clear, that the final confrontation between the two men, will be a deadly one. When the head of the Asahi-gumi gets killed, Shin’Ichi goes into action, he grabs his Katana and takes on the whole Yasui-gumi alone. In the end there’s only Joe left, both are already covered in blood, Shin’Ichi from a wound and Joe from his bloody coughs of tuberculoses.

Ah… I really wanted to like it, but I just didn’t get into it. The little girl was so silly, the editing sloppy and the whole thing to… blah. Maybe I’ll give it another chance, but for now it’s only…

3 Katanas