re:mote voices

Title: Branded To Kill [Koroshi No Rakuin]
Cast: Jo Shishido, Mariko Ogawa, Annu Mari, Koji Nambara, Isao Tamagawa, Hiroshi Minami
Director: Seijun Suzuki

branded to kill is a japanese gangster film from 1967, a bizarre film following a group of assassins. hanada is given the rank of number 3, something is known about the other ranked killers, except for number 1, rumours range from the idea that he doesn't exist, to the idea that he is a phantom, better than anyone else. in the course of a job hanada's car is damaged, which is how he meets misako. misako is a moody, attractive woman, who is soon asking hanada to kill someone for her. but when he fails, it means he must be killed himself according to the rules of the underground. surviving attempts on his life brings him into direct conflict with number 1.

branded to kill is filled with characters, the black and white film of the period accentuated by the jazzy soundtrack, creates a real mood and real noir edge. hanada himself is a little out there, his relationship with women, and general approach to business - the hit on the dentist being one of his more inspired moments. misako has the looks of a bollywood princess, though with a house filled with dead birds, and walls covered with butterflies, one has to suspect that she is a little out there. the film builds towards to confrontation between number 3 and number 1, with number 1 revealing himself through head games, holding hanada to a siege and a house invasion, before the final climax. with the building oddness and game play there is an increasing sense of bemusement that results.

director seijun suzuki, who was responsible for branded to kill as well as the equally classic tokyo drifter, was apparently fired from the nikkatsu studio after these films were felt to be too much. the sleeve notes of the DVD talk of how much of an influence suzuki has been on directors like john woo, takeshi kitano and jim jarmusch - which is something you can get from the thick atmospherics. however watching branded to kill you perhaps get more of a feel of the kind of thing that has influenced miike taksahi, though obviously takashi has taken the whole thing a lot further.