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The Yakuza

The Yakuza is a confused and diffused film which bites off more than it can artfully chew. Robert Mitchum stars as a private eye returning to Japan to unravel some international crime matters, as well as his long-ago love affair.

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With:
Robert Mitchum Ken Takakura Brian Keith Herb Edelman Richard Jordan Kishi Keiko

The Yakuza is a confused and diffused film which bites off more than it can artfully chew. Robert Mitchum stars as a private eye returning to Japan to unravel some international crime matters, as well as his long-ago love affair.

The result is an uneasy and incohesive combination of an oriental Mafia story overlaid on a formula international business swindle, mixed up with a 20-years-later update of Sayonara.

Mitchum is hired by old World War II army buddy Brian Keith, now a successful shipping executive, to rescue daughter Lee Chirillo from some Japanese hoods holding her for an alleged default on a business deal.

Ken Takakura, who owes Mitchum a favor from a generation back, must honor the request to infiltrate the mob.

The Yakuza

Production: Warner. Director Sydney Pollack; Producer Sydney Pollack; Screenplay Paul Schrader, Robert Towne; Camera Okazaki Kozo, Duke Callaghan; Editor Fredric Steinkamp, Thomas Stamford, Don Guidice; Music Dave Grusin; Art Director Stephen Grimes

Crew: (Color) Widescreen. Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1975. Running time: 112 MIN.

With: Robert Mitchum Ken Takakura Brian Keith Herb Edelman Richard Jordan Kishi Keiko

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