Going straight proves challenging for an ageing yakuza boss and his loyal enforcer as they learn that others still hold grudges against them in this crime drama from Japan. With lots of vivid colours and imaginative interiors akin to a big budget Hollywood musical, 'Tokyo Drifter' is an incredibly stylish film and the memorable bits and pieces are hard to shake, like one scene where lead actor Tetsuya Watari plays chicken on a set of train tracks with a man trying to kill him. The virtues are, however, few and far between. The movie is extremely heavy on dialogue and very light on action (except near the end) and with it sometimes unclear who exactly certainly characters are and what exactly they hold against Watari, it is little surprise to learn that many have found the film incomprehensible over time - including the studio who made the film, which fired the director soon afterwards. Watari is additionally saddled with singing aloud a repetitive theme song about being a drifter; not only does the tune get on the nerves, there is an unintentional hilarity to a hardened gangster who sings as he goes from job to job. The film is not quite as worthless as it may sound though; the basic story of a former yakuza cut off from his boss and clan brings to mind 'Yojimbo', though stylistically, the film is perhaps best thought of as Godard/'Breathless' attempt to quash genre conventions. It is interesting for sure for as curiosity piece, but those looking for an action thriller or a drama about lost identity and loneliness would do better to look elsewhere.

It must have been a delirious joy for Seijun Suzuki to direct Tokyo Drifter (when the meddlesome but fair studio heads got in a tiff with him over the final cut); it's a director's movie, and he shoots it and edits it like a jazz-man in a tiny club going one step further than John Coltrane. He's in love with image, LOVES filling it with color and derangement and bursts of violence when required during the theme song crooning along. This is what makes it so satisfying and troublesome; like avant-garde jazz it doesn't have much structure, it's rhythm is erratic and it will throw off some. He even makes Takashi Miike seem fairly normal in comparison. But to see those little riffs, those scenes where Suzuki rolls out all of his cinematic tricks, it's so worthwhile.For one thing Tokyo Drifter walks along a line that is so gratifying since it works as a straight yakuza thriller about gangster Tetsuo trying to go legit with his boss only to be drawn back in by a sour deal on a building worth millions, and as a oddly subtle AND over the top parody with plenty of rock music, colors that pop off the screen, and plenty of attitude and violence. Suzuki also doesn't play by any rules which is exhilarating... it also tends to be a little frustrating if looking for a very coherent story, or some supporting characters to care about. But it works because the focus isn't on the script but the direction; it's probably as strong a job as with Branded to Kill, only in lush colors (sometimes matching with white or yellow or blues, like a coloring book with a splash of acid) and with a catchy theme song (one scene, where Tetsuo is singing the song to himself while walking along, leading up to an ambush by a bunch of other yakuza, is incredibly funny).Watch it to have a fun time, for a good dosage of experimentation, and to get a couple of really bad-ass scenes, maybe some of the freshest and most entertaining in any crime movie. I was quite happy I took the 83 minute trip with the drifter and his saga, even if it is less than great is arguable, and I'd argue it isn't.

Limited from the 'company' Suzuki shines with his rebellious attack of these tired gangster genre movies with some flare and imagination.His use of color really highlights his true meaning throughout but especially in the final scene.We're looking further than the acting,cinematography and music in this movie and finding a true legend in Seijun Suzuki.P.S. This is my very first ever comment on IMDb and I'm told I need to have an additional amount of lines to sum up this very fine movie.What can I further say?In my opinion it's best to keep it half short,twice strong.So,to sum up-DO WATCH THIS MOVIE.DO SOME RESEARCH ON THIS LEGENDARY DIRECTOR-ENJOY!!!

"Tokyo Drifter" is my introduction to the cinematic work of director Seijun Suzuki and it made quite a big impression. This is by far one of the most visually unique movies I have ever seen and the fact that it was made in 1966 makes it even more impressive.Tetsuya played by Tetsuya Watari is a yakuza who has joined his boss Kurato (Ryuji Kita) in going straight. Unfortunately for both of them a rival gang begins threatening Kurato's legitimate business. After a brief confrontation Tetsuya is forced to leave his boss that way he would hopefully relieve the pressure between Kurato and the gang. Things don't go as smoothly as Tetsuya planned and he finds himself chased by gangs all over Japan.The story is standard fare yakuza tale. With a hefty doze of betrayal, inner power struggles and a bit of melodrama in the form of Tetsuya's girlfriend. We've seen it all before. Now. What really sets this movie apart from any other is it's unique visual nearly surrealistic style. Suziki employs several tricks in order to assure that the film will remain distant from any other. His use of colors creates one part of the that. More accurately his use of color contrast, we see that in several scenes through the movie, for example during the final shootout we see gang members dressed in primarily black suits while the location itself was in mainly white bright colors. Tetsuya himself is often dressed in colors that merge him with the backgrounds further helping in the creation of the film's extravagant look. The second aspect of the movie's uniqueness is the camera work and the overall directing. Suziki employs techniques that are reminiscene of western movies and more specifically Sergio Leone's line of work. The final shootout again serves as a great example of that.The acting is on par with the script, characters are well played by their respective actors. They don't make an overly big impression but certainly don't deteriorate the quality. The film has a good music score with a particularly memorable theme song by the main actor Tetsuya Watari that is always nice to hear and fit's very well with the mood."Tokyo Drifter" is a movie that offers stunning visuals and a plot that while not very deep in characterization is still able to carry the film's unique style. Mister Suzuki is able to impress, sadly his production company at the time wasn't on the same opinion and soon after he was fired and blacklisted for 10 years. A real shame for a director with such talent.