Seijun Suzuki movie career page

Producer

(111 min)

2005 - Music, Drama - Japan

Tanuki (raccoon dogs) are wild animals that have been part of Japanese myth since ancient times. The mythical tanuki is reputed to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and shape shifting, but somewhat gullible and absent-minded. Seijun Suzuki uses the Japanese myth of the tanuki to tell a fairytale of PRINCESS RACCOON (Operetta Tanuki Goten), about a tanuki (Zhang Ziyi) that has transformed itself into human form. As a beautiful human, Zhang falls in love with Amechiyo (Jo Odagiri), the son of the local lord, who has been banished for being fairer than the father (shades of SNOW WHITE). Amechiyo and Tanuki-hime are pulled from all sides and told to end their love affair, citing the danger of forbidden love between human and tanuki. But love is a hard thing to give up.

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Director : Seijun Suzuki

Cast : Ziyi Zhang, Jô Odagiri, Hiroko Yakushimaru, Mikijiro Hira, Taro Yamamoto, Gentaro Takahashi

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Director

Branded To Kill

(98 min)

1967 - Drama, Gangster - Japan

Hanada (Number 3 Killer) lives his life day by day being a yakuza assassin. He and his wife live in their high-class, trendy apartment. One day, a mysterious woman by the name of Misako confronts him with a kill or be killed contract offer. Hanada pursues her and desperately wants to make love to her in his small bedroom, littered with dead butterflies pinned to the wall. Hanada takes her contract, but when the crucial moment comes up, (ironically) a butterfly messes everything up for him. An innocent victim has been killed and according to the yakuza way, he must pay for his mistake with his life. With a story filled with violent gun battles, back stabs, and deceit, Hanada ultimately confronts the ultimate killer, Number 1. In one of the most intimidating and intriguing stand offs ever, Seijun Suzuki's Branded to Kill is not easily forgotten.

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Director : Seijun Suzuki

Cast : Jo Shishido, Mariko Ogawa, Mari Annu, Koji Nambara, Isao Tamagawa, Hiroshi Minami

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Fighting Delinquents

(80 min)

1960 - Drama, Yakuza - Japan

When a reckless driver causes the death of a sign-writer a series of events, which takes Sadao (Koji Wada) from Kobe to the small island of Awaji, ensues. When Sadao arrives on Awaji, he meets Lady Ikuyo (Chikako Hosokawa), the matriarch of the Matsudaira clan, who confirms that he is the only male heir of the clan. Sadao is a young, unpretentious man, a symbol of the increasing Westernisation of Japan, who has little time for the responsibilities that are thrust upon him and is more interested in establishing a youth hostel and leisure park on the island, hoping that the publicity will allow him to be re-united with his long-estranged mother. Lady Ikuyo is not keen on Sadao's activities but, more worryingly, they are also getting in the way of Nanjo's (Hiroshi Kindo), a local yakuza, plan to develop Awaji into Asia's version of Monaco.

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Director : Seijun Suzuki

Cast : Koji Wada, Chikako Hosokawa, Hiroshi Kindo, Emiko Higashi

Flowers & The Angry Waves

(88 min)

1964 - Drama - Japan

A brave coal miner named Kikuji of the Murata clan (Akira Kobayashi) attempting to escape his checkered past must lead a rebellion against the rival Tamai clan to protect an important building contract. At the same time, Kikuji’s wife Oshige (Chieko Matsubara) is hiding out as a waitress in hopes that Detective Tanioka (Isao Tamagawa) will not discover the truth with lies beneath the surface. Add to the mix a clever assassin (Tamio Kawaji) on the trail of Kikuji and you have one hell of a hodge-podge of unique characters in a story only Seijun Suzuki could tell. In a struggle to escape your past, what will the future bring?

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Director : Seijun Suzuki

Cast : Akira Kobayashi, Chieko Matsubara, Naoko Kubo, Tamio Kawaji, Kaku Takashina, Shoki Fukae

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Kanto Wanderer

(96 min)

1963 - Drama, Yakuza - Japan

Devoted to the Yakuza code, boss Izu’s bodyguard Katsuta (Akira Kobayashi) attempts to live his life by old traditions, but in a modern world, living by the code is not always so simple. Like a toppling stack of dominos, one problem after another begins to up heave Katsuta’s peace of mind. A foolish companion gets himself into hot water when he sells a rival’s love interest into prostitution, leaving Katsuta to right his wrongs. Bundle that responsibility with the resurgence of a long lost love and the constant power struggle with greedy rivals the Yoshida gang, and you have enough aggravation to crack even the most resilient of anti-heroes.

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Director : Seijun Suzuki

Cast : Chieko Matsubara, Hiroko Ito, Akira Kobayashi

Pistol Opera

(112 min)

2001 - Action, Drama - Japan

The climb to the top can be a rough one. Especially when the goal is to be the number one ranking killer in a guild of eccentric assassins. Stray Cat is presently ranked third overall but when inner struggle ensues, and a death amongst the ranks occurs, number one doesn’t seem quite so unattainable.

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Director : Seijun Suzuki

Cast : Makiko Esumi, Sayako Yamaguchi, Kan Hanae, Masatoshi Nagase, Mikijiro Hira, Kirin Kiki

Princess Raccoon

(111 min)

2005 - Music, Drama - Japan

Tanuki (raccoon dogs) are wild animals that have been part of Japanese myth since ancient times. The mythical tanuki is reputed to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and shape shifting, but somewhat gullible and absent-minded. Seijun Suzuki uses the Japanese myth of the tanuki to tell a fairytale of PRINCESS RACCOON (Operetta Tanuki Goten), about a tanuki (Zhang Ziyi) that has transformed itself into human form. As a beautiful human, Zhang falls in love with Amechiyo (Jo Odagiri), the son of the local lord, who has been banished for being fairer than the father (shades of SNOW WHITE). Amechiyo and Tanuki-hime are pulled from all sides and told to end their love affair, citing the danger of forbidden love between human and tanuki. But love is a hard thing to give up.

[more]

Director : Seijun Suzuki

Cast : Ziyi Zhang, Jô Odagiri, Hiroko Yakushimaru, Mikijiro Hira, Taro Yamamoto, Gentaro Takahashi

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Tokyo Drifter

(83 min)

1966 - Drama, Yakuza - Japan

After his boss disbands the gang, "Phoenix" Tetsu drifts around Tokyo awaiting any circumstances that come his way. A loyalist at heart, Tetsu is pulled back in by his boss in order to protect the "status quo" of the remnants of their yakuza. With pressure from a rival gang, Tetsu and his boss are going to have a hard time playing it straight when associates are blackmailed, loves threatened and both are thrown into a whirlwind of deceit and treachery, having their honor tested to the fullest degree.

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Director : Seijun Suzuki

Cast : Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Hideaki Nitani, Tamio Kawaci, Tsuyoshi Yoshida, Ryuji Kita

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