The Yakuza

1974
R
1h 52m

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

11K

YOUR RATING

American private-eye Harry Kilmer returns to Japan to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter from the clutches of the Yakuza.

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Action Crime Drama Thriller

American private-eye Harry Kilmer returns to Japan to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter from the clutches of the Yakuza.American private-eye Harry Kilmer returns to Japan to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter from the clutches of the Yakuza.American private-eye Harry Kilmer returns to Japan to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter from the clutches of the Yakuza.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

11K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Ken Tanaka
(as Takakura Ken)

Eiji Okada

Toshiro Tono
(as Okada Eiji)

Herb Edelman

Oliver Wheat

Richard Jordan

Dusty Hoekstra

James Shigeta

Goro Tanaka

Keiko Kishi

Eiko Tanaka
(as Kishi Keiko)

Christina Kokubo

Hanako Tanaka

Kyôsuke Machida

Jiro Kato
(as Kyosuke Machida)

Brian Keith

George Tanner

Eiji Gô

Shiro 'Spider' Tanaka
(as Go Eiji)

Lee Chirillo

Louise Tanner

M. Hisaka

Boyfriend

William Ross

Tanner's Guard

Akiyama

Tono's Guard

Harada

Goro's Doorman

Director
- Sydney Pollack
Writers
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Martin Scorsese wanted to direct after Mean Streets (1973) but the producers wanted Sydney Pollack. Scorsese has gone on record that he would very much have liked to direct the film and was disappointed that he was passed over. However, he got to direct Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) instead after being sought out by Ellen Burstyn. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore ended up making more than 20 times it's budget and won Burstyn an academy award while The Yakuza became a box office bomb.

Goofs
The plane that Kilmer is boarding at the end of the film is a Boeing 707, the one shown taking off in the last scene is a 727.

Quotes
Dusty: American saw cuts on a push stroke, Japanese saw cuts on a pull stroke. When an American cracks up, he opens up the window and shoots up a bunch of strangers. When a Japanese cracks up, he closes the window and kills himself. Everything is in reverse.

Alternate versions
For the Spanish Castilian version all the dialogues were dubbed to Spanish, even the Japanese lines.

Connections
Featured in ...Promises to Keep (1974)

Soundtracks
Only the Wind
Japanese Lyrics Yû Aku (as Aku Yu)
Composed by Dave Grusin

User reviews76

Review

Featured review

9/10

so good I can't believe that not only had I not seen it but not even heard of it

This is just so good I can't believe that not only had I not seen it but not even heard of it. Screenplay by Paul Schrader (and his brother) just before he did Taxi Driver should have drawn attention but then maybe the Scorsese film took all the attention. Sydney Pollack's direction is assured and he gets great performances from everyone, but I reckon it is the script thats the thing. Moreover it is the only US film I have ever seen that seems to have the vaguest notion of Japan and it culture. So much of this rings true that it tingles with the excitement. The 70s streets of Tokyo and Kyoto are something to behold and the believable interaction between the main characters quite fabulous. There is bloody action here but for a film with such a title nothing like as much as expected, and all the better for it. Love, memory, betrayal, loyalty and repayment of debts both financial and emotional are all here - oh and Robert Mitchum and ken Takakura are great.