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

8/10

widely unrecognized gem

I have to agree with the preponderance of viewers here who rate this as a neglected classic of the 70's. All aspects of the film - performances, script, and direction - raise this to the level of greatness. This is certainly among Mitchum's greatest performances - his subdued, world-weary toughness undergirds the movie. The story as has been noted, is a rich and multilayered one with a sadness that aspires to and quite nearly reaches the level of tragedy. It also must be noted that this is one of the most effective portrayals of Japanese culture on celluloid. The movie does not shrink from violence; the various scenes of assassination and slaughter could have been done by Peckinpah. The movie deserves a restoration and should be brought to tv in letterbox mode. (Are you listening, Turner Classic Movies?)