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The Yakuza (1975)
The Yakuza (1975) was one of the first times that the Hollywood Tough guy/Private Eye genre film met the Japanese Yakuza genre film.An old World War II buddy (Brian Keith) asks Robert Mitchum's character Harry Kilmer to travel back to Japan and rescue his daughter from kidnappers. The Kidnappers are Yakuza and things are more complicated than they appear on the surface. Starring Takakura Ken (who was a massive star in Japan), Robert Mitchum, Brian Keith and a young Richard Jordan. It was written by Robert Towne (Chinatown) and Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver) and directed by Sidney Pollack (Three Days of the Condor , Jeremiah Johnson). Warner Brothers expected a hit, but instead the movie was a bomb at the box office. However over the years it achieved cult film status and became a staple at film schools and film festivals. Especially in Europe. In the years before his death in 2008 Sidney Pollack was invited to speak at different universities in Europe and the United States about his vast body of work. He stated that one of the movies most often asked about was The Yakuza. It's interesting to note that the movie was filmed almost entirely on location in Japan with a mostly Japanese crew and ,by all accounts, the production was trouble free. Unlike Black Rain fifteen years later which almost didn't get finished due to politics and labor issues. It's unclear if Japan had changed or if the two production companies approached things in a different way.
The following guns can be seen in The Yakuza (1975):
Smith & Wesson Model 10
Used by Harry Kilmer (Robert Mitchum) and his sidekick Dusty (Richard Jordan).
Smith & Wesson Model 36
Used by different Yakuza soldiers throughout the movie.
M1911A1
Used by Harry Kilmer (Robert Mitchum)both as a stand-alone weapon and akimbo with a Smith & Wesson Model 10 and a 12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun.
12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun
Used by Harry Kilmer (Robert Mitchum) akimbo with a Colt 45 goverment. The manufacturer is unknown. It is a hammerless boxlock model with what appears to be either twenty - eight or thirty inch barrels.Only an old time tough guy movie star like Robert Mitchum could carry off using a full size double barreled shotgun and a Colt 45 automatic convincingly.
Weapons Collection
Whne Harry Kilmer (Robert Mitchum) and Dusty (Richard Jordan) arrive in Tokyo they stay with Harry's old war buddy Oliver Wheat. Oliver is now a history professor at a local university in Tokyo having opted to stay in Japan after his enlistment ended. In his house there is a substantial display of old Japanese weapons. Swords, matchlocks, and other assorted cutlery. Out of sight there is a more modern collection of handguns. This little "historical" display of Oliver's provides both Harry and Dusty with the Colt 1911A1 and Smith & Wesson Model 10 that they use. In reality Japan has some of the strictest weapon laws (both firearms and blades) in the world. It's very unlikely that Oliver would be allowed to have such an arsenal in his home. But it makes for great visual effect and provides our heros with firearms. Call it poetic license.
Sword Action
There is a large battle between the heros and Yakuza at the end of the movie. Harry Kilmer (Robert Mitchum) and Tanaka Ken (Takakura Ken) invade the Yakuza Clan Headquarters. While Harry is busy blowing away numerous Yakuza gangsters with his Colt 45 automatic and double barreled shotgun Tanaka Ken takes out the head of the Yakuza clan and many of his followers with a sword. The swordfight is nicely choregraphed. Though this is imfdb and not ims(sword)db I thought there should be at least one screencap of the swordfight. Seems only proper considering the movie takes place in Japan.
