There is also the film "Yakuza" with Robert Mitchum circa the sixties, I
believe. I know it was a really good film (IMO) and was a "cult" film for
awhile.
Henry
Yakuza in Film: Juzo Itami
Juzo Itami. According to wire service reports, Itami Juzo, committed
suicide by jumping off a building on Dec. 21, 1997. He was 64. In 1992
the Japanese movie director had his face slashed by Yakuza because he
portrayed them as ordinary gangsters, thugs and extortionists in his
film Mob Woman (Minbo no onna). Yakuza prefer to be portrayed as modern
samurai with Robin Hood qualities. The Yakuza had previously perfected
methods of faking suicides in order to collect insurance policies, but
also for revenge and enforcement. Yakuza themes, characters and
references can also be seen and heard in Itami's other films; The
Funeral (Ososhiki), Tampopo, Taxing Woman (Marusa no onna), and Taxing
Woman Returns (Marusa no onna II). All four are available with English
subtitles.
Yakuza in Film
Viking Phoenix Web Page: Yakuza Film List Lists more Yakuza films than
Internet Movie Database (below).
Internet Movie Database Genre: Yakuza Of the films listed, each seems
flawed in some way, but perhaps the best is The Yakuza (1975), starring
Robert Mitchum, a film which also impressed authors Dubro and Kaplan
(see Yakuza References).
Minbo no onna The Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion, a USA Today review
of Itami's film.
Sales review of Girls of the White Orchid
Mitchum's Yakuza HBO movie listing in Portuguese Language (Brazil)
Movie Description: Minbo, or the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion
American Yakuza II (film), a sequel to American Yakuza (Viggo
Mortensen).
American Yakuza - Feature Film Second Unit
Related Links
Juzo Itami (Yoshihiro Ikeuchi), Movie Director 1933-1997
Japanese Director Commits Suicide (Wash. Post) Dec. 22, 1997 by Kevin
Sullivan
Itami denied affair in suicide notes (Asahi Shimbun E-News) Dec. 22,
1997
Japanese Director Itami Commits Suicide (Reuters) Dec. 21, 1997
Famed Japan Film Director Itami Kills Self (Reuters) Dec. 20, 1997 ---
previously threatened, attacked and injured by Yakuza
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hope this helps
I'm reading a good book right now on the Yakuza: It's called _Yakuza Diary_,
by Christopher Seymour, published by Grove/Atlantic. Recommended!
--Fiona Webster