Tokyo Drifter - Criterion Collection DVD

Cheap Tokyo Drifter - Criterion Collection (DVD) (Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara) (Seijun Suzuki) Price

Tokyo Drifter - Criterion Collection

CHEAP-PRICE.NET ’s Cheap Price

$26.96

Here at Cheap-price.net we have Tokyo Drifter - Criterion Collection at a terrific price. The real-time price may actually be cheaper — click “Buy Now” above to check the live price at Amazon.com.

Seijun Suzuki transforms the yakuza genre into a pop-art James Bond cartoon as directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The near-incomprehensible plot is almost negligible: hitman "Phoenix" Tetsu (Tetsuya Watari), a cool killer in dark shades who whistles his own theme song, discovers his own mob has betrayed his code of ethics and hits the road like a questing warrior, with not one but two mobs hot on his trail. In a world of shifting loyalties Tetsu is the last honorable man, a character who might have stepped out of a Jean-Pierre Melville film and into a delirious, color-soaked landscape of a Vincent Minnelli musical turned gangster war zone. The twisting narrative takes Tetsu from deliriously gaudy nightclubs, where killers hide behind every pillar, to the beautiful snowy plains of Northern Japan and back again, leaving a trail of corpses in his wake. Suzuki opens the widescreen production in stark, high-contrast black and white with isolated eruptions of color that finally explode in a screen that glows in oversaturated hues, like a comic book come to life. His extreme stylization, jarring narrative leaps, and wild plot devices combine to create a pulp fiction on acid, equal parts gangster parody and post-modern deconstruction. Andrew Sarris described Sam Fuller's films as works that "have to be seen to be understood," a characterization that applies even more in this case. Mere description cannot capture the visceral effect of Suzuki's surreal cinematic fireworks. --Sean Axmaker
ACTORS: Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara
CATEGORY: DVD
DIRECTOR: Seijun Suzuki
THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE: 01 January, 1966
MANUFACTURER: Criterion Collection
MPAA RATING: NR (Not Rated)
FEATURES: Black & White, Widescreen, Color
TYPE: Foreign Film - Japanese
MEDIA: DVD
# OF MEDIA: 1
UPC: 037429136126

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Tokyo Drifter - Criterion Collection

Japanese hit man gets funky
This film has an unmistakably cool style. Shootouts on bare sets that look like relics of early Hollywood musicals. Old school hairdos and outfits (check out the blow dried mop and light blue suit on lead character Tetsu). Wild, outlandish color lighting and outfits that stand out from the white backgrounds. Occasional attention-gathering camera angles and movements. The cryptic English subtitles common to Asian films, and a funky, pop theme song that even Tetsu himself whistles while he works. Turns out Japan in the 60's wasn't too different from America in the 60's.

The plot drifts more than its lead character. Tetsu, once the feared and capable right hand man to a gang boss, has decided to go legit and retire from the business. He finds that easier said than done, and finds himself caught in the middle of gangland wars. Can he retain his integrity while shooting his way out of this sheltered world? Director Seijun Suzuki makes sure he'll try in style.


Japan's greatest avant director...
Seijun Suzuki was one of the most popular directors in Japan in the '60's. His works, while wildly different in style and content from anything else being produced in Cinema, especially in Japan, were embraced by the younger generations of Japan for their boldness, style, and frequent irreverence.

Suzuki was probably Japan's first director to directly challenge the status quo, and the cold bravado that charactrized the rigid image of Japanese masculinity, and the violence and military nature of the Japanese society. For this he was fired from Studio, only to be rehired because of the success of his films.

His stories mix avant surrealism with striking characters, stunning camera work, and an incredible sense of the ironic. Suzuki's films can make you laugh yourself to tears, while simultaneously touching your heart, and challenging your beliefs.

Tokyo Drifter, while not Suzuki's best, was his most successful film in the box office. Humorous tale of a Yakuza boss, who is trying to go good, and his top hit man. Tightly knitted and visually vibrant this story shows the difficulties involved in trying to escape a closed society like the Yakuza, and how easily the soul is corrupted.


another unusual gangster film
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This film follows a retired killer named Tetsu who continues to receive threats from people and is asked to help take out a rival gang.

This film is shot in full color and has some interesting tricks done with that. There are parts where the color changes and 'differentials' of color from one side of the screen to the next. It is very difficult to describe but you know what they say. "a picture is worth a thousand words" I would suggest you see it for yourself if you are interested.

The film also has an excellent theme song which reminded me of the songs by Kyu Sakamoto, best known for his song "Ue O Muite Arouko" and known outside of Japan as "Sukiyaki."

There is also a 20 minute interview with director Seijun Suzuki on the DVD as a special feature.

  • Cheap Certified Diamond (Round, Very Good cut, .50 carats, I color, I1 clarity) (Loose Stones) Price
  • Cheap Certified Diamond (Round, Very Good cut, 2.01 carats, D color, VS2 clarity) (Loose Stones) Price
  • Cheap Averatec AV3250H1-01 12.1" Notebook PC (AMD Athlon XP-M 2200+, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computer) Price
  • Cheap Factory-Reconditioned IBM ThinkPad T30 236661U 14" Notebook PC (Intel Pentium 4-M Processor "1.6 GHz", 256 MB RAM, 30 GB Hard Drive, DVD) (Personal Computer) (Windows XP Professional) Price
  • Cheap Factory-Reconditioned Hewlett Packard Pavilion M1080N PC099AR Desktop PC (Pentium 4 Processor "3.2 GHz", 512 MB RAM, 250 GB HD, DVD RW) (Personal Computer) (Microsoft XP Media Center Edition) Price
  • Cheap Certified Diamond (Round, Very Good cut, .83 carats, G color, VS2 clarity) (Loose Stones) Price
  • Cheap Averatec AV5500-EA1 15" Notebook PC (AMD Sempron 2600+ Mobile Processor 256 MB RAM 40 GB Hard Drive DVD/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computer) (Windows XP Home Edition) Price
  • Cheap Acer Computer LX.T5106.109 Pentium M725 1.6GHZ,512MB,80GB (Personal Computer) Price
  • Cheap PCS Phone palmOne Treo 650 (Sprint) (Wireless) Price
  • Cheap Averatec AV6210HX60-01 Notebook PC (AMD Athlon XP-M 2400+, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD+/-RW/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computer) (Windows XP Home Edition) Price
  • Cheap Certified Diamond (Pear, Fair cut, 2.24 carats, G color, SI2 clarity) (Loose Stones) Price
  • Cheap Apple Mac mini M9687LL/A (G4 1.42 GHz, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computer) Price
  • Cheap HP Pavilion a810n Desktop PC (AMD Athlon XP 3300+ Processor, 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Dbl Layer 16X DVD+/-RW/CR-RW Drive, CD-ROM Drive) (Personal Computer) (Windows XP Home Edition) Price
  • Cheap Averatec AV3250PX-01 12.1" Notebook PC (Athlon XP-M 2200+, 512MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Dual DVD+/-RW Drive) (Personal Computer) (Windows XP Professional) Price
  • Cheap Averatec AV3500T60-01 Tablet PC (AMD Athlon XP-M 2200+, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computer) (Windows XP Tablet PC Edition) Price
  • Cheap Nikon D50 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor Lens (Electronics) Price
  • Cheap Weber 2005 6750001 Genesis Gold C Propane, Stainless Steel (Lawn & Patio) Price
  • Cheap Certified Diamond (Emerald, Very Good cut, 1.26 carats, H color, SI2 clarity) (Loose Stones) Price
  • Cheap IBM ThinkPad T42 Notebook PC (1.70 GHz Pentium M (Centrino), 40 GB Hard Drive) 23734WU (Personal Computer) Price
  • Cheap Weber 2005 Model 6740001 Genesis Gold B Propane, Stainless Steel (Lawn & Patio) Price
  • Cheap Factory-Reconditioned IBM ThinkPad T30 236641U 14" Notebook PC (Intel Pentium 4 Processor "1.82 GHz", 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD) (Personal Computer) (Windows 2000) Price
  • Cheap Averatec AV3220H1-01 Amd Athlon XP-M 2000+/256MB (Personal Computer) (Windows XP Home Edition) Price
  • Cheap DEWALT DC6KITA 18-Volt 6 Tool Cordless Combo Kit (Home Improvement) Price
  • Cheap QuickBooks Pro 2005 (5-USER) (Software) (Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP) Price
  • Cheap Friendly Robotics RL800 Robomower (Home Improvement) Price
  • a like a color-soaked beautiful works Suzuki's Jean-Luc hitman hits best price cheap discount free shipping information into who his have Vincent combine to DVD cartoon Watari), Tokyo Drifter - Criterion Collection best prices clearance dicount gift his world high-contrast plot understood," buy deal offer Seijun "Phoenix" Sam --Sean road of Cheap Tokyo Drifter - Criterion Collection (DVD) (Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara) (Seijun Suzuki) Price Tetsuya Bond hot and to pulp Criterion warrior, might Minnelli DVD cheapeast lowest cost price sale yakuza discovers hide widescreen eruptions stylization, applies betrayed of character Cheap buying good lowest price order specials gaudy Matsubara his is Price get with a plains explode almost cheapest discounted low cost purchase