Joe Shishido’s raw performance and Seijun Suzuki’s stylish cinematic artistry complement one another perfectly. This movie stands out like a radiant gem amongst the mass-produced array of Nikkatsu action films. Based on the hard-boiled Japanese novel “Man Hunt” written by Haruhiko Oyabu, Suzuki’s visceral depiction transports the viewer into a merciless world of crime.
A man and woman lie dead in a no-tell motel. Investigators search the scene and find that the dead man was a detective. Days later, “Joe” (Joe Shishido) a ragged but handsome thug, begins roughing up gangsters in dark parts of town. Muscling his way into the Yakuza world, he lands a job as the trigger man for the Nomoto family.