Shikingen Godatsu (1975)

Kinda amazed Fukasaku didn't do more straight comedies.

A darkly comedic heist thriller exploding with pulp sensibilities, Gambling Den Heist sees Kinji Fukasaku try his hand at something a bit more light-hearted than the yakuza dramas he was more widely known for. It retains his characteristic cynicism and violence but has a degree of fun with the material to balance things out, showcasing the criminals of Japan as both hilariously incompetent and brutally effective. When friendship and loyalty become manipulative tools for our bosses, we inevitably wind up feeling lonely, disillusioned, and looking out only for ourselves. It's a briskly paced story, never getting bogged down in the details or too convoluted with character motivations. It has some hilarious scenes that thankfully never veer too far into madcap. All of Fukasaku's directional trademarks are here and out in full force, the cast is fantastic with a highly energetic Kinya Kitaoji in the leading role and the musical score by Toshiaki Tsushima is as upbeat and funky as you could want from a film like this. Gambling Den Heist is easily one of Kinji Fukasaku's more underrated films of his impressive filmography, the dude could direct a film like this in his sleep and it would still be fantastic, yes it's more lightweight than some of his more heavy hitters, but damn if this isn't just incredible fun.

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