Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards!, 1963.
Directed by Seijun Suzuki.
Starring Jô Shishido, Tamio Kawaji, and Reiko Sassamori.
SYNOPSIS:
A detective is sent undercover to retrieve a cache of stolen guns.
The Detective Bureau 2-3 of the title is the name of the agency where detective Hideo Tajima (Jô Shishido – Retaliation) is given a gun and a fake ID by the local police captain in order to go undercover amongst warring Yakuza gangs to retrieve stolen firearms, inadvertently sparking a massacre in the process.
Directed by legendary Japanese filmmaker Seijun Suzuki (Branded to Kill/Tokyo Drifter) and continuing Arrow Video’s run of Japanese crime thriller Blu-ray releases, the antagonistically titled Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! starts as it means to carry on as two rival Yakuza gangs are involved in a shootout – one of them blasting away whilst driving a Pepsi Cola truck in a barely disguised dig at American pop culture – as all hell breaks loose to a cool jazzy soundtrack and the kind of stylised action sequences that western audiences were lapping up in the then-new James Bond movies. From then on in it’s set piece after set piece of classy action and amusing character moments that won’t test your tolerance for complex plot twists and heavy drama but does provide an entertaining and somewhat fun look into early 1960s Japanese gangster movies with a lightness of touch that makes it accessible to most audiences, even those not accustomed to such genre fare, and has a good time toying with the genre, just stopping short of stepping into parody territory.
Often compared to the Bond movies of the time, Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! does feel like it could have legs and become a series to match EoN Productions’ output (there was a sequel that came out the same year, also starring Jô Shishido) but the comic spark that the movie has lends it the feel, in hindsight, of the later Sean Connery era Bond movies or even On Her Majesty’s Secret Service given that Jô Shishido doesn’t quite have the leading man looks to pull off a comparison to Connery in a similar way that George Lazenby wasn’t quite Sean Connery but you could accept him in the role based on what qualities he does bring, and Shishido, despite his puffy chipmunk cheeks (achieved by plastic surgery he had in the 1950s), does exude a certain cool with a witty edge that makes him instantly likeable and, unlike Bond, a bit of a buffoon at times. Picture quality-wise Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! looks like it could have been filmed yesterday given the clarity and sharpness of the image and despite only coming backed with an interview with Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns the disc is worth picking up for your collection just for being a simple and enjoyable crime thriller from an era of seemingly effortless style and charm that is often mimicked but rarely bettered.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Chris Ward
