7 /10 1 Votes
Story by Goro Fujita Cinematography Kurataro Takamura Running time 1h 33m Music director Naozumi Yamamoto | 7.1/10 IMDb Directed by Toshio Masuda Music by Naozumi Yamamoto Director Toshio Masuda Screenplay Kaneo Ikegami Production company Nikkatsu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Screenplay by Kaneo Ikegami
Reiji Kubota Starring Tetsuya Watari
Chieko Matsubara Cast Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara Similar Rusty Knife, Massacre Gun, Red Quay, Tokyo Drifter, Voice Without a Shadow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Outlaw: Gangster VIP' (「無頼」より 大幹部, Burai yori daikanbu) is a 1968 Japanese crime film directed by Toshio Masuda. The film stars Tetsuya Watari who plays Goro, a gangster who was sent to prison for three years for stabbing a hitman (Machida Kyosuke) who belonged to the rival gang called the Aokis. On his release from prison, Goro finds out his gang is in decline and learns that the hitman he stabbed is still alive.
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Production
Outlaw: Gangster VIP is based on the writings of Goro Fujita, an ex-gangster who wrote the novel the film was based on. The film was the first in a six-part series of films based on Goro Fujita's character.
Release
Outlaw: Gangster VIP was released in Japan on January 13 1968. The film was released by Toho International in an English-subtitled version in the United States on May 1968.
Outlaw: Gangster VIP was shown at the Udine Far East Festival in 2005. The film had its Canadian premier at the Fantasia Film Festival on July 14, 2008.
Outlaw: Gangster VIP was released by Arrow Video on Blu-ray and DVD in 2016 as part of a box set of the entire series.
Reception
Writing for Midnight Eye, Jasper Sharp stated that "Toshio Masuda didn't make the flashiest of works at Nikkatsu, but he did make solid, reliable movies with great characters and well-crafted plots that always keep the viewer on their toes. Gangster VIP is a far more mature and serious film than most of Nikkatsu's akushun films from the 60s, benefiting from some great acting, especially from its lead Watari (Tokyo Drifter), and the poignant final scenes will stick in one's mind for a long time after the film is over."
Sequels
