I am an avid lover of Japanese Exploitation cinema, especially from the seventies, and Kenji Misumi's "Goyôkiba" aka. "Hanzo The Razor: Sword Of Justice" of 1972 is a unique and utterly brilliant film, and an absolute must-see for any fan of exploitation made in Nippon, or cult-cinema lover in general. Sleazy, violent and full of ingeniously black humor, this cult-masterpiece ranks among my personal all-time favorites, and among the truly essential highlights of Exploitation cinema from the Land of the Rising Sun.
The brilliant Shintarô Katsu (most famous for the role of Zatoichi, the blind swordsman whom he played in twenty-seven films) is Hanzo 'The Razor' Itami, the incorruptible constable of the lowest rank. Hanzo despises corruption and regularly mocks his superior officers for their weaknesses. The film is, alike most good exploitation films, the absolute opposite of political correctness. The incorruptible Hanzo's interrogation techniques include raping female suspects - who immediately give themselves up to him voluntarily once they have tasted his incomparable sexual powers. Hanzo is blessed with a giant penis, that he strengthens in bizarre rituals. He regularly submits himself to torture in order to become tougher and to improve his own interrogation techniques. He despises the swells and sees his profession in the service for the common people...
The film features a lot of sleaze, as well as some pretty gory scenes of bloody violence. All this comes along with a super-cool jazzy/funky score and a great sense of macabre humor. Hanzo has sometimes been compared to the super-cool heroes of contemporary blaxploitation flicks - but he is better than that. Hanzo 'The Razor' Itami is the epitome of coolness, and easily one of the coolest (anti-)hero characters in motion picture history. Period. And nobody could have played this unique character even nearly as brilliantly as the great Shintarô Katsu, one of the most unforgettable stars of Japanese cinema. Yukiji Asaoka and Mari Atsumi are the yummy female cast that come to enjoy Hanzo's 'interrogation techniques'. I don't want to give too much away, but I can assure that this personal favorite of mine is a film that must be seen by any lover of cult cinema and exploitation or cineaste in general. "Hanzo" is brilliant Cult cinema at its finest. Brilliant, Unique and absolutely Essential! 10/10
The brilliant Shintarô Katsu (most famous for the role of Zatoichi, the blind swordsman whom he played in twenty-seven films) is Hanzo 'The Razor' Itami, the incorruptible constable of the lowest rank. Hanzo despises corruption and regularly mocks his superior officers for their weaknesses. The film is, alike most good exploitation films, the absolute opposite of political correctness. The incorruptible Hanzo's interrogation techniques include raping female suspects - who immediately give themselves up to him voluntarily once they have tasted his incomparable sexual powers. Hanzo is blessed with a giant penis, that he strengthens in bizarre rituals. He regularly submits himself to torture in order to become tougher and to improve his own interrogation techniques. He despises the swells and sees his profession in the service for the common people...
The film features a lot of sleaze, as well as some pretty gory scenes of bloody violence. All this comes along with a super-cool jazzy/funky score and a great sense of macabre humor. Hanzo has sometimes been compared to the super-cool heroes of contemporary blaxploitation flicks - but he is better than that. Hanzo 'The Razor' Itami is the epitome of coolness, and easily one of the coolest (anti-)hero characters in motion picture history. Period. And nobody could have played this unique character even nearly as brilliantly as the great Shintarô Katsu, one of the most unforgettable stars of Japanese cinema. Yukiji Asaoka and Mari Atsumi are the yummy female cast that come to enjoy Hanzo's 'interrogation techniques'. I don't want to give too much away, but I can assure that this personal favorite of mine is a film that must be seen by any lover of cult cinema and exploitation or cineaste in general. "Hanzo" is brilliant Cult cinema at its finest. Brilliant, Unique and absolutely Essential! 10/10