Onimasa – A Japanese Godfather (2010)

AnimEigo

R1 DVD

Japanese with clear subtitles

This unusual and fascinating drama is not about criminal gangs as such, but rather their place in Japanese society in the period between World Wars I and II. Onimasa is the head of a small criminal gang on Shikoku island. He is basically a small-time warlord, but as well as parasiting off the local people he also dispenses a sort of rough justice, keeps the peace and keeps his area running smoothly. The local people, while perhaps resenting his wealth and power in the face of their poverty, will bring him their problems. Onimasa in turn answers to a higher-up in the Yakuza, “Sir” Sudo. Onimasa would like to see himself as a sort of samurai in the age of chivalry, in spite of the reality.

Onimasa has married Sir Sudo’s daughter to gain power and prestige in the criminal hierarchy. They are childless and his wife is degenerating into drunkenness as he adopts local girls into the clan as his “daughters” One such young girl, Matsue, comes from a large but poor family. She continues her schooling as Onimasa’s daughter and soon becomes a favorite in the household. Her ability to read and write is useful to the largely illiterate clan members and her pleasant personality as a young girl means she is popular with the other daughters and the “soldiers”, the fighting men who keep order and carry out the criminal work.

The times are changing in Japan. Labour unions are being formed, and one union calls a strike of the railway workers in the area. Sir Sudo is concerned that a war may be coming and he is trying to become a “legitimate” businessman who wilprofit from a war. He is a shareholder in the railway and he instructs Onimasa to deal with the union organizers and finish the strike. Onimasa meets his match in a young labour organizer, Tanabe, who calls him Sudo’s “pet dog” and reminds him of the honour and responsibility that he once felt. Chastened, Onimasa backs off the union and Sudo now has to remind him of his duty to the Yakuza. Bravely Onimasa defies Sudo, but he now has a powerful enemy.

Sudo breaks the strike by violence and by having Tanabe imprisoned. Onimasa sends Matsue to give him some gifts in prison and show his respect to the young man. On his release, Onimasa invites him to his home. He intends to give Tanabe one of his “daughters” in marriage. Instead of the girl he had in mind the young man picks Matsue. Onimasa is enraged – he has fallen in love with Matsue himself and accuses Tanabe of having had an affair with Matsue. To prove his innocence “with his body”, Tanabe severs a finger. His innocence proven, he walks out and Onimasa has another enemy. Onimasa then confesses his love to Matsue and rapes her.

From here his clan falls further. Although he tries to create allegiances with other gangs, many are now openly hostile to him. His men are being killed in fight after fight with a rival gang. In the final blow his wife, whom he still loves, dies from a typhus outbreak. There is only one thing for a man of honour to do. He confronts the rival gang leader in a showdown reminiscent of a Western shootout, even down to the music.

The film is a fascinating look at the power structure of the time. It appears Japan was barely out of feudalism, indeed possibly still in it, with the gangster leaders replacing the old warlords. The feelings of honour and the code of the samurai warrior are obsolete to the modern criminal classes – profit and power is all, but they will still call on loyalty if it is needed to further their purposes. The labour organizers are not making much headway. The big bosses are in collusion with the police and the police can be used to suppress any dissent.

Matsue represents one of the few changes taking place. Her education gives her options not available to most others, whose options are either geisha or farmhand. In this she contrasts with Onimasa. His world is failing, hers is the future. It is a story full of tragedy. Director Hideo Gosha has extracted brilliant performances from his actors and actresses, which can’t have been easy considering the size of the cast and the range of personalities. The film deserves every one of its nominations in the Japan Academy Prize.

Reviews appear on the Synergy website with a single cover image. In the digital and print edition, reviews appear with multiple images and with expanded content. We recommend you download the free digital edition (or buy the print edition) to get the most from Synergy Magazine.

This review will appear in Volume 3 No.2 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

If you came to this page directly (and missed our menu), click here to go to the front page of Synergy Magazine Website or use the following link: http://www.synergy-magazine.com