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American Yakuza

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American Yakuza
UK DVD cover
Directed byFrank Cappello
Screenplay byJohn Allen Nelson
Max Strom
Story byTakashige Ichise
Produced by
  • Michael Leahy
  • Aki Komine
Starring
CinematographyRichard Clabaugh
Edited bySonny Baskin
Music byDavid C. Williams
Production
companies
Distributed byRLJE Films
Release date
  • December 22, 1993 (1993-12-22)
Running time
95 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States[1]
LanguageEnglish

American Yakuza is a 1993 American crime film directed by Frank Cappello and starring Viggo Mortensen, Ryo Ishibashi, Michael Nouri, Franklyn Ajaye, Yuji Okumoto, Anzu Lawson, and Robert Forster. The screenplay by John Allen Nelson and Max Strom is based on a story by executive producer Takashige Ichise.[2] American Yakuza was released in the United States on December 22, 1993.[1]

Premise

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American FBI agent Nick Davis works undercover, rising through the ranks of the Yakuza to infiltrate their operations. Adopted by the Tendo crime family, he is entangled with the Italian Mafia, the Yakuza, and the FBI. In the end he must decide what is most important to him.

Cast

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Production

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American Yakuza along with Blue Tiger was announced as a part of a series of co-productions between First Look Studios and Japanese company Ozla Productions.[3] The films in question were intended to be a mixture of Japanese and American cultures in the action-adventure genre.[3] These films were part of a short lived venture by Toei Company to produce higher end V-Cinema releases under the imprint V-America with Toei partnering with international partners as to ensure their financial exposure was the same as one of their own locally produced V-Cinema projects.[4] The film was from June 18 through July 1st of 1993.[5]

Release

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In February 1994 at the American Film Market, it was announced Overseas Filmgroup had secured a deal with HBO to premier the film on March 10, 1994.[6] American Yakuza would be released on home video on February 14, 1995.[5] Due to the successful sales of American Yakuza the company moved forward on another film centering around the Yakuza with No Way Back.[6]

Reception

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TV Guide wrote that director Frank Cappello did "an adequate job of weaving a relatively intricate storyline together, while delivering numerous explosive, action-packed sequences". The reviewer said that Viggo Mortensen excelled in his performance, and Ryo Ishibashi was impressive in his role. They concluded that overall, American Yakuza "is a surprisingly powerful portrayal of the loyalties that exist in the underworld, where violence and betrayal are a way of life."[7]

In a review for the Movie Gazette, Anton Bitel wrote that after considering Viggo Mortensen's acting in this 1993 film and how he was mostly known as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings films, American Yakuza "will leave viewers wondering why Mortensen's talents were not generally recognized a lot earlier." He also noted that one of the film's ironies was that, when the Mafia takes on the Yakuza in the film and "boast(s) of their 'American drive and know-how'", they forget that a century earlier they were just as eager as the Yakuza "to get a foothold in this country". Bitel feels that "American Yakuza is in effect 'The Godfather: the next Generation' – an immigrant saga of family, blood and assimilation that just happens to be set in the world of organized crime." He found flaws in that parts of the film "have the look of a rock video" and overall suffers from needing a larger budget. He concludes with praise for the acting, twisting plotline, and the carefully restrained violence.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "American Yakuza (1993)". AllMovie. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  2. ^ Crow, Jonathan (2007). "American Yakuza (1994)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 21, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "First Look, Oz ink4-pic pact". Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  4. ^ Mes, Tom (2024) [first published 2024]. Japanese Film and the Challenge of Video (Media, Culture and Social Change in Asia). Routledge. ISBN 978-1032387970.
  5. ^ a b '"American Yakuza (1994)". tcm.com. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
  6. ^ a b "AFM Notes". Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  7. ^ "American Yakuza: Review". TV Guide. Archived from the original on April 8, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  8. ^ Bitel, Anton. "review: American Yakuza (1993)". Movie Gazette. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
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