Blackmail Is My Life (Kyokatsu koso waga jinsei)

New York premiere.

1968, 90 min., color, 35mm. In Japanese with English subtitles.

Kinji Fukasaku’s tale of the  Tokyo underworld features a charismatic thug (Hiroki Matsukata) who learns how to be successful as a blackmailer. However, his ambition is obstructed when he chooses the wrong target, a gang boss. Fukasaku’s usual raw energy and rebellious power are fully exploited in this entertaining format.

Tickets: $10; Japan Society members, seniors & students, $5.