Best known for his successful five-part “Battle Without Honor and Humanity” or “The Yakuza Papers” film series from 1973 to 1974 directed by Kinji Fukasaku in which he played the real-life gangster Shozo Hirono, Bunta Sugawara is certainly no stranger when it comes to yakuza films. Nevertheless, inspired by Raoul Walsh's gangster film “White Heat” (1949) starring James Cagney, Sugawara and Toei Company came up with their very own machine-gun blazing Japanese version in 1976.
During one rainy night, three gangsters wearing monster masks steal a bag of drugs worth one and a half million yen from some members of the Mutsumi Clan after gunning them down. While making their getaway, gang leader Ryuta Yabuki (Bunta Sugarwara) kills one of his masked partners because of his injury. Interestingly, the remaining member, a female driver, turns out to be his own mother, Masa (Aiko Mimasu). After hiding their loot in a sewer, the pair goes home and shares a well-earned hot bath together.
Before long and after tracing the machine gun Yabuki used in the heist, another yakuza gang drops in and demands they hand over half of the drugs. The next day he shows up at their meeting place and viciously guns them down but a corrupted cop on the case soon finds out he is responsible for the massacre. Meanwhile, the New York mafia associates of the Mutsumi Clan also dispatched two local killers over to further help them in the recovery of their lost drugs. Now the hunt is truly on for this ill-fated son and mother team of thugs, while the resourceful Yabuki has arranged to leave Japan by boat.
The bizarre relationship between a man and his manipulative mother is what drives and gives the story a refreshing edge here. Even though he is a tough gangster and a cold-blooded killer himself, Yabuki behaves like a baby when it comes to his mum and he even ditches his girlfriends in order to live with her. In that fashion, Bunta Sugawara puts on a wonderful performance as the tortured soul and violent gangster who can be vicious one minute but gentle and caring the next. However, the prison scene in which he freaks out and wails like an infant upon getting some bad news is funny and over the top. Equally convincing and memorable as his mother who gives him the complex, Aiko Mimasu lends a good secondary hand.
Elsewhere, Sonny Chiba turns up very briefly but unforgettable as Nezu, a passport forger for the underworld and a prolific killer. Yutaka Nakajima plays Yabuki's girlfriend, a tragic but beautiful woman without any back story, who unfortunately comes to a sad end.
Though lacking in technical refinements in general, visually the whole production looks bright and stylish, it even has a comic book look to it due to the abundant use of primary colors. Intense attention goes to the looks of the gangsters' outfits which are colorfully upbeat, especially the deep red suit worn by Sugawara's character that really stands out. In addition, Okamoto favors the use of slow motion to further accentuate tension and drama. Though flamboyant in style, his gangland portrayed here is a cruel, violent world which is full of psychotic killers especially in the second half when it turns much darker, colder and bloody. However, the electric guitar soundtrack being used has a nice funky feel about it and goes well with the shootouts, sex and nudity.
On the whole, this production plays more like a straight gangster action film rather than a yakuza film which gives emphasis to code and honor. However it has a certain stylish dog eat dog type of brutal gangster approach which moves at a steady pace and ends in a gun blazing and entertaining way. Besides, lead actor Sugawara also sings the despaired sounding end theme song as the credits role which strangely fits the mood nicely.
