Charismatic antihero Ken Takakura playing a solitary social outcast heads a fabulous cast in this exciting crime drama. The lone assassin embarks on a desperate trail of revenge after he is used as the fall guy in an elaborate frame up. His pusuit leads him into the sordid world of drug trafficking and the exploitation and abuse of young women. The complex tale twists and turns much like the setting, the tight back alleys and lane ways of Hong Kong. It is fabulous on location filming which beautifully captures, with superb cinematography, the natural and city scapes from the excessive wealth to the lowest social depths. Yokohama is the Japanese setting with a only brief stopover, most of the action is in Hong Kong, where a number of expats are also based. Writer Director Teruo Ishii's early crime/noir dramas are all excellent. I think they culminate here in "Narazumono" which is exceptional, an outstanding gem. It seems all the director's mastery, his writing, his creative flair, has come together for this super stylish super cool thriller. Surprisingly little known, a shout out for this wonderfully entertaining excellent Classic Japanese film. Highly Recommended !!

A Japanese man makes a hit in Hong Kong and is then cheated for his payment. Then he goes on a mission to find out who hired him and get revenge.

This is indeed not an action movie as it spends much more time on "our hero" finding out who cheated him and where to find him than action sequences. In a way more a detective story where the detective is a hit-man. I did feel the story was very well worked through and the characters he met on his way was interesting and well acted.

If you like revenge movies then this is a great movie to choose. This movie could have been made today of course with more explosions and shooting. But it is a real treat if you can live with the slower pace. I also enjoyed the colorful views of the city there was at times.

I would not call this movie a masterpiece but a movie in the better end of the scale that I am happy I have seen it. There should truly be more people enjoying this movie.