The Game Trilogy

Hitmen make great antiheroes.  Most of the cinematic variety live by an honor code that spares women, children and innocent bystanders (probably pets too, at least in John Wick’s case).  Typically, they only kill people who deserve it, which makes for sweaty sympathetic action protagonists heading up the likes of The Mechanic, The Professional and Sicario.  Now you can add a few more to the list with the release of The Game Trilogy from Arrow Video, a late ‘70s trio of hired killer thrillers now available for the first time outside of Japan.

Passing himself off as an unkempt, addle-brained loser, Shohei Narumi (played with cool contempt by Yusaku Matsuda) is actually Tokyo’s number one hit man with a 100% success rate.  Introduced in The Most Dangerous Game (1978), Narumi is hired to rescue the latest victim in a wave of corporate kidnappings.  Juggling loyalties to his employers and a prostitute caught up in the mess, Narumi is forced to shoot his way out of a business deal gone bad.

 

With hints of noir influence seeping in through the neon lights and jazzy score, director Toru Murakawa embraces all the ugliness inherent in his underworld scenario.  Handheld camerawork adds street-smart energy to the action scenes while Matsuda is allowed to wallow in his antihero persona.  He has so much charisma a rape victim falls in love immediately.  Yeah, it’s that kind of movie.  But even when the film lays it on thick, there’s a gritty sheen to the proceedings you’ve got to admire.

 

Things actually improve a bit on the sequels – The Killing Game (1978) and The Execution Game (1979) – with the former opening up with Narumi returning after a five-year hiatus to find the woman he spared now in the middle of a yakuza gang war.  There’s a definite Yojimbo vibe at work as our hitman plays both sides to make sure he comes out on top.  In the final film, Murakawa finally goes all-in on the noir aesthetic, crafting a much more poetic story involving a femme fatale who puts Narumi in a compromising position.  It’s the most mature entry in the series, with a stunning opening sequence and long stretches of dialogue-free storytelling.  

 

All three should get a standing-ovation from Japanese crime cinema fans.  And Arrow’s Limited Edition Box Set deserves some accolades too, sporting colorful transfers that embrace with dark, shadowy noir aesthetic. Extras include three separate commentary tracks, interviews, trailers, image galleries, collectible booklet and fold-out poster.

 

 

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