Aesthetics of a Bullet

By now North American audiences have more than wetted their appetite for the once obscure yakuza films of Japan. We’ve all seen enough to know what to expect, the historical background that empowered gangsters in post-WW2 black markets and the flexible code of honor that guided their conduct. But what we really haven’t seen is a reaction to the films that made them such endearing anti-heroes in the first place. That’s where Sadao Nakajima’s 1973 Aesthetics of a Bullet comes in.

Kiyoshi Koike (Tsunehiko Watase) is a broke, desperate loser when he’s selected by the Tenyu clan to start trouble in Miyazaki, the better to justify an all-out war with a rival clan when he’s killed in retribution. Given a gun and one-million yen, Kiyoshi eagerly plays the part of a “made-man,” but he’s too much of a coward to actually pull the trigger. Instead he enjoys all the benefits of his newfound authority (women, booze, hotel suites) while the Miyazaki clan coddles him until reinforcements arrive.

As a traditional yakuza film, Aesthetics of a Bullet is an intentional failure. But as a critique of the cinematic cliches inherent in the genre – and embedded in Japanese culture itself – it’s spot on. Nakajima’s film gleefully gives the audience no one to root for, except maybe Kiyoshi’s long-suffering girlfriend who turns tricks to pay their rent. Kiyoshi himself is a puffed-up imposter, practicing his tough-guy act Taxi Driver-style before stepping out into the world wearing little more than a borrowed costume. It’s a far cry from the characters portrayed by Bunta Sugawara and others who maintained a modicum of chivalry amidst the senseless violence. Here, even the yakuza big whigs don’t bother to show up, communicating with Kiyoshi via phone calls or presented in voice-over like some sort of underworld Greek chorus. Aesthetic of a Bullet doesn’t just suggest the cinematic yakuza lifestyle is exaggerated…it says it’s a total fraud.

Radiance’s 3000-copy limited-edition Blu-ray looks great and also includes a new interview with filmmaker Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, new appreciation by filmmaker Rober Schwentke, archival interview with director Sadao Nakajima, new subtitles, trailer and liner notes.