Tokyo Drifter
I think I accidentally stumbled upon the guy who was Quentin Tarantino before Tarantino.I was looking through the Criterion section at Fry's last week and saw a movie called Tokyo Drifter. Here was the excerpt from the back of the case that sold me:
Seijun Suzuki's "barrage of aestheticised violence, visual gags, [and] mind-warping color effects got him in more trouble with Nikkatsu studio heads, who had ordered him to "play it straight this time."
Well, I watched it last night, and it's spectacular. And Tarantino must have been heavily influenced by this film--the cinematography and use of color are very much in keeping with his signature style. It's hyper-stylized and bursting with energy and incredibly striking.
Here's the kicker, though--Tokyo Drifter was released in 1966.
I see movies now and can't remember a single moment thirty minutes after they're over. I can remember dozens from this film. It just burns into your brain, so much so that I might watch it again tonight.
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