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Youth of the Beast compared to other Suzuki films

posted 18 years ago by Kuma_no_geppu
6 replies | jump to latest

Just saw Youth of the Beast. This is his fourth movie that I've seen (Tokyo Drifter, Branded to Kill, Gates of Flesh), and despite what the summary on the page implies, I thought this film had a lot to offer - just as much as his later, more admired films.

The two things that stood out to me the most which Suzuki did a lot in Tokyo Drifter and Gates of Flesh is the usage of color. I really enjoyed the ways he crafted this Navy/Marine Blue, Brown/Burgandy, and White color scheme in a lot of the movie.

Also the interiors in the film were great. Very theatrical. I love how he constantly frames characters talking while some movie or performance is occuring in the background (The pink flower dancer, etc.)

I can't believe he got away with that scene early in the film where Mizuno is called into the back of the club to meet with the Nomoto gang, and there's just absolute silence for what seems like forever. I can't think of any other films that have done anything like that.

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[–] LuciaJoyce 18 years ago

Thanks for your input! It was very nicely said. I'll check out the movie now.

--
I should warn you -- he's a Fourierist.

[–] starman5k 18 years ago

Oh, I loved this movie. It's an incredibly shot film, takes full advantage of color and shape to create some magnificently painterly frames. Take a look at the way basic geometry takes hold in some of the shots next time you watch it...

[–] loofrin 17 years ago

Tati did something similar in Playtime.

[–] the_negotiator-1 16 years ago

my favourite suzuki film - purely because its the perfect example of his technical prowess and the storyline is linear and alot less confusing than say Tokyo Drifter...

its also quite amusing for me to see that 'Dr No' had come out at around the same time, and was no doubt made with a higher budget and more time yet Youth Of the Beast is a superior film in almost every aspect - you could even argue that the protagonist in both films are very similar too...at least from a misogynistic point of view...

i would love to see a high-def or blu-ray transfer of this film! or any suzuki film for that matter!

[–] Kammurabi 13 years ago

It's too bad most Suzuki films seem to fall into the "seldom seen" category for American audiences. Definitely seldom commented on. Many movies which Suzuki has influenced gets pages of threads on their board. Such is imdb.

I've only seen five Suzuki movies so far, but not due to lack of interest. I've seen Youth of the Beast, Tokyo Drifter, Branded to Kill, Take Aim at the Police Van and Everything Goes Wrong. Youth is my second favorite behind Everything Goes Wrong. I can't fully explain my fascination with that film but it impressed me far more than Tokyo Drifter which seems to be the most popular one.
I'll be able to see Fighting Elegy and Gate of Flesh within the next month.

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[–] dehumanized 12 years ago

I was blown away with how easy to follow this film was considering Branded and Tokyo took a few viewings to fully sink in. I also thought the visual gags and humor were a lot more rapid-fire and hilarious in this one, which made the continuous violence (some near-grueling, some downright funny) all the more in your face. I think this is his masterpiece based on the three films of his I've seen so far. Can't wait to see more of his work!