Branded to Kill is a 1967 movie directed by Seijun Suzuki. It’s style, non-traditional structure and quirky characters could have served as inspirations for Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill and Inglorious Basterds.
I’ll start this review with a disclaimer: I try to enter these movies blind. I don’t do any research prior to viewing nor do I read any criticism. This is a learning process for me and I don’t others’ views clouding my own opinions.
Having said that, I know I’m missing something with this movie.
On one hand, Branded to Kill is a weird, visual fun house that is both hilarious and hopelessly dark. On the other hand, it’s an elaborate mess featuring a cast of sincerely unlikable characters. It’s a fascinating blend of styles and bending of genres. Branded to Kill is an art house, existential Yakuza movie that forces you to do some heavy lifting. There’s a lot to invest in here, yet the payoff is lacking.
Branded to Kill tells a fairly simple story. Hanada, a hit man, fails to complete an assignment, which leads to him falling out of favor with his organization. He is then tracked by another hit man, which leads to a final showdown. Along the way, the story’s main character is involved in tortuous relationships with two different women.
Hanada is the #3 hit man in what appears to be a Yakuza organization. Early in the movie, he is defined as “a pro”, which stands in contrast to another associate, who is a bumbling, erratic drunk. The contrast is striking and interesting later in the movie, when Hanada begins to portray a similar character. At times, Hanada is fascinating and endearing. Initially, he exhibits an almost unreachable level of cool – he flaunts post-modern 1960’s style and a puffy faced look of nonchalance. Hanada is quirky too. In a running gag, he wants to surround himself with the aroma of rice, which serves as an aphrodisiac of sorts.
However, the luster of Hanada’s appeal is quickly lost after seeing his interactions with his wife, Mami. The relationship is mostly physical and features a lot of brute force. Hanada is aroused by the smell of boiling rice, then violently slaps Mami – which in turn gets her aroused. They have endless sex by continuing this loop. There’s no real communication between the two outside of sexual aggression. Later in the movie, Mami comments that “beast needs beast” before shooting Hanada. Yet even as he staggers around bleeding, it’s virtually impossible to sympathize with Hanada. He is an extraordinarily unlikable character.
Yet, he is put into some scenes that are truly innovative and fun. Hanada is hired to kill a series of individuals involved in a diamond scheme gone bad. The tricks Hanada uses to accomplish the kills are clever, including a shot through a billboard lighter, a series of plumbing pipes and a rising hot air balloon. In these scenes, we see a quirky, cool hit man character – but Hanada quickly returns to the abusive, emotional mess he carries through the remainder of the movie.
Hanada takes on another job presented to him by a mysterious woman, Misako, who is an expressionless, detached ghost of a character. She instantly presents Hanada with a morose sensibility – telling him that her “dream is to die.” Misako surrounds herself with dead butterflies and birds pinned to her apartment walls. She is obsessed not only with death but its specifics. She wants to die along with her collection.
The job itself is a failure, as Hanada is distracted by a butterfly. Since he has now lost his ranking, he will be killed by others in the organization. Hanada then pursues Misako, both to kill her and have her sexually. This leads to several more scenes where Hanada alternates between raping an already emotionally dead Misako and anguishing over not being able to do his job as “a pro.”
Like Hanada, Misako is not a likable character but is genuinely interesting. She appears both as a physical and figurative representation of Hanada’s desires. He’s physically with Mami as Misako appears in his cratering psyche. Later, she is devoid of emotion as Hanada lays on top of her – a dead butterfly harmlessly falls on him. Hanada is slowly imploding as he knows he is powerless over Misako. She already wants to die and he can’t bring himself to do it – at least in the manner she is desiring. It’s a futile relationship – later Hanada sees a film reel of Misako burning to death, which brings him clarity in his ongoing battle with the organization’s top hit man, #1.
The most enjoyable moments of Branded to Kill are found in the movie’s final portion. Hanada is expertly tracked by #1, who taunts his victim with the awareness that he is constantly under watch. He urges Hanada to eat, stating that “it’s good to die fat.” We see Hanada begin to crumble under the paranoia.
The movie’s tone again shifts, as #1 essentially moves in with Hanada to further break him down before eventually killing him. They set the rules of engagement. Specific times are allowed for sleeping, eating and using the bathroom. Guns are left on the table. #1 proves his superiority by peeing down his own leg.
Branded to Kill ends with a shootout scene in a gymnasium. Hanada is alone in a ring – he has emerged the victor over #1. He crows about his victory, wailing “I’m #1!”, “I’m #1” as he likely bleeds to death. It’s an expected ending that likely overshadows whatever irony or message was being delivered – assuming that was the director’s intention. There is an overindulgence throughout Branded to Kill that I feel ultimately overshadows some really interesting acting performances.
Joe Shishido is spectacular at times, particularly as Hanada is suffering a breakdown. He is a very convincing physical actor – he’s aggressive, domineering and ugly in too many scenes, yet surprisingly funny in many others. Annu Mari’s Misako is nearly cartoonish at times, yet she brings an odd beat of humanity and vulnerability to the character. She’s a scene stealer in a subversive manner.
Despite its messiness, I can see a lot of Tarantino inspiration in Branded to Kill. There’s a Reservoir Dogs quality in Hanada’s style and the ranking of hit man. Certainly, the ending rivals Reservoir Dogs. There’s a quality about Misako that reminds me of Kill Bill – particularly in the GoGo character. The eyes are almost identical and there is a madness found within them in each character. Although its probably not an inspiration, there is an Inglorious Basterds connection as Hanada watches a film reel of Misako burning, similar to Shosanna burning down her theater.
The BEST – The Movie Ends
Branded to Kill is not a long movie but it seems like days had passed while watching it. This movie frustrated me, which is probably why it felt more like an endurance test than entertainment. It’s hard to identify with any characters or themes – which I assume was the point.
The BEST Part 2 – #1 is Devoted to his Profession
The final 30 minutes of the movie see Hanada and #1 get into an elaborate dick measuring contest. The lengths #1 takes to display his professional superiority are pretty fun.
The WORST – Hanada Needs Therapy
It’s pretty rough watching Hanada interact with Mami and Misako. I’m sure Suzuki is mocking some aspect of Yakuza or even a patriarchal society with these scenes, but they come across as ugly and abusive.
The WORST Part 2 – The Professional Assassins Aren’t Great Shots
During the scene where Hanada takes out #2, it feels like there are about a thousand missed shots by supposedly professional killers.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 2.5/5
I’m sure a second viewing and some research would improve this score. However, Branded to Kill is a tough movie to watch.
