Review of Vengeance Is Mine (1979) by Ernie P — 24 Nov 2007

I was blown away by this film. Could have been a standard police procedural film but instead the focus is squarely on the criminal, the people he meets, and how his actions affect them. Feels like an epic film at times, which was an unexpected and great surprise given the intimate settings.

The story is based on real events, and there's also a revealing social history here especially as it relates to post-war Japan. Brilliant performances all around. One of my favourite Japanese films.