花札渡世 (1967): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 1967, 花札渡世 is a drama and krimi film directed by Masashige Narusawa, running about 92 minutes.

What it’s about. An absolutely astonishing art house ninkyo yakuza film. Wandering gambler runs into a young swindler woman working with old man. They are both arrested by detective. A year later gambler is staying with gangster boss when he comes across that woman and her partner again. Boss lusts for both her and his own daughter, while the boss's crazy yakuza brother loves his daughter, who, in turn, watches the player and wants to destroy the people standing in her way. And here lies one of the film's remarkable departures from the standard ninkyo efforts: it doesn't have a third party villain, nor a clear distinction between good and evil. It's bursting with romantic emotion and wrenched with gritty realism, shot with striking black and white compositions, and explodes into shocking carnage. It has lengthier, more detailed gambling scenes than any other yakuza film I've seen. And it has a heartbreakingly beautiful score. You could call it the Ashes of Time of ninkyo yakuza films. A masterpiece!

Who’s in it. 花札渡世 stars Tatsuo Umemiya as Ryuichi Kitagawa, Haruko Wanibuchi as Umeko Ito, Junzaburō Ban and Tatsuo Endō, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 10.0/10, 花札渡世 sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch 花札渡世 page.

If you liked it. Fans of 花札渡世 tend to enjoy Die Verurteilten, Der Pate, Schindlers Liste and Der Pate - Teil II.