Flower Cards Chivalry (1967): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1967, Flower Cards Chivalry is a drama and crime 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. Flower Cards Chivalry 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, Flower Cards Chivalry 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 Flower Cards Chivalry page.

If you liked it. Fans of Flower Cards Chivalry tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.