This
fortress like turn-of-the-century prison is northern Hokkaido is so harsh, it
inspires country-style ballads. You can hear one right over the opening
credits. Of course, it is not too tough for a hardnosed Yakuza like Shin’ichi
Tachibana. However, when it comes to his mother, he turns all soft. He would
like to see her again before it is too late, but the brewing prison break might
not be the best way of doing that. Regardless of Tachibana’s immediate fate,
lead actor Ken Takakura would soon return to the remote Hokkaido setting when
his 1965 hit spawned an immensely profitable franchise. Fittingly, Teruo Ishii’s
Abashiri Prison (trailer here) screens as part
of the 2015 New York Asian Film Festival’s mini-tribute to Ken Takakura and
Bunta Sugawara.
When
Tachibana arrives in Abashiri, he represents the greatest challenge to the
authority of Heizo Yoda, the boss of his nine-man cell. Tachibana is definitely
a keeps-to-himself kind of guy, but he knows a phony blowhard when he sees one.
Since he has more or less kept his nose clean, Tachibana might be eligible for
parole, especially since his ailing mother is not expected to live much longer.
Unfortunately, Yoda and his sociopathic running mate Gonda are plotting a cell-wide
escape and they want Tachibana in on it. Naturally, they play the Yakuza
loyalty card in a big way. Of course, this would irreparably cross up Tachibana’s
situation. They also intend to sacrifice their elderly cellmate Torakichi Akuta
in the process. Yes, you could definitely say Tachibana is facing a prisoner’s
dilemma.
There
is something very Cagney-esque about Tachibana, the sentimental Yakuza. Indeed,
it is not hard to see why Abashiri launched
Takakura’s career. You can see elements of plenty of previous prison genre
films in it, especially when Tachibana finds himself chained to Gonda and reluctantly
on the lam, as the result of some not so well thought out extemporizing.
However, Ishii’s execution is lean and mean, while his cast is pitch-perfect,
elevating each stock character to new tragic heights. Especially look out for Kunie
Tanaka as old Akuta, because he nearly walks away with the picture in a key
turning point scene.
