Black Torrent/ 黒の奔流 / Kuro no honryu (1972)

Obscure Japanese Film #91

Tsutomu Yamazaki and Mariko Okada

 

Takeshi Yano (Tsutomu Yamazaki) is an ambitious but struggling lawyer whose office shakes every time a train goes past on the tracks outside. He’s in a casual relationship with his pragmatic assistant Yukiko (Kaoru Taniguchi) but hopes to marry Tomoko (Keiko Matsuzaka), the daughter of Masamichi Wakamiya (Tatsuo Matsumura), the head of a law firm. 

Kaoru Taniguchi

 

Keiko Matsuzaka

When the state needs someone to defend Fujie Kaizuka (Mariko Okada), a maid accused of murder, Yano agrees although the pay is negligible because he hopes that defeating tough prosecutor Kuraishi (Kei Sato) will be his chance to impress Tomoko’s father and turn his luck around. However, when he finds himself attracted to Fujie, things become complicated… 

 

Kei Sato

To reveal any more of the plot would spoil things as this is one of those crime dramas in which the twists are pretty much the raison d’etre. Based on a 1967 short story by Seicho Matsumoto entitled ‘Shuzoku domei’ (‘Tribal Alliance’), Black Torrent is a Shochiku production reminiscent of the films of director Yoshitaro Nomura, who frequently adapted Matsumoto’s work for the screen. The director of this film, Yusuke Watanabe (working together with co-writer Takeo Kunihiro), changed the details of the original story considerably and transformed the character of the defendant from a male to a female. This is probably a good thing as it created an interesting role for the great Mariko Okada, who turns in her usual highly convincing performance (and appears able to turn on the waterworks at the drop of a hat). 

Tsutomu Yamazaki

 

Her co-star, Tsutomu Yamazaki, is slightly less effective as he overacts a little at times and his expressions are sometimes unintentionally comical. I actually blame the director for this – Yamazaki (the kidnapper from Kurosawa's High and Low) is a very talented actor, but even the best actors need good guidance. However, in regard to other aspects, this is a well-directed film, and the cinematography by Masahiro Shinoda favourite Masao Kosugi is also a strong point. The music, on the other hand, is a detriment as it seems to be alternately emulating spy movies and spaghetti Westerns – even using a harmonica and Jew’s harp at times – none of which feels appropriate. Still, despite a few flaws, this is worth seeing for Mariko Okada and the enjoyably twisty plot. 

Mariko Okada

 

Intriguingly, the previously-reviewed Kao was also an adaptation of a Matsumoto story which transformed the central character from a male to a female played by Mariko Okada. Perhaps Okada felt some affinity for his work, as she also appeared in a number of TV versions of the author’s stories as well as a further feature film, Mushukunin-betsucho (1963).

For more on director Yusuke Watanabe, see my review of Wild Detective.

Tsutomu Yamazaki and Mariko Okada