Pale Flower

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Pale Flower

1964,

1h 36m,

Crime/

Drama

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Watchlist

92%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

91%

500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Japanese gangster Muraki (Ryô Ikebe) is released from jail after a few years and finds both organized crime and the real world have moved on without him. Taking up with his old Yakuza crew, he spends his time in gambling dens, where he meets rich thrill seeker Saeko (Mariko Kaga). She's desperate to have a wild and seedy time in the underworld, which interests Muraki at first. However, he realizes that Saeko's destructive, hedonistic urges will likely mean the end for both of them.

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Apr 6, 2020

4/4

Pale Flower is one of the most haunting noirs I've seen, and something more; in 1964 it was an important work in an emerging Japanese New Wave of independent filmmakers, an exercise in existential cool.

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Kathy Fennessy

Seattle Film Blog

Mar 20, 2023

4/4

[Ryô] Ikebe's difficulty in memorizing dialogue had shaken the industry's faith in him--and his faith in himself--but Shinoda knew he could get the job done in light of his "erotic and graceful presence," and Ikebe fully rewards the filmmaker's faith.

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Pieter-Jan Van Haecke

Psychocinematography

Aug 29, 2022

Pale Flower is a ‘seductive’ nihilistic masterpiece that explores the unescapable subjective problems created by the rhythmic capitalistic machinery.

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Rob Aldam

Backseat Mafia

Mar 10, 2022

Stylishly shot and superbly acted, Masahiro Shinodas film is an exhilarating descent into the underworld.

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Ian Thomas Malone

ianthomasmalone.com

Jan 19, 2022

Shinoda digs into the heart of a life in decay, years of unrewarded loyalty blunting the natural longing for a greater purpose.

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Panos Kotzathanasis

Asian Movie Pulse

Apr 11, 2021

"Pale Flower" is stunning to watch, thought provoking and entertaining at the same time, and a true masterpiece of a film.

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Theodore M

Mar 22, 2017

Its moody and atmospheric, but also very static. I couldn't get into this film, it felt a bit slow. I don't consider it a good film.

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Masahiro Shinoda

Director

Ryô Ikebe

The yakuza

Mariko Kaga

The young girl

Takashi Fujiki

The killer

Chisako Hara

Yakuza's lover

Eijiro Tono

Gang leader

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Synopsis

Japanese gangster Muraki (Ryô Ikebe) is released from jail after a few years and finds both organized crime and the real world have moved on without him. Taking up with his old Yakuza crew, he spends his time in gambling dens, where he meets rich thrill seeker Saeko (Mariko Kaga). She's desperate to have a wild and seedy time in the underworld, which interests Muraki at first. However, he realizes that Saeko's destructive, hedonistic urges will likely mean the end for both of them.

Director: Masahiro Shinoda
Screenwriter: Masaru Baba, Masahiro Shinoda, Shintarô Ishihara
Distributor: Home Vision Entertainment
Production Co: Bungei Production Ninjin Club
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 1, 1964, Original
Runtime: 1h 36m

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