By: Joseph Perry (Twitter/X)
Writer: When It Was Cool
Also Featured At: Gruesome Magazine, The Scariest Things, Horror Fuel, B&S About Movies, The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict, and Diabolique Magazine, and film magazines Phantom of the Movies’ VideoScope and Drive-In Asylum.
Film Reviews: 1960s Japanese Action Classics in the Red Peony Series
Official synopsis: Produced during the heyday of ninkyo eiga (chivalrous yakuza films), the seminal Red Peony Gambler series has had a lasting influence on cult cinema. The illustrious Junko Fuji stars as the beautiful and badass Oryu, the eponymous and benevolent female gambler who uses her incredible might for right.
The following reviews are based on Film Movement’s presentation of the three films that are newly restored from original film elements.
Red Peony Gambler (1968; all three films made in Japan) introduces us to female yakuza Ryuko (Junko Fuji AKA Sumiko Fuji), who, under the alias Oryu (which means red peony) lives — and when necessary, kills — by the code of gamblers, something she takes quite seriously even when others do not take her that same way. In this installment and in the other two Red Peony films reviewed here — there are eight in total — there is a great deal of dramatic build-up rather than a chase/fight/chase/fight/repeat format that is often standard in martial arts films. The plot here concerns Oryu’s initial mission of vengeance as the daughter of a yakuza clan leader whose father is murdered by rivals. She wanders the land to gain experience from other yakuza leaders friendly to her cause, seeking to reestablish her family’s gang.
Red Peony Gambler 2: Gambler’s Obligation (1968) is the first sequel in the series, in which the yakuza boss who invited her to stay in his home as his guest is murdered by rival gang members looking to take over the local silk farming business. Whereas many films in this genre may settle for the villains committing one despicable act to set off myriad martial arts scenes, the lead villain in this film commits one heinous act after another — something akin to a mid-Meiji period Caligula wannabe — so that when fight scenes get their moments, they actually mean something. Therefore, viewers have an emotional investment in seeing him and his henchmen get their climactic comeuppance.
Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game (1969) features villains also driven by monetary greed, as this time dishonorable yakuza members try to take over a gambling party meant to raise money for a local temple while also trying to force an arranged marriage, denying the son of an elderly local respected yakuza leader his future bride. Though the dramatic tempo here is similarly medium-paced like the film’s predecessors, blood flows a deeper red and more freely here.
Junko Fuji is radiant as Oryu in each film, perfectly portraying a woman strong in both mental and physical ways, usually outwardly even-tempered but not above displaying emotion when the situation calls for it. Her performances alone are worth giving the Red Peony films a watch. The supporting players all give solid performances. Though helmed by different directors, all three entries look great and are well-paced, with beautiful set design and costumes, and crisp cinematography.
Whether you are a new viewer to the ninkyo eiga genre or a longtime fan, these newly restored versions of the first three Red Peony films make for fine, fun viewing.
Film Movement presents Red Peony Gambler, Red Peony Gambler 2: Gambler’s Obligation, and Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game on VOD and Digital platforms from November 1, 2024.
Joseph Perry also writes for the websites Gruesome Magazine (gruesomemagazine.com), The Scariest Things (scariesthings.com), Horror Fuel (horrorfuel.com), B&S About Movies (bandsaboutmovies.com), The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict (gbvreviews.com), and Diabolique Magazine (diaboliquemagazine.com), and film magazines Phantom of the Movies’ VideoScope (videoscopemag.com) and Drive-In Asylum (etsy.com/shop/GroovyDoom).
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