Ryuji Kiriya (played by Kippei Shiina) is a dedicated but brutal detective in Shinjuku, Japan trying to keep his brother, Yoshito (Shinsuke Izutso), from working for the Dragon Claw Gang. The leader of the Dragon Claw is Wang (played by Tomorowo Taguchi), who wages war on the rival Yamane Gang. Ryuji must rescue Yoshito (against Yoshito's will) and get him and their parents out of Shinjuku for good. Before he can do this, Ryuji must first go against Wang and all of his men.

Shinjuku Triad Society is a slam-dunk into Miike's gritty and hyper realistic vision of the world of gangsters. The director takes the conventions of classic yakuza films and turns them on their ear. Choosing to portray many of the gangsters as gay is just one twist thrown into the blender here in Miike's first film to be released theatrically. The structure of this film is the blueprint for more of Miike's yakuza epics such as Dead or Alive and Deadly Outlaw Rekka.

The cinematography captures all of the violence and depravity with ease. It's the editing, especially in the adrenaline rush of the opening montage, which so seamlessly grabs the viewer by the collar. Even when this film digresses, it never slows down enough to lose anyone's attention. The pace of the film is ideal for anyone having trouble wading their way through other directors' yakuza films, which although rewarding, often spend over two hours delivering half the storyline that this film runs through.

Kippei Shiina is awesome as Ryuji, a cop that will do anything to serve justice including hitting suspects in the face with a chair and raping informants. This part could easily slip into the caricature territory but Shiina keeps his character as down to earth as possible in this truly wild film. Ryuji is a man hardened by the racism he suffers from being half-Japanese and too many years serving among ineffectual, corrupt, and totally unprofessional officers. One young rookie poses for a picture with a severed head at a crime scene and Ryuji's partner is delayed during a chase because he is incredulous after stepping in some human feces on the pavement.

The versatile Tomorowo Taguchi (Tomie, Full Metal Yakuza) is excellent as the organ stealing and eye plucking Wang. His character actually manages to pull a Lady Macbeth when he can't wash the blood (possibly real, possibly imagined) of his murdered father off his hands. Another great performance comes from Eri Yu, as the tough prostitute, Ritsuko, who helps save the day, surprisingly.

Shinjuku Triad Society is a brutal film with a twisted sense of humor and an even more twisted sense of justice. Viewers be warned, there are a couple of rape scenes, gallons of blood, graphic sex, and just about everything one can expect from the extremes of Miike. This film is very different in its pace and delivery from the other films in the Black Society Trilogy but it shares common themes with both Rainy Dog and Ley Lines. Anyone interested in Asian cinema needs to check this one out.

DVD Stuff

The film looks great in its 16:9 anamorphic widescreen and sounds good in the 2.0 Dolby Digital. It's hardly worth mentioning but the film is dark in some areas but this is due to some poorly lit scenes in the source material. This is another packed disc from ArtsmagicDVD. A very thorough feature commentary with Asian film/Miike expert, Tom Mes. The film's theatrical trailer and not one but two interviews with Takashi Miike about Shinjuku Triad Society and the Black Society Trilogy. An interview with master film editor Yasushi Shimamura and extensive Bio/Filmographies round off this fine release.