Product Details

• Actors: Yukio Mishima, Ayako Wakao, Keizo Kawasaki, Eiji Funakoshi, Takashi Shimura
• Directors: Yasuzo Masumura
• Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Fantoma
• DVD Release Date: April 2, 2002
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000633SF
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #166,593 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Afraid to Die" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Legendary/notorious Japanese novelist and cultural icon Yukio Mishima makes a rare screen appearance as Takeo, a young yakuza who reluctantly leaves prison to re-enter a dizzying world of kidnappings, attempted assassinations, attacks and retaliations. Torn by family duty, self-preservation, and his desire for his new-found love Yoshie (Ayako Wakao, "Manji"), Takeo blasts and bluffs his way through this treacherous maze until he finds he can no longer outrun destiny. Japanese New Wave master Yasuzo Masumura propels this delirious, fast paced yakuza satire with a jazzy score, eye-popping visuals, and a trademark sense of the absurd. Fantoma is proud to present "Afraid to Die" for the first time in the US.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A flawless gangster epic, September 3, 2002

By	Kevin J. Kennedy "your humble servant" (Eaton Rapids, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was a bit skeptical of a movie featuring novelist Mishima as an actor, but he carries the lead with a swagger. Think of a cross between Bogart and Sean Penn. The story never misses a beat; you will be gripped by its gaudy brilliance right to the end. Visually, this is an excellent transfer to DVD. The sound can be a bit muddy at times, but it never distracts. Great stuff!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well..., March 16, 2004

By	Henry Platte (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

It's not _bad_, exactly, but I never would have sat through to the end if Mishima hadn't been in it. Overall, I think his performance is pretty solid, and so are the others in the film, but it's not really spectacular; there are better yakuza films out there. Any fan of Mishima should definitely see it, though, for novelty's sake, and bear witness to just how incredibly skinny his legs were.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yakuza in Love, September 9, 2008

By	Zack Davisson "All Good Things" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Afraid to Die (DVD)

Clearly, the main draw here is Mishima Yukio. Famed author of books such as The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea and Spring Snow; Famed nationalist who saw himself as the last representative of the Samurai spirit, subject of Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters and his own film Patriotism; Living forever in legend for his failed attempt to bravely die by hara-kiri, only to have his skill-less second botch the job. And here he is in a yakuza flick.

We are all curious to see how well he can act, how well the violent and macho persona of Mishima translates to the screen under the direction of Masumura Yasuzo. Masumura himself, director of such great flicks as Giants & Toys, Blind Beast and Manji, was apprehensive about the author's ability to pull it off. He was reportedly quite harsh on Mishima, giving him no star treatment and demanding that he put his all into the role. This thrilled Mishima, who loved both the challenge and the harsh treatment which played to his tough-guy sensibilities, and dove in enthusiastically.

As a movie, "Afraid to Die" ("Karakkaze yaro" or "The Cold-wind Punk"), isn't exactly a treasure. Ostentatiously a satire of the yakuza genre, one wonder's if the satire was intentional or if that was tagged on later by advertising people. The plot is your basic "Yakuza released from jail needs to take his turf back" -scenario played out so well in films like The Wolves. Mishima's character, Takeo, is just a jerk who inherited his position as boss from his father. Takeo is one of the most unlikable protagonists ever to grace the screen, as he is at times a coward, a bully, a woman beater and a rapist. Takeo's big plan involves kidnapping the young daughter of a rival and threatening to kill her if he doesn't pay up, and then sneaking abortion pills into his girlfriend's tea when he finds out she is pregnant. Not exactly a character you are rooting for.

But Masumura is a talented director, however, and manages to pull a good story out of the lackluster script and his non-professional lead actor. Mishima pulls off the role quite well, and it is interesting that his was willing to sink into such a low character. He is not exactly a fluid actor, but by no means embarrasses himself. Wakao Ayako, a regular Masumura actress in films such as Manji and Red Angel, is her usual beautiful and strong self, the very image of an idealized "Japanese beauty" who takes her suffering in silence and still keeps going. Apparently, she suffered more than her character during her scenes with Mishima, who actually struck her during several scenes and bruised her up fairly badly. She couldn't have held too much of a grudge however, as she later appeared in an adaptation of Mishima's "Spring Snow". Shimura Takashi (Ikiru, Seven Samurai) lends the film some necessary credibility, and plays a rare tough-guy yakuza role.

Absolutely worth watching, "Afraid to Die" is an uneven film that overcomes most of its difficulties and has some real flashes of brilliance. Masumura's European-influenced camera frames some really nice scenes, especially the climax which is worth the ticket price right there.