Red Peony Gambles Her Life
- Sunday, June 3, 20:30 German Film Museum
(Tickets only available at the German Film Museum) - 緋牡丹博徒・花札勝負
Hibotan bakuto – Hanafuda shobu - Japan 1969, 35mm, 98 min, Japanese with English subtitles
- Director: Tai KATO
- Script: Noribumi SUZUKI, Motohiro TORII
- Camera: Shin FURUYA
- Cast: Junko FUJI, Ken TAKAKURA, Kanjuro ARASHI, Ritsu ISHIYAMA, Tomisaburo WAKAYAMA
- Production & World sales: Toei
- Film copy: Japan Foundation
- With an introduction by Luk van Haute
With the RED PEONY series, production company Toei introduced a female protagonist in a Yakuza film instead of the usual male hero. A decision that proved to be right – the first film was a runaway success and spawned seven sequels. In each of the films, the wandering gambler Oryu comes to a town and is drawn into conflicts that, in the end, have to be solved with her short sword. With its sensual color cinematography and director Tai KATO’s trademark low-angle shots, this third installment in the series is definitely one of its highlights.