Red Peony Gambler

Asia Society and the Japan Foundation present: Gamblers, Gangsters, and Other Anti-Heroes: The Japanese Yakuza Movie Gangsters are not nice people but when portrayed by James Cagney, Chow Yun-Fat, Tsuruta Koji, or Takakura Ken—we flock to see them. In 1960s Japan, millions of fans made yakuza movies some of the biggest box office hits of the period. Gangsters, gamblers, hookers, and cops lit up the screen to create the Golden Age of Japanese yakuza films. Their tales of chivalry, revenge, betrayal, and the thrill of violence captured the spirit of the post-war generation. Join us for a look into the flowering of the Japanese yakuza movie.

Curated by Ian Buruma (who will also introduce each screening), Gamblers, Gangsters, and Other Anti-Heroes features iconic films from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s.

Click on each film title below for individual screening details.
All films start at 7:00 pm.
Tickets: $10 Asia Society members; $12 nonmembers; $10 students and seniors.

Thurday, March 6
Jinsei Gekijo (A Tale of Two Yakuza)
1968 / 109 min. / 35mm
Directed by Uchida Tomu

Thursday, March 20
Heitai Yakuza (Hoodlum Soldier)
1965 / 103 min. / 35mm
Directed by Yasuzo Masumura

Thursday, March 27
Hibotan Bakuto: Hanafuda Shobu (Red Peony Gambler)
1969 / 98 min. / 35mm
Directed by Tai Kato

Thursday, April 3
Irezumi Ichidai (Tattooed Life)
1965 / 82 min. / 35mm
Directed by Seijun Suzuki

Thursday, April 17
Jingi Naki Tatakai (Battles Without Honor and Humanity)
1973 / 99 min. / 35mm
Directed by Kinji Fukusaku
Please note: A discussion with series curator Ian Buruma and Kyoko Hirano will follow.

The Yakuza Film: Essay by Series Curator Ian Buruma

Film programs at the Asia Society are made possible, in part, with support from Altria Group, Inc.