Tantei Jimusho 23: Kutabare Akutōdomo [Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards!] (1963)

I haven't seen nearly enough yakuza films from any era - let alone the early '60s - to weigh in personally on how abnormal "Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards!" is, but the blurb on Criterion implies it deviates from director Seijun Suzuki's other productions by leaning further into a whimsical, silly tone and style. Regardless of context, American audiences going in with existing expectations based on the subject matter are likely going to be surprised to find what's ultimately a pretty ridiculous film with bright colors, over-the-top characters, and a meandering storyline. This reminded me more of early Bond movies than of anything else I've seen out of Japan, though - again - I'm not at all an expert on Japanese cinema. Still, I suspect it's not entirely coincidental that Dr. No came out just a year beforehand. That said, this has a far sillier tone than any Bond installment until Diamonds Are Forever, so I suspect most of the similarities are due to like influence, rather than direct inspiration.

As you've no doubt deduced from the fact I'm writing about this here, "Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards!" is set at Christmas, though it's even further from what Americans imagine when they hear the words, "Christmas movie" than "yakuza movie." The film only brings up the holidays a few times and always as background elements: a radio broadcast introduces that the holidays are on their way, and a couple musical sequences (one near the middle and another at the end) feature decorative elements referencing the holidays, though neither use music Americans would associate with Christmas (unlike the radio broadcast, which plays the opening of Jingle Bells).

I'll get to why I think the holiday references may have been included at all later, but I want to be clear upfront that, despite the minor role the season plays, I believe fairly strongly this needs to be considered a Christmas movie, and not merely on some sort of technicality.

Contrary to what many of us seem to believe, America does not own Christmas: no one does. The holidays have evolved and transformed over time, and the form they took in 1960s Japan is no less authentic than that of the post-war American movies and songs that have coalesced into the archetypal vision so many people have of Christmas now. This movie shows us a version of Christmas in a place where it's a trivial, fun event, something that doesn't dominate the landscape or anyone's attention. The fact it barely touches the background is in itself an aspect of how the holiday was observed in the time and place the movie is set.

But seeing as that's quite literally what the movie isn't focused on, we should probably talk about what it is. The plot concerns a new, mysterious gang that's stealing from rival gangs and the U.S. military. No one knows much about them, but the police have captured Manabe, a suspected member. He's not talking, and they don't have enough evidence to hold him, so they'll have to release him shortly. Judging by the literal army of rival gang members assembled outside the police station, Manabe isn't expected to live very long.

Enter Hideo, a private detective running a small agency (that'd be what the title's referencing). He convinces the police chief to hire him to go undercover, infiltrate the gang, and learn where they're hiding the stolen weapons. He gains Manabe's trust by getting him out of harm's way, then convinces him to introduce him to his bosses in the criminal underworld.

The bulk of the movie is spent with Hideo misdirecting their suspicions and learning their secrets in a series of absurd heist-style gambits and close calls. We get a sequence of him taking one of the high-ranking gangsters to meet his father, who's actually one of Hideo's associates pretending to be a Catholic priest (I'm not sure whether this was a joke or if the filmmakers were unaware of the whole vow of celibacy thing). There's also a sequence in which Hideo runs into a girlfriend working in a nightclub and joins her in a musical number in order to slip her some information and to inform her that he's undercover. Again, it's all exceedingly silly.

The other main subplot concerns one of the gangster's girlfriends, Chiaki, who becomes a love interest for Hideo. Some of these sections come off more than a little creepy in hindsight for a few reasons. First, the movie goes out of its way to establish Chiaki, despite her semi-romantic attachment, is a virgin, which is a weird detail to include. Even worse, towards the end Hideo seemingly attempts to sexually assault her in reaction to the mistaken belief she's betrayed him. It's a bizarre scene, and - for what it's worth - it's difficult to parse which of Hideo's actions are genuine and which are an act to elicit specific responses. He doesn't follow through on the assault, but the scene is still jarring, all the more so because it's played for laughs.

If you care, he hires her for his agency at the end, and presumably they become a couple. Before that, there's a big set piece involving them being trapped in a fiery death trap after Hideo's cover's been blown for the second or third time. They survive, of course, and he uses his knowledge of where they're heading to alert the rival gangs as to their whereabouts, resulting in a massive shootout that leaves a significant portion of the city's criminals dead and a whole bunch more under arrest.

I realize that synopsis makes virtually no sense, though it's worth noting the movie doesn't either. There are loosely connected transitions and vague explanations as to how and why each sequence flows into the next, but structurally this is more a series of comedic bits and action scenes than a cohesive story. Which is fine - the goal here is clearly to be exciting and amusing, and for the most part it's successful, even if it occasionally drags. Jô Shishido plays Hideo, and he does a good job as a version of what's essentially a Hollywood action hero from the era. That comparison to Bond isn't coming out of left field: he's got a similar sense of humor and style.

I suspect that "Hollywood" vibe is at least part of the reason the movie's set at Christmas. Visually, the movie shows a Japan that's changing and modernizing, and - for better or worse - at the time that largely meant westernization. The references to Christmas come off as symbolic of this transformation. The song and dance numbers feature sleek, modern decorations equating the holidays with a futuristic esthetic. It's also notable that the accompanying music, while not holiday-themed, is absolutely American.

In addition to that, the holidays serve at least one other function: to signal to viewers a sense of silly fun. Despite a few dark moments, this is a pretty lighthearted adventure, a connection effectively spelled out by the opening radio broadcast.

Because I'm not all that familiar with similar Japanese pictures of the era, I can't weigh in on how this measures up. Likewise, I can't say with any certainty whether there might be depths of artistic complexity going over my head. For answers to those questions, you'd need to seek out someone far more experienced with the genre.

What I can say is that to an American viewer with a similar background, this is likely to feel like a decent but not exceptional adventure flick in the vein of some of the middle-of-the-road Bond installments. It's a long way from the best of that series, but it's a heck of a lot better than, say, Diamonds Are Forever. Take that however you like.

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