Youth of the Beast

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Youth of the Beast is a 1963 Japanese crime thriller directed by Seijun Suzuki. Set mainly in Tokyo, the film follows a former detective who goes undercover to bring down a powerful yakuza gang and uncover the truth behind a partner’s death.

Plot (simple version)
- Joji Mizuno, a former Kobe detective jailed for embezzlement, is released. His partner was suicided with a call girl, and Mizuno believes Nomoto Enterprises, a powerful gang, was behind it.
- Posing as a gangster, Mizuno joins Nomoto’s organization and teams up with a young cop, Goro Minami, to uncover the truth.
- Mizuno helps both the Nomoto and Sanko families’ leaders, while a woman named Kumiko Takeshita (the wife of a murdered detective) becomes central to the plot. Kumiko leads Nomoto’s prostitution racket as its “sixth mistress.”
- Mizuno plays a double game: he leaks information to both sides to provoke a gang war, hoping to reveal the killers of Takeshita and to expose Kumiko.
- A big confrontation happens at Nomoto’s mansion after a series of raids, betrayals, and hostage scenes. Nomoto is killed, and Kumiko’s true involvement comes to light.
- In the end, Mizuno gathers evidence (records of Kumiko’s and Nomoto’s confessions) and escapes, having exposed the criminals.

Cast (highlights)
- Joe Shishido as Joji Mizuno
- Akiji Kobayashi as Tetsuo Nomoto
- Eimei Esumi as Goro Minami
- Misako Watanabe as Kumiko Takeshita
- Tamio Kawachi as Hideo Nomoto
- Kinzo Shin as Shinzuke Onodera
- Eiji Go as Captain Shigeru Takechi
- Shiro Yanase as Lieutenant Ken Ishizaki
- Naomi Hoshi as Keiko
- Yuriko Abe as Takechi’s Wife

Release and availability
- Japanese release: April 21, 1963
- American release: 1993 (by Nikkatsu)
- DVD release: Criterion Collection, January 11, 2005
- Blu-ray/DVD: Eureka Entertainment, Masters of Cinema, 2014

Reception
- At the time, the film did not attract much attention in Japan.
- Later critics praised Suzuki’s distinctive style, calling Youth of the Beast an early example of his over-the-top, highly designed approach to gangster films.
- Retrospective reviews highlighted the movie’s bold visuals and its sharp, satirical take on the genre.

Remake
- In 2012, John Woo announced plans to remake Youth of the Beast as Day of the Beast, with Terence Chang producing. The project did not come to fruition, and Lion Rock Productions eventually dissolved.