Yakuza Cult Classics: Three Films by Seijun Suzuki

Director Seijun Suzuki (1923–2017) took yakuza B-movies to surreal and absurdist heights that continue to enthrall audiences and inspire moviemakers worldwide. Get a primer on this midcentury expressionist with three of his films: Youth of the Beast (1963), Tokyo Drifter (1966), and Branded to Kill (1967).

Panel held at:

• Kumoricon 2024
• Sakura-Con 2026

Films Discussed

Youth of the Beast (1963)

• The Criterion Collection
• Nikkatsu (site in Japanese)
• Wikipedia article

Tokyo Drifter (1966)

• The Criterion Collection
• Nikkatsu (site in Japanese)
• Wikipedia article

Branded to Kill (1967)

• The Criterion Collection
• Nikkatsu (site in Japanese)
• Wikipedia article

Bibliography & Recommended Reading

• No Borders No Limits, Mark Schilling (2007)
• Time and Place Are Nonsense: The Films of Seijun Suzuki, Tom Vick (2015)
• Suzuki Seijun and Postwar Japanese Cinema, William Carroll (2022)
  • "Branded to Kill: Japanese cult director Seijun Suzuki's deepest cuts", interview with Carroll (2018)
• Negative, Nonsensical, and Non-Conformist: The Films of Suzuki Seijun, Peter A. Yacavone (2023)
• Midnight Eye interviews
  • Seijun Suzuki (2001)
  • Jo Shishido (2005)
• Various special features on Criterion discs and website