If you can overlook god-awful 70s clothes and hair, “The Yakuza” is one of the coolest film noirs to be made after the end of the classic noir period. It stars Robert Mitchum (of “Out of the Past” and other great noir movies) as well as Ken Takakura, star of many “Yakuza-eigo” or Japanese gangster movies.

Yakuza-eigo is a fascinating genre in its own right. In a classic Japanese gangster movie, a heroic and chivalric outlaw is torn between the Yakuza's incompatible virtues of “giri” (obligation) and “ninjo” (compassion), creating an intolerable tension that can only be resolved in a final bloodbath.

Not only does “The Yakuza” adhere to the noir conventions of the world-weary private eye haunted by his past (and Mitchum looks a lot more world-weary in 1975 than he did in 1946!) it also weaves in the giri-ninjo conflict of all great Yakuza movies. The noir themes take on added depth and resonance from the fact that the characters are all middle-aged men and women, musing over lifetimes of regret and loss rather than young people struggling with some passing heartache. Plus, it has one of the best swordfighting scenes ever created for the cinema, and a surprising and emotionally moving plot twist right at the end. I've seen “The Yakuza” about ten times as it is, and I expect to see it at least ten times more. It's not always that easy to find a copy, but thanks to Amazon you can probably pick one up without too much difficulty.