Another Lonely Hitman (1995)

Production: GAGA Communications
Color / Length: Color, 107 minutes
Director: Rokuro Mochizuki
Actors: Ryo Ishibashi, Asami Sawaki, Tatsuo Yamada, Tetsuya Yuki

From the interviews I read and the rare photos I saw, I had the picture of Rokuro Mochizuki being an earnest film fanatic who isn’t ashamed of his background in Pinku-Eiga and only is trying to get a movie done now and then. Maybe a little on the sleazy side (he likes to point out how much he liked to film naked women during his Pinku-Eiga time) and surely not somebody I would trust my hard earned money to (yeah, the whole 30$), but probably good for a few drinks. After having viewed the video interview on artsmagic’s as always beautiful dvd (though this time some more extras would’ve been great), I was proven right. Rokuro Mochizuki indeed comes off as an earnest, a little sleazy, chain smoking movie fanatic who is in the business solely to tell interesting stories… and film naked women. A reason I can relate to.

“Another lonely Hit Man” is the movie that gave Rokuro Mochizuki the chance to do something different than shoot Pink movies or write scripts other people directed (though his first “serious” movie was “Skinless Night” a semi-autographic movie about Pinku-Eiga). “Hit Man” was planned as a movie Rokuro Mochizuki should’ve made for Toei, but they had just announced that they were stopping the production of Yakuza-Eiga – which put “Hit Man” on halt. It seemed “Hit Man” wasn’t going to be made until Gaga-Communications came along and gave Mochizuki another chance with the movie. Gaga had already made some movies with Takeshi Kitano, which meant that they were willing to take chances with the movies they produced. And “Hit Man” definitely was a risk to make; the story of “Another lonely Hit Man” surely didn’t have Blockbuster written all over it.

10 Years ago Takashi Tachibana (Ryo Ishibashi), high on Heroin, had killed a man for the sake of the gang. A woman who sat at the same table like the victim also was wounded and crippled for life. The whole scene watched by a little boy, who Tachibana had met in the lavatory. Though graphic (Mochizuki doesn’t shy away from some gore in this scene), the whole scene is shot in a casual, realistic way - there’s no style over substance here. If you ever wondered how Ken Loach would direct a Yakuza hit, this most likely comes closest. Tachibana goes off to jail for the next 10 Years.

At his release Tachibana is greeted by some members of the Gumi and they escort him to the HQ to meet the Boss. On his way, not used to riding in a car anymore, they have to stop and Tachibana is sick at the sideways of the street. The picture of Tachibana amidst the grey, concrete highways being sick says it all. This is the story of a man who doesn’t fit in the modern world anymore. But soon he shall find his ideal match, a young girl who hasn’t found her way INTO the modern world. Tachibanas welcome money is sacked by Mizohashi but he gets offered an apartment to stay and later in the evening a young call girl visits Tachibana; also a gift from the gang. She’s a talkative, skinny young thing, who likes to shoot up once in a while. Tachibana tries to fuck her, but he aint up to it yet, so they talk, go out and have some fun. When he brings her back to her place, he witnesses how her brutal Pimp starts to beat her up. He cant just turn away and beats hell out of him.

Because the Pimp is a high ranking member of another Gumi, Mizohashi has to settle the story with Tachibanas money. He also tells him how things work nowadays. The Yakuza aren’t rowdy Street Warriors anymore, they organize money for Projects, legal Projects; “Yakuza sell dreams to People now” he tells him. He also puts a Chinpira, Yuji, at his side who is to follow him everywhere. At first reluctant, Tachibana finally accepts Yuji, when he notices that he isn’t just a stupid Yakuza poser. Soon they make a good team, cleaning the streets from the drug peddlers who have infiltrated their Gangs Territory. This isn’t approved by all the high ranking members of the Gumi. Especially Mizohashi who is deeply involved in the drug business is furious.

In the meantime Tachibana puts his hooker girlfriend on cold turkey which leads to some wild confrontations between the two. But in the end it only strengthens their bond. They make plans about quitting their lives and starting over again.

When one of Mizohashi’s big Projects goes belly up and it looks like he and the boss of the Gang are going straight for a financial disaster, things heat up for every one involved. Tachibana, Yuji and Yuki are heading for a show down that involves a video camera, a jealous Pimp and some broken dreams.

A love story, more than a hard boiled Yakuza-Eiga, “Another lonely Hit Man” shows what can be done when you take a Genre and turn it upside down. Mochizuki takes regular Yakuza-Eiga set pieces and creates them new. When Tachibana has to commit Jubitsume, he isn’t the tough Yakuza Ken Takakura would’ve been, nor is the show down similar to anything I’ve ever seen in any Yakuza-Eiga. Bravely Mochizuki delves into the corners of the ultimate human fear; being alone in this big, cold world. The “old” Man who is confronted with his past, his failures (his first marriage) and the consequences his actions have had on other people (an innocent woman, who was wounded by him during the hit) – afraid, he might die without having the chance to put them right or to change them at least. The young Hooker, who needs someone who doesn’t only use her for their own needs, some one who cares and maybe selflessly does something for her. And even in Yuji you find a model for modern Angst, in his case the loss of a father figure who is there when the boy grown into a man. Maybe aleady knowing that the “son” will commit the same mistakes the “father” had done years earlier.

The same themes would be picket up later again by Mohizuki for his masterpiece “Onibi”. Those who have seen both most likely will agree, when I say that “Another lonely Hit Man” is a blueprint to “Onibi”; emotional, intriguing and definitely charming, but still on the rough side. A lot like the director actually. Earnest in its intentions, interested in telling a good story and some thimes a little sleazy. What else could one wish for? A Yakuza-Eiga with soul. Thank you Rokuri Mochizuki.

4 1/2 Kitanos