The Yakuza

"A man never forgets. A man pays his debts."

1974 1h 52m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 231

CrimeDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When George Tanner does business with high-ranking Yakuza Tono, Tono kidnaps his daughter, and George summons his old friend, private eye Harry Kilmer, to Japan to investigate.

“A man never forgets. A man pays his debts.”

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Cast

Robert Mitchum
Harry Kilmer
Ken Takakura
Tanaka Ken
Eiji Okada
Tono
Herb Edelman
Wheat
Richard Jordan
Dusty
James Shigeta
Goro
Keiko Kishi
Eiko
Christina Kokubo
Hanako

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sydney Pollack
Writers: Robert Towne, Leonard Schrader, Paul Schrader
Languages: English, Japanese
Countries: United States of America, Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 30% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

52 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Japanese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Japan.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Sydney Pollack, shot by Kōzō Okazaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dave Grusin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Don Guidice shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robert Mitchum and Ken Takakura and Eiji Okada carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sydney Pollack directs. Kōzō Okazaki behind the camera. Dave Grusin scores. Don Guidice cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America, Japan. Dialogue in English, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 30% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
252 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Japanese.
4International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Japan.
5Directed by Sydney Pollack, shot by Kōzō Okazaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Dave Grusin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Don Guidice shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Robert Mitchum and Ken Takakura and Eiji Okada carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "A man never forgets. A man pays his debts.".
10IMDB entry: tt0073918 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.