A Narcotics Agent's Ballad

1972 1h 23m JA

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 1

CrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Undercover cop Kikuchi teams up with the Okinawa local police to clean up the narcotics and prostitution underworld.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Sonny Chiba
Eiko Takehara
Hiroshi Miyauchi
Tsûsai Sugawara
Fumio Watanabe
Asao Sano
Rokkō Toura
Akiko Mori

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Shin Takakuwa
Writers: Takeo Kaneko, Shin Takakuwa
Languages: Japanese
Countries: 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

RUNTIME

Did you know

83 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

54 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Shin Takakuwa, shot by Ichirō Hoshijima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sonny Chiba and Eiko Takehara and Hiroshi Miyauchi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt5658584 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Shin Takakuwa directs. Ichirō Hoshijima behind the camera. Toshiaki Tsushima scores. Fumio Soda cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
254 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Shin Takakuwa, shot by Ichirō Hoshijima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Toshiaki Tsushima. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Fumio Soda shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Sonny Chiba and Eiko Takehara and Hiroshi Miyauchi carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt5658584 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.