“Yakuza and the Family” An unwavering bond in changing times. Michito Fujii's achievements in 10 years as a director

The challenge of having one actor perform 20 years' worth of roles

However, it goes without saying that "The Yakuza and the Family" is not a work that focuses on "painting the pessimistic picture of the yakuza who have had their human rights taken away." It is a story about one man trying to protect his "family" in a world without honor, and it is a story that looks at the "era" of the 20 years from 1999 to 2019.

To express this "changing of times," the film is not only divided into three chapters, set in 1999, 2005, and 2019, but is also structured as a story of three generations: Yakuza boss Shibasaki (Tachi Hiroshi), his "son" Yamamoto (Ayano Go), and Yamamoto's beloved semi-gangster Tsubasa (Isomura Hayato). Each character entrusts their will and beliefs to the next generation, passing them on, so that they are not truly isolated.

Yamamoto, who grew up watching Shibasaki's back, and Tsubasa, who followed in her footsteps, both have unwavering trust, no matter what happens. One of the horrors depicted in "The Yakuza and the Family" is the pressure to conform that "makes what exists into something that doesn't exist," but in the hearts of the family, they never "disappear."

   “Yakuza and the Family” (c)2021 “Yakuza and the Family” Production Committee

The times, society, the world... Who was it that saved Yamamoto, who was treated coldly by everyone? This work ultimately returns to the starting point of the story and appeals once again to the strength of family. Even if their eyes and ears are covered and their mouths are taken away, their fathers and older brothers continue to live on inside them. When the end of the story connects to the beginning and it reaches where it should be, this "vertical drama" will be complete.

The cast members bore a heavy responsibility in completing such a story. This is because the film would not have worked without the skills to fully portray the characters over a 20-year span. In some ways, this was the biggest weakness of The Yakuza and the Family had to convincingly portray the age range from 19 to 39. If there was even the slightest hint of falsehood in this part, the audience's immersion would have been lost from the very beginning. This is especially true if realism had been given the utmost importance in the scriptwriting stage.

However, Ayano Go, who played the lead role, managed to play this difficult role to the fullest (perhaps his experience in " The World's Most Terrible Guys " (2016), in which he also played the half-life of a single character, came in handy). In this film, Ayano performed the dangerous action scenes without a stunt double, and apparently had extensive discussions with director Fujii about every last detail as he created the film. His extraordinary energy overflows from the screen. His whole-hearted acting captivates the audience.

Add to that the performances of Tachi Hiroshi, who plays Shibasaki, who is usually gentle and kind, but when the time comes, becomes a ferocious god that makes those around her tremble, and Isomura Hayato, who gives his all, exuding the dangerous madness that comes with youth, and this film comes to life as a film. While you're overwhelmed by each of the actors' once-in-a-lifetime performances, you'll also feel a strong Arrival of "inheritance" in the scene where they embrace each other. Family is always an inviolable and indestructible sanctuary.

Precise screen design with a visual theme of “smoke”