Yakuza Wives – 88 Films

Director: Hideo Gosha
Screenplay: Kôji Takada
Based on a Book by: Shôko Ieda
Starring: Shima Iwashita, Rino Katase, Akiko Kana, Masanori Sera, Riki Takeuchi, Kôjiro Shimizu, Shôko Ieda, Yasuko Naito, Junko Enjô
Country: Japan
Running Time: 119 min
Year: 1986
BBFC Certificate: 18

The Japanese studio Toei was known for its yakuza films, both the ninkyo eiga (“chivalry films”), which were popular in the 60s, and the jitsuroku eiga (​​”actual record films”), which rose to prominence in the 70s. However, the genre was out of favour by the mid-80s. Kinji Fukasaku, one of its key figures, had stopped making jitsuroku eiga in 1977, following an incident linked to his film Hokuriku Proxy War, and audiences weren’t flocking to them anymore either.

However, Toei hadn’t quite given up on making yakuza films. In 1986, they attempted to rejuvenate the genre by approaching it from a different angle, focusing on the women of the crime families, rather than the men. The resulting film was Yakuza Wives (a.k.a. Yakuza Ladies or Gokudô no onna-tachi), directed by Hideo Gosha.

Toei’s gamble paid off, as the film was a hit and even went on to spawn a whopping 15 sequels, the last of which, Yakuza Ladies Neo, was released in 2013.

Like the yakuza genre, Gosha was floundering a little at the time. He was best known for his chanbara films in the 60s, with his later yakuza films not proving quite as popular. The success of Yakuza Wives proved he could still make a hit though.

The film isn’t well known in the West but 88 Films are hoping to address the situation by releasing Yakuza Wives on Blu-ray in the UK and US. I got hold of a copy and my thoughts follow.

The film presents a stark and unflinching portrayal of women living and working within the violent and patriarchal structure of the yakuza. Tamaki Awazu (Shima Iwashita), the poised and resilient wife of a powerful gang boss, is granted a position of leadership when her husband is imprisoned. At the start of the film, a coalition exists between the various families, maintaining a state of relative peace. However, when the chairman of the coalition dies, the group is split and a fight for power breaks out.

This sudden shift in dynamics forces Tamaki to confront the brutal realities of gang warfare, navigating treacherous alliances and rivalries with a steely determination.

Parallel to Tamaki’s struggle is the harrowing journey of her younger sister, Makoto (Rino Katase). Her life is violently disrupted when she suffers a brutal assault at the hands of Sugita (Masanori Sera), a member of a rival yakuza clan. She is strong-armed into marrying the disturbed criminal but grows to love him. Makoto’s involvement in yakuza affairs fuels escalating tensions, intertwining her fate with her sister’s and pushing both women into a dangerous confrontation with the ruthless yakuza underworld.

The film is based on a book by the journalist Shôko Ieda, who did extensive research, speaking to a number of women involved with the yakuza. Whilst the resulting story she wrote was fictional, it draws from the real-life stories she gathered. As such, the film has an authenticity to its portrayal of yakuza life.

It also subverts the typical view of women in such films. This intention is made clear from the opening scene, where we see a group of yakuza wives, whose husbands are in prison, share some shockingly frank banter before drinking heavily and partying like a bunch of students on a Friday night.

It’s not all fun and games though. We see the harsh reality of living in this world, with the violence, deception and hardships on full display. One key example is the rape of Makoto at the hands of Sugita. Unfortunately, however, this proves to be quite a problematic scene in the fact Makoto ends up marrying her aggressor and seems to genuinely love him by the end.

I also found the story difficult to follow at times, not helped by being rather tired and distracted during the earlier portion of the film. There are a lot of characters introduced initially, and it took me a while to learn who was who.

When the two key women take centre stage as the film moves on, the story becomes clearer though. Lead actress Shima Iwashita was better known for her ‘prestigious’ roles for Ozu and her husband Masahiro Shinoda but, following the success of Yakuza Wives, she worked on a number of the ensuing sequels, keeping her in the public eye during the latter portion of her long career. She delivers a suitably commanding performance here.

From a technical and stylistic point of view, the film is impressive too. It’s slickly presented, with carefully conceived and well-executed shots. I also enjoyed the music a great deal, which has a Western, jazz-heavy flavour.

Overall, Yakuza Wives is a tough but slickly produced crime drama that puts the genre’s women in the spotlight, showing how they can play their own dangerous games of power and honour.

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