Irezumi Ichidai (aka Tattooed Life) (1965)

After a younger brother (Kotobuki Hananomoto) kills a man in protecting his older Yakuza brother (Hideki Takahashi), they flee Tokyo with the intention of going to Manchuria. But after being swindled for their money, they are forced to take construction jobs. But their past will very soon catch up with them. One of director Seijun Suzuki's more subtle films, the majority of the film isn't an urban setting but set in the countryside. Nevertheless, Suzuki inserts his familiar visual style and color scheme at appropriate moments. While there is violence, most of it is saved for the typical Yakuza revenge finale and I couldn't help wondering if this was one of the films Tarantino referenced in KILL BILL. At its core, it's a story of brotherly love albeit very different types: one a practical minded Yakuza gangster and the other a romantic dreamer. Suzuki takes his time and by the end of the poignant finale, the brothers exceed their archetypes. With Hiroko Ito, Masako Izumi and Akira Yamauchi.